HTC: 'Nokia Windows Phone 7 deal will help us'

HTC reaffirms commitment to Microsoft's mobile OS - HTC's European boss thinks that the company will also benefit from Nokia's agreement to make Windows Phone 7 handsets.

Despite the likelihood that the Finnish smartphone giant will become Microsoft's favourite manufacturer, Florian Seiche says that HTC can profit from the platform's raised profile.

He told the Reuters Global Technology Summit: "[The Nokia deal] will not change our commitment to Microsoft.

"With a new player entering, it should actually help to elevate the relevance of that platform ... we actually feel that we should be able to benefit.

"The long-term opportunity with Nokia entering will definitely bring Windows back to critical mass."

Flyer performing well

During the summit Sieche also revealed that the company is pleased with the sales performance of its first Android tablet, the HTC Flyer, but refused to be drawn on actual figures.

"It's early days but we feel very good about it," he says.

"In five years' time, schools will have tablets probably instead of physical notebooks. I think that's going to be such a massive wave of additional penetration in society... I think we can't even guess the potential."

Sieche also said that the Taiwanese giant plans to launch its first NFC-enabled smartphone within the next twelve months.