HTC is apparently stepping away from manufacturing devices running on Microsoft's Windows Phone 8 platform following dismal sales.
The troubled Taiwanese smartphone manufacturer, which used to be the number one producer of Windows Phone handsets, has slipped to third place due to Nokia's special relationship with Microsoft and Samsung's progression to second place.
It's claimed that the company now holds a mere five percent of the Windows Phone 8 smartphone market, with Nokia holding a commanding lead with 80 percent. As a result, Digitimes's industry sources reckon that "HTC is likely to drift away from Windows Phone 8."
It seems as if the launch of the HTC 8S and HTC 8X earlier in the year have failed to restore HTC to its former position of strength in the Windows Phone 8 market, despite generally strong reviews and Microsoft's own early show of support.
Indeed, it's the related perception of Nokia as a Windows Phone specialist that appears to be giving the Finnish company the advantage - at least in the relatively limited field of Windows Phone 8 devices.
Nokia's most recent handsets, the Nokia Lumia 1020 and Nokia Lumia 925, have boasted stand-out camera technology that sets them out as unique for all other smartphones, let alone HTC's Windows Phone 8 offerings.
HTC instead appears to have focused on rescuing its faltering Android fortunes with the HTC One range. The company will continue to push its efforts in that direction having dropped out of the top five Android manufacturers, according to the report.
Next, read our HTC One tips and tricks.
