AKIPRESS.COM - HTC Corp. released a new version of its mainstay One smartphone, a device it’s counting on to help restore profitability, Bloomberg reported today.

The HTC One M8 features a 13-centimeter full high-definition screen, Qualcomm Inc.’s Snapdragon 801 processor and a micro SD slot, the Taoyuan, Taiwan-based company said in a presentation in New York. Its physical design mirrors that of last year’s HTC One model, which suffered production delays and a shortage of components. The shares rose.

Nine consecutive quarters of sales declines pushed HTC to its first annual loss last year as its marketing budget shrank and it faced stiffer competition from rivals including Lenovo Group Ltd. HTC has worked to solve the production problems it faced last year, while a wider portfolio of mid-end devices will help it reach more consumers this year, Chief Financial Officer Chang Chialin told investors last month.

Shares of HTC rose as much as 3% to NT$157, the highest level on an intraday basis since November 28. The stock was 2% higher as of 10.13 am in Taipei compared with a 0.5% rise in the benchmark Taiex index.

Pre-orders for the One M8 started yesterday at U.S. carriers Verizon Communications Inc., Sprint Corp. and AT&T Inc., which is selling the phone at $199.99 on a two-year contract. The device will be available at all major carriers in April.