Cameras said reason for HTC One delay

NEW YORK, March 25 (UPI) -- The delay of the HTC One smartphone, the Taiwanese company's eagerly awaited flagship device, is down to a shortage of camera parts, a company executive says.

HTC Chief Marketing Officer Benjamin Ho confirmed the component shortage in an interview Sunday with The Wall Street Journal.

"Our friends in the media have been asking why there has been a delay in shipments for the new HTC One, whether there is a component shortage," Ho said. "There is some shortage, because the phone's camera was designed specifically for us, and production cannot be ramped up so quickly."

The Taiwanese manufacturer is facing supply problems with some components as a result of being downgraded by some of its suppliers, another executive said last week.

"The company has a problem managing its component suppliers as it has changed its order forecasts drastically and frequently following last year's unexpected slump in shipments," the executive told the Journal. "HTC has had difficulty in securing adequate camera components as it is no longer a tier-one customer."

HTC said the smartphone would be shipping in North America, Europe, the Asia-Pacific region and most other markets by the end of April, CNET reported.