Its larger rivals may be struggling, but Taiwanese handset firm HTC, maker of the Android-based G1, said it expected “double-digit” revenue growth in 2009 as more consumers took to smartphones, despite the gloomy economy. Reuters reports that HTC president Peter Chou told reporters at a year-end party for employees that while it was hard to forecast 2009, and “things could be a bit worse in the short term,” he still expected to maintain double-digit growth.

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In early January, HTC reported that its yearly revenues for the year ending December 31, 2008 had grown 28.65 percent. The company enjoyed a sales spike in November, just after the October 22 release of the G1 on T-Mobile USA, when sales were boosted 10.76 percent. In December, it reported that G1 sales had been better than its one million unit prediction, though it did not give a specific figure. HTC, which for years manufactured phones for other companies, has been gaining ground on its larger rivals thanks to its swiftness in releasing must-have features such as touch screens. On Friday, HTC’s Japanese-Swedish competitor, Sony Ericsson, which said it was also coming out with an Android phone, reported that its struggles would continue into the new year, and said it expected to post a net loss for 2009.