HTC claimed its Q3 results showed a “strong improvement”, with the loss-making company still reluctant to provide much colour to go with its numbers.

For the period, HTC reported a net loss of TWD1.8 billion ($57 million), compared with a loss of TWD4.5 billion in the prior-year, on revenue of TWD22.2 billion, up from TWD21.4 billion.

The company cited “continued momentum across smartphone and VR, in addition to prudent cost control resulting in lowered operating expense”.

In a conference call, Chialin Chang, smartphone and connected devices chief, said the smartphone business was around breakeven by management accounting measures.

The vendor refused to be drawn on the impact of its relationship with Google to manufacture the Pixel smartphone line – a partnership which has not been confirmed by either party.

And it also refused to provide much detail on its Vive headset business, stating that in such a nascent market with so much interest from competitors, “this is the best protection of HTC’s interests”.

However, it underlined that it is selling units at a profit, and that sales are “much more” than a 140,000 figure mooted by press reports.