Responding to a question about media reports that HTC will pay Apple $6 to $8 per Android phone as part of the patent settlement, Chou said it was an outrageous estimate and called it "baseless".

HTC announced a global patent settlement and a 10-year licensing agreement with Apple this month after a bruising patent war between the two smartphone makers.

Apple sued the Taiwanese handset maker in 2010, its first major legal salvo against a manufacturer using Google's Android operating system. Since the suit, a patent war has engulfed competitors including Samsung Electronics Co Ltd and Google's Motorola Mobility unit.

The companies did not disclose details of the settlement or the licensing agreement, but HTC said it will not change its fourth-quarter guidance. (Reporting by Mari Saito; Editing by Michael Watson)

• A Permanent Economic Emergency