Smartphone maker FIH Mobile's H1 loss widens on weaker demand in China

TAIPEI (Reuters) - Handset manufacturer FIH Mobile Ltd's first-half losses widened on Friday due to bleak demand from smartphone vendors and said it will closely monitor escalating Sino-U.S. trade tensions.

FIH Mobile, a unit of Taiwan's Foxconn, the trading name of Hon Hai Precision Industry Co, widened its net loss to $348.1 million in the first half from $196.9 million a year ago, the company said in a statement to the Hong Kong stock exchange.

The company, which is grappling with weak demand from Chinese smartphone vendors, including Xiaomi, said shipments growth has hit a ceiling and it expected intense competition to affect its revenues and margins.

"Although there are still opportunities from consumption upgrades and industrial innovation, the risk of saturation in the smart phone market remains high," it said in the statement.

The company also said it will closely monitor the impact of the growing trade conflict between China and the United States.

According to market research firm IDC, the Chinese smartphone market shipped 105 million units in the second quarter, a 5.9 percent drop from a year earlier.

(Reporting by Yimou Lee; Editing by Adrian Croft)