The iPhone 3G helped manufacturer Hon Hai Precision Industry, the world's largest contract electronics product maker, beat analyst estimates when it reported third quarter net profit of NT$17.8 billion (US$542.3 million) last week, on revenue of NT$431.2 billion.

The net profit figure was down a little over 10 percent compared to the same time last year due to slower desktop PC sales, according to Jenny Lai, an analyst at CLSA Asia Pacific Markets in Taipei.

Global desktop PC shipments slumped 6 percent year-on-year in the third quarter, she said, and desktop PCs account for 30 percent to 40 percent of Hon Hai's sales. The company makes PCs on behalf of clients such as Dell and Hewlett-Packard.

Taiwanese phone maker HTC also saw strong shipments of its latest smartphone, the Touch Diamond, continue to strengthen, according to the Market Intelligence Center.

Like the iPhone 3G, the Touch Diamond boasts a large touchscreen face and works on high-speed wireless networks, and uses Microsoft's Windows Mobile OS. HTC is the largest maker of devices that run on Windows Mobile.