As the world is slowly making its transition to smartphones, or phones running operating systems by Microsoft, Google, BlackBerry, Nokia, and Palm, HTC may soon be straying for convention. Initial reports and rumors have it that HTC will be launching its own line of feature phones, another term for dumb phones or phones that don’t run a popular smartphone OS. This would be a first for the Taiwanese firm, which has traditionally relied on Microsoft for Windows Mobile and more recently Google for Android.

According to Techtree, HTC’s first venture into the non-smartphone space will probably involve a touchscreen. The phone will rely on the BREW platform developed by Qualcomm and is more commonly seen on Verizon Wireless.

Is this HTC’s response to its recent quarter’s profits slipping 30 percent?