Should HTC go all Windows Phone?

[a5cent]

HTC still has some innovation in hardware to offer Microsoft.

That would be news to me. Any interest in explaining what that might be? Purchasing an 'off the shelf' component and putting it in a phone isn't innovation. That is simply leveraging other peoples innovations, which any company can do, as such components are built to be sold on the free market to anbody. Apple, Nokia, HTC, Samsung, even you. Anybody.

Branding has been HTC's only real "innovation", like beats audio. Such brandings are just marketing licenses though. Anyone can incorporate similar or identical hardware and slap the exact same branding on it if desired. That means such branding will remain exclusive to HTC only as long as it doesn't become too successful.

Don't get me wrong. I'm not saying that HTC builds bad hardware. What I am saying is that building good hardware is no longer enough.

 

[tgp]

Android is "Galaxy" not Android.

That is true to a certain extent. You could also say that WP is "Nokia" not WP. Nokia had an excellent reputation back in the day, and because of that they developed a good fan base. My favorite feature phone ever was a Nokia 8210. I would venture a guess that a lot of WP sales today are because of Nokia rather than WP.

I don't see HTC going all WP. The market is too small at this point. In Q1 2013 Android sales were 26x WP sales (156 million vs. 6 million), so capturing even 5% of the Android market is more sales than the entire WP market. On the other hand, Nokia is probably easier to compete with than Samsung. But I don't think the WP market can support it at this point. Nokia would likely throw in the towel if it wasn't for whatever deals they have worked out with Microsoft.

 

[tungha]

lots of OEM will join the world of WP8 if the update is really 'BIG' as expected. I hope Blue will come soon enough before iOS7 released (not so much hope)

 

[DontHate707]

if they make a windows version of the one then i think they'll see some better sales on the windows front but android is up in the air idk what they want lol

 

[Chregu]

Wait, they should rely to 100 % on a tiny market already mostly occupied by Nokia? And suddenly they would sell more phones?

How would that magic work exactly?

 

[IrRevd]

An all Windows strategy would be a disaster for htc. Htc would never sell as many WP as android plus wp have smaller margin as no licence fee. What i would like to see is htc making the same phones for both android and wp with the only difference being software oh and released at the same time!

 

[Chregu]

An all Windows strategy would be a disaster for htc. Htc would never sell as many WP as android plus wp have smaller margin as no licence fee. What i would like to see is htc making the same phones for both android and wp with the only difference being software oh and released at the same time!

That's pretty much what I think, although personally I feel they should keep two distinct hardware design languages, similar to the 8X and the One X (both very beautiful phones in my opinion).

Similar hardware, same release date, but a slightly different look matching the OS.

...but maybe they just don't have the resources for that.

 

[LMZR]

This would be a big change for HTC, if they only provide for one platform. They'll lose lots of customers who use HTC's Android range.

 

[cckgz4]

Please. Folks don't even want Nokia to go all Windows Phone, and at this moment, HTC needs their hands in as many pots as they can get

 

[gedzum]

HTC are between a rock and hard place right about now. They have a great android device with the HTC One. Seems to be highly regarded in terms of reviews at least. I'm not too sure how well it sold or how profitable it was for them. I feel like it would be harder for HTC to break into Windows Phone than it would Android. Nokia offers way more in terms of apps and device selection. It seems tougher for HTC to differentiate on the WP platform than with Android. I personally think Samsung devices look stale, and HTC is offering the better quality hardware as well as a cleaner UI.

 

[MSFTisMIA]

Samsung is headed down the same road that Apple is...there will be a glut on the high end market, especially since how the phones launched are still governed by the US two year contract cycle.

I'm not sure that HTC is now in a position resources wise to make 1 phone specs wise and make it for WP and Android with different designs. They would need the Tier 1 status to do so for their components and I think they lost that earlier this year...hence the One not being launched on time.

I still think that they should pick 1-2 elements, audio being one of them, and excell in that area. Nokia has chosen the camera and mapping (to a slightly lesser degree). You buy a Nokia for the camera and exclusive apps. I think HTC should go the audio + music experience route, for both hardware, accessories and exclusive apps. So "you buy a HTC because it is the best thing to listen to music and watch videos on."

 

[In Limbo]

I wouldn't say they should go all WP, but it would hurt to get more serious about supporting it. Just look at Nokia and how they're selling handsets like hotcakes compared to other WP OEM's. It might be tough over on the WP side as well, but it's a much less saturated market without the dominant presence of Samsung and their 50 different Galaxy phones.

 

[realwarder]

If I was HTC I'd release the same phone running Andoid and WP. 1 hardware development and 2 software teams. Software being a lot cheaper than hardware to work with.

 

[Chregu]

If I was HTC I'd release the same phone running Andoid and WP. 1 hardware development and 2 software teams. Software being a lot cheaper than hardware to work with.

WP doesn't support the high-end hardware of Android phones at the moment. I'm not sure if and when this is going to change, even when for example 4-core processors and 1080p screens will be supported sometime in the future.

 

[Wyn6]

WP doesn't support the high-end hardware of Android phones at the moment. I'm not sure if and when this is going to change...

This year.

 

[Chregu]

This year.

Says who (officially)? According to initial rumors we would have Blue soon ;-)

Nobody knows when the updates really are coming. Personally I believe not even Microsoft does. And then we still don't know if the range of supported CPUs will be getting broader, or if it is still limited to a small selection.

 

[rockstarzzz]

I think they should invest in Firefox OS because WP and Android are dominated by Nokia and Sammy respectively. Firefox on the other hand is up for grabs!

 

[a5cent]

Says who (officially)? According to initial rumors we would have Blue soon ;-)

Nobody knows when the updates really are coming. Personally I believe not even Microsoft does. And then we still don't know if the range of supported CPUs will be getting broader, or if it is still limited to a small selection.

Mary Jo Foley was the first to report on the project codenamed 'WP Blue'. She immediately stated that it was intended to RTM in Q4 2013. A week or two later she mentioned that it would slip into Q1 2014. There were no credible rumours pointing to an earlier release date. Still, I definitely agree with the general point you are making. Software release dates are a very tricky business.

In regard to the range of supported SoCs (not CPUs), WP will always be limited to a select few (assuming Microsoft isn't about to change their strategy). There are quite a few documents and many Microsoft officials on record mentioning Microsoft's vision of a standardized hardware and software platform. I'm not sure why people aren't catching on to what that means. Maybe the benefits of that approach just don't make sense to non-developers. I don't know. Anyway, standardization is the opposite of supporting a wide range of varying hardware. Theoretically it should mean just one single SoC, but Microsoft must find a balance between that technically optimal solution and market demands.

GDR3 will certify an additional two or at most three new SoCs for use with WP.

 

[Jaskys]

HTC has problem at both sides, at the moment it's better them to stay at Android side, since it gives more money and has bunch of loyal fans.
I don't get it how HTC One isn't the king of the android... S4 is just awfull, you have to be extremelly big ****** to buy/use it.

 

[DavidinCT]

I love how everyone here bashes HTC (edit: Correction, A lot of people). I've had a handful of their phones over the years (WM devices as well as WP devices). I had a HTC 8X before I got my 928 (mainly upgraded for the space, I sold my 8X for more than I paid for the 928, so it was a wash). The 8X is a really nice phone, it's smaller, ligher and slicker than the 928, it fits better in a pocket and actually feels better in my hands than the 928 does (I had them both at one time and did a deep compare of them, I was thinking about selling the 928 at one point). Over the years, besides a bad one time to time, they were great phones.

Crap, my HTC Trophy I had, I must of dropped that phone 75 times and watch the battery/back cover go flying across the room, many times. The phone was in mint shape and held up great, one of the most dependable phones I ever have owned (for the low end model that it was).

I would love to see HTC release a KICK A.S.S. Windows Phone 8+ device, up the line to what the Ativ S is, large great screen, good sound system, large (64gb option) amount of memory with expandable storage. A strong device to compete or beat the best of Nokia devices.

I might even be tempted to swich....and I know they can do it...