Should HTC go all Windows Phone?

[nube_android]

HTC, despite their new hope (HTC one android) is bleeding profits and revenue. Android cannot keep any phone company alive that is making beautiful phones, it only works well for Chinese companies and Samsung. A new rumor suggests that HTC will make a windows phone model of the HTC one. But what if HTC just switches to an all WP strategy?

 

[gsquared]

HTC is in the same boat on the WP side as they are on the Android side. Sammy has the resources and unethical business practices on the Android side while Nokia has superior quality and technology on WP platform.

I look for HTC to either get bought-out or become insolvent.

 

[mxtremex6]

It has to struggle on both the sides....samsung on droid and nokia on WP....bad luck maybe

 

[koolkid09]

Lol what?

 

[joe_easton]

I think it would be interesting to see HTC bought out by Sony some other large electronics company. HTC has good recognition in the mobile world but they can't compete against Sammy. Sony has the money but had never been able to get a good market share of the cell phone industry.

 

[tiziano27]

Things are going to get worse for HTC. Google is pushing Motorola and Huawei is expanding to developed markets.

They can sell both, but improve the support for WP and spend more in marketing. Microsoft pays money to Nokia for the exclusivity.

 

[MSFTisMIA]

They can do both. I think, GDR 3 is where HTC can do some nice things with WP. Remember, they initiated the process of porting over Android HW to WP with all their WP7 Gen 1 models.

Personally, they need to pick something signature and focus on that. They have edgy industrial design, but I'd pick the audio component and make that be the reason to get a HTC WP. Build on the Beats Audio and Boomsound stuff and add compatible apps and accessories too. I'd love to see a quad core HTC WP8 phone that emphasizes audio and gaming support, along with stylish mid rangers like the 8S line.

 

[AccentAE86]

I think it would be a wiser move for HTC to go solely to WP. If they drop their entire Android effort, that frees up HUGE resources that they can put into WP. All off a sudden they can afford to commission a lot more exclusive apps and marquee game titles just like Nokia does. Because honestly, people are mostly choosing Nokia for their exclusive apps. As much as I love Nokia, I cannot deny that HTC makes beautiful hardware too. So I honestly think if HTC dropped Android, they could do some serious damage in the WP world and turn profits. There are also a lot of HTC loyalists who would also give WP a try if that was their only platform; it would only benefit WP as a whole. Android is saturated. WP is not and has a lot of room to grow. Do you want to GRAB a piece of a growing market, or fight neck and neck in a saturated one?

 

[mrdeeds_72]

If HTC had actually put a concerted effort into WP 8 instead of neglecting it, they and WP would be in a better position. Now they are being squeezed out of both the Android and WP markets. I give them 2 years to right the ship or it's lights out.

 

[a5cent]

HTC has never been more, nor wanted to be more, than a parts assembler. That just isn't enough these days. Even the hardware manufacturers must involve themselves in ecosystem development. They must also push the limits of what is possible through real innovation (meaning research investments, filing patents, buying innovative startups, designing custom ICs etc). HTC hasn't meaningfully engaged in any of that... not for WP and not for Android.

HTC's understanding of innovation is limited to being the first to market with a new (but off the shelf) component. A new Qualcomm chipset, a new display panel or whatnot. Being entirely focused on hardware, industrial design is also central to their efforts, and despite them doing some great stuff in that department, it isn't objectively better than what Apple or Nokia achieve.

HTC is on a slow path to their own demise. IMHO their board is incompetent and should be fired. Unfortunately, I suspect HTC will be sold before that happens.

 

[nube_android]

I think it would be a wiser move for HTC to go solely to WP. If they drop their entire Android effort, that frees up HUGE resources that they can put into WP. All off a sudden they can afford to commission a lot more exclusive apps and marquee game titles just like Nokia does. Because honestly, people are mostly choosing Nokia for their exclusive apps. As much as I love Nokia, I cannot deny that HTC makes beautiful hardware too. So I honestly think if HTC dropped Android, they could do some serious damage in the WP world and turn profits. There are also a lot of HTC loyalists who would also give WP a try if that was their only platform; it would only benefit WP as a whole. Android is saturated. WP is not and has a lot of room to grow. Do you want to GRAB a piece of a growing market, or fight neck and neck in a saturated one?

Exactly my point. Android is "Galaxy" not Android. (at least to consumers) And the only one who can challenge the Galaxy hegemony is Google and Motorola. HTC needs to go all Windows Phone, and make really good ones. It would benefit Nokia and HTC.

 

[a5cent]

Microsoft pays money to Nokia for the exclusivity.

No. That is but a small part of those payments. Nokia supplies Microsoft with all their world wide mapping data (for bing) and also provides all of WP's most important navigation apps. That data alone is worth billions. HTC has nothing similar to offer.

 

[MSFTisMIA]

No. That is but a small part of those payments. Nokia supplies Microsoft with all their world wide mapping data (for bing) and also provides all of WP's most important navigation apps. That data alone is worth billions. HTC has nothing similar to offer.

...and that's ultimately htc's biggest problem. They don't have anything distinct to offer MSFT at this point. Plus, they always do one or two things to get in their own way. The One to me is better than the S4, but there are some things like not launching on time, how they reworked the button layout, not making the camera as sharp as it could be (although it is a nice start), etc. The 8X was nice, but again, its the little things...no dedicated music app to take advantage of the amp, not making wireless charging standard, not tweaking the cam a bit more, etc. They just have a habit of over promising and being underwhelming in the stuff they hype up in the marketing.

 

[Samst22]

The only way they would do this is if Microsoft gave them money for an exclusivity offer.

Else, I could see Microsoft buying out HTC if they go under.

 

[sentimentGX4]

I don't think Windows Phone will help the HTC situation; but, they should invest more heavily into the ecosystem simply to diversify their portfolio since Android isn't working out as well.

 

[MSFTisMIA]

I don't think Windows Phone will help the HTC situation; but, they should invest more heavily into the ecosystem simply to diversify their portfolio since Android isn't working out as well.

HTC is sadly stuck in the Samsung Galaxy S days when they ruled the Android roost and would cough up a handset and get sales because Sense was better than anything out there. It would be interesting if MSFT bought them out...but that might mean we still get updates slower...

 

[a5cent]

HTC is sadly stuck in the Samsung Galaxy S days when they ruled the Android roost and would cough up a handset and get sales because Sense was better than anything out there. It would be interesting if MSFT bought them out...but that might mean we still get updates slower...

Beyond expertise, HTC doesn't offer anything to Microsoft worth buying. The brand isn't worth buying. The factories and assembly lines aren't worth buying. HTC have no research projects worth acquiring, nor do they own a single software franchise or service of economic importance. We might argue price, as HTC would probably cost Microsoft less than a third of what it would cost to buy Nokia, but price is never a good reason to buy a company if it doesn't complement your current operations in meaningful ways.

If Microsoft buys a manufacturer, it will be Nokia, which has something to offer Microsoft in all of the areas I just listed.

The only way a HTC purchase by Microsoft would make sense, is if Nokia terminated their WP efforts.

 

[MSFTisMIA]

Beyond expertise, HTC doesn't offer anything to Microsoft worth buying. The brand isn't worth buying. The factories and assembly lines aren't worth buying. HTC have no research projects worth acquiring, nor do they own a single software franchise or service of economic importance. We might argue price, as HTC would probably cost Microsoft less than a third of what it would cost to buy Nokia, but price is never a good reason to buy a company if it doesn't complement your current operations in meaningful ways.

If Microsoft buys a manufacturer, it will be Nokia, which has something to offer Microsoft in all of the areas I just listed.

The only way a HTC purchase by Microsoft would make sense, is if Nokia terminated their WP efforts.

How ironic would it be for HTC to get bought out by MSFT...started out as a hardware assembly company for the carriers and bought out by a software company. Talk about always being owned and controlled by someone else..and when left on their own all they could do is get in their own way....

 

[mrdeeds_72]

HTC still has some innovation in hardware to offer Microsoft. I think a buyout is possible and attractive at a much lower cost than Nokia.

 

[psudotechzealot]

R.I.P HTC