What is HTC doing?

Of course you will be aware of bombardment of new regarding the Lumia recently, wether it be updates, apps or whatever. To be honest, it has me worried, I mean, HTC's portfolio of recent news isn't exactly overwhelming (there had been none) and if you own a HTC (which I do), what can we do but sit and watch our Lumia brothers and sisters reap all the Microsoft love so to speak?

I chose the 8X because I preferred it as a phone. I never thought for a second that there would be this kind of separation of the platforms. Nokia are pushing the WP bandwagon with everything they've got , and rightly so, however, HTC just seem like passenger's at the moment..

Lets pray that I'm wrong and HTC announce a massive app or software release tomorrow...

I've had the 822 and recently switched to the 8X. Let me tell you, the 8X is an awesome phone. Best ergonomic phone on the market! I didn't really use that many of the Nokia apps and think I can live without the microsd and removable battery. But you are right, HTC could be more proactive in helping WP improve market share. They have a great, unique product in the 8X (and the 8S is pretty nice too) and need to market it more. To be honest, I can live without the "exclusive" apps as long as the phone is good.

Originally Posted by gapost

I've had the 822 and recently switched to the 8X. Let me tell you, the 8X is an awesome phone. Best ergonomic phone on the market! I didn't really use that many of the Nokia apps and think I can live without the microsd and removable battery. But you are right, HTC could be more proactive in helping WP improve market share. They have a great, unique product in the 8X (and the 8S is pretty nice too) and need to market it more. To be honest, I can live without the "exclusive" apps as long as the phone is good.

I think I could live without the exclusive apps that are out at the moment, but Nokia are really pushing the issue, and I think (instagram aside) there will be another big name exclusive app.

One thing I couldn't live without, would be upgraded software. I'm the kind of person who likes to know that my phone is up to date and loves the introduction of small but significant updates for ny phone. Just hope HTC get the finger out and start giving its customers something in return!

Same as you Jonny, i got the 8x cause it thought it was a better looking (and feeling phone) than the chunky Lumia's out there.
The only nokia exclusive app i missed (i had a lumia 900 previously) was Nokia Drive, which is now available to all of us. That being said, if Instagram comes to Lumia only, then i will be pissed. I'm not a big Instagram guy, but it is a social network in it's own right and something i would like to be a part of again.

HTC regularly releases firmware updates for the 8X , since I got mine in December I've received 2 updates. One was portico and the other was Skype related. My prediction is that HTC will also bundle firmware improvements into GDR2, 3 and blue as well.

I don't have an issue with the 8X updates, but I'm on Verizon and although they are a bit slow they usually get every available update to their WP. As far as I'm concerned the only thing HTC does wrong is not putting SD card slots on their phones and the batteries they use are a bit small. This is true for their android phones and their WP.

yeah i agree with you, it kinda sucks just coz a lot of the really cool innovative WP things are usually lumia exclusive :/
I dont like the general clunkiness of the 920, and the older 800, 700 and 600 all kinda look ugly, but now seeing my neighbor with a 920 using all her exclusive apps kinda makes me jealous, I feel left behind by HTC...
next WP im getting will most likely be a lumia coz of this, Nokia just actually listening to their customers and are developing/bringing apps...which sucks coz i've been with HTC for 3 years

I don't think instagram will be lumia only....nokia just released something similar to instagram and 2 apps of same kind not great but we may never know until they announce stuff

HTC has amplified 3.5mm jacks and the cool live tile on the HTC app.......imo that's it.

Great discussion, I'm glad someone has brought this up. I'm also worried for my 8x. Forget about all the exclusivity deals and tie-ins, HTC will never keep up with Nokia in that regard. But they can't even be bothered to refresh their own portfolio of 1st party apps. WP7 didn't have a stella list of quality HTC apps either, they were functional if boring but at least they were trying. Compare that list to WP8 and it's just embarrassing because this time around, HTC have barely turned up.

1st Party App	WP7	WP8
Calculator	Y	N
Compass	Y	N
Connected Media	Y	N
Connection Setup	Y	Y
Converter	Y	Y
Dock Mode	Y	N
Flashlight	Y	Y
HTC Hub	Y	Y
HTC Watch	Y	N
Lists	Y	N
Locations	Y	N
Love	Y	N
Make More Space	N	Y (8s only)
Notes	Y	N
Photo Enhancer	Y	Y
Tango	Y	N

I think the HTC app and Flashlight are the only highlights for WP8, shocking. Not even some extra tools to allow more device customisation like Nokia do. Nothing. The 8x is supposed to be the signiture phone for WP8 but that has meant nothing more than a big launch to take some of the spotlight away from Nokia.

Maybe I'm the odd man out, but I had a Trophy and liked it a lot, but I hardly used most of those HTC exclusive apps. And I also had an 822 for a while and while Nokia is certainly working harder than HTC to develop WP apps, I don't really miss the Nokia apps much, now that I have an 8X. To me, the quality, screen and feel of the 8X overrides a lot of the HTC disinterest. And, who got the Portico update first on WP8 on Verizon? The 8X. As far as upgraded software, I think that mostly depends on Microsoft. As far as microsd and removable battery, the most popular phone in the world doesn't have those either.

Originally Posted by gapost

Maybe I'm the odd man out, but I had a Trophy and liked it a lot, but I hardly used most of those HTC exclusive apps. And I also had an 822 for a while and while Nokia is certainly working harder than HTC to develop WP apps, I don't really miss the Nokia apps much, now that I have an 8X. To me, the quality, screen and feel of the 8X overrides a lot of the HTC disinterest. And, who got the Portico update first on WP8 on Verizon? The 8X. As far as upgraded software, I think that mostly depends on Microsoft. As far as microsd and removable battery, the most popular phone in the world doesn't have those either.

I liked the software on my trophy, but the hardware wasn't that great. I also had an 822 and I think the only thing the 822 has over the 8X is expandable storage. The 8X screen, camera and feel in the hand are better. Plus like you said the worlds most popular phone has fixed storage and no removable battery.

I say that HTC wil suffer alot of financial problems soon, they won't go out of business since they have alot of demand in Asian market but they will never be the same company again

If they had built the HTC 8X with a 32 or 64 gb and with a slightly bigger battery. I would totally have bought their phone. The design of the 8X is amazing.

I have to wonder of Nokia are any better for the WP platform in general when their carrier exclusives are still in effect. How is that helping adoption rates?

HTC in recent years is always playing catchup, in many ways like WP7/8 is now playing catchup with Android/IOS. I think the problem is three-fold; branding, marketing muscle and management decisions. The 8x simply doesn't have the branding awareness that say a Galaxy has or an iPhone. That in turn is down to the fact that HTC doesn't have the money to push as hard as Samsung and Apple in the advertising space.

Nokia are smart in that, instead of spending more and more on matching the marketing budgets of Samsung/Apple, they've opted to build brand awareness through exclusives, tie-ins and developing first class, 1st party app offerings and tools and it's working. They also commit to support their devices over a longer term, building a better relationship with their customers. HTC think they can hang off the coat tails of Nokia and others by simply launching a competing product at near enough the same time frame with the same pretty colours and beautiful design but that isn't enough. My HD7 won't get the official WP7.8 update because HTC left it behind. My 8x doesn't even include a decent range of built-in HTC ringtones like my HD7 had. It's just poor decisions like this which lead to loss of confidence and people will move on and never come back.

They're busy with the One; a phone where they aren't limited by Google on what they can do with the software.

I agree. But you have to see that Microsoft, Nokia, HTC and Samsung designed their devices as to not compete against each other during the early launch of WP8. Had HTC released 32 and 64Gb versions of their 8X, the Lumia 920 would have suffered quite a bit.

I have two 8X, they work, in fact in our office all HTC 8X work... I have one Lumia 920... currently not using it as it is a unfinished product. I had so many freezes and so bad picture quality that I am now trying to get Nokia to fix or exchange it. I think the Lumia 920 is a prime example as to how you should not do it... make a complicated product, then produce it in a new factory with cheap labor in China...

HTC will now concentrate on the One, they might release 8X versions with more memory. But until they can go FULL HD in WP8 I expect no new high performance WP8 from HTC.

Originally Posted by Coolknight1968

I agree. But you have to see that Microsoft, Nokia, HTC and Samsung designed their devices as to not compete against each other during the early launch of WP8.

That sounds awfully lot like you're suggesting they had some sort of coordination going on where they decided together what kind of devices each would be building?

Originally Posted by Coolknight1968

I agree. But you have to see that Microsoft, Nokia, HTC and Samsung designed their devices as to not compete against each other during the early launch of WP8. Had HTC released 32 and 64Gb versions of their 8X, the Lumia 920 would have suffered quite a bit.

I have two 8X, they work, in fact in our office all HTC 8X work... I have one Lumia 920... currently not using it as it is a unfinished product. I had so many freezes and so bad picture quality that I am now trying to get Nokia to fix or exchange it. I think the Lumia 920 is a prime example as to how you should not do it... make a complicated product, then produce it in a new factory with cheap labor in China...

HTC will now concentrate on the One, they might release 8X versions with more memory. But until they can go FULL HD in WP8 I expect no new high performance WP8 from HTC.

FYI both flagships forum flooded with "help me!" thread.

Who knows what HTC are doing, I mean, they haven't forgot about us, have they?

Originally Posted by Huime

FYI both flagships forum flooded with "help me!" thread.

Sad but true. I expect any device no matter who makes it to have it's share of problems on its forum because people are more prone to post when there's a problem than not. BUT, I couldn't help but notice when I travel to some other device forums the number of help-me threads are far fewer. And I mean very noticeably. I also hang out an Phandroid forums quite a bit (Sorry Mobile Nations, they're larger than Android Central!) and have certainly also noticed the forums for some android manufacturers have less help-me threads per capita than others there.

Originally Posted by envio

I think the HTC app and Flashlight are the only highlights for WP8, shocking. Not even some extra tools to allow more device customisation like Nokia do. Nothing. The 8x is supposed to be the signiture phone for WP8 but that has meant nothing more than a big launch to take some of the spotlight away from Nokia.

The signature device means that it's windows phone untouched,stock. It's the same branding they used with pcs that have stock windows 7 without any bloatware from oems. They just pushed it with this branding to give some attention to Htc and not only Nokia. Nokia has it's own map suite and a few other things that can't be considered stock, so no matter what flagship device they will release,it will never be a signature device

I think the Lumia 920 is a prime example as to how you should not do it... make a complicated product, then produce it in a new factory with cheap labor in China

They are all made in China. And at least Nokia is constantly fixing the problems. The camera had 1 update so far that made the daylight shots usable and the gdr2 update seems to improve the daylight shots even more.
The way i see it so far is that HTC and Samsung only release these devices to save their connections with Microsoft, to not burn their bridges so to speak and have a back-up for when bussiness with android goes sour. They don't have plans for the platform,big plans as they are diverting most resources towards android where they make money. Probably HTC had a change of heart seeing how the 8x/8s were received, but i still don't see them invest more beyond releasing a couple more devices. In a way i feel this is also Microsofts fault for keeping windows phone locked up. Oems love android cause they can do whatever they want with it. In wp beyond some exclusive in-house apps,some accent colors and maybe a hub there really isn't much to do

i feel very sad that htc isnt pushing the 8x or windows phone...but then i realize all i am is a customer n my voice doesnt stand in front of a corporation like htc so i humble down...smile n accept what i have. i see fellow users making cinemagraphs on nokia...but atleast i have nokia drive n m happy...i suggest u all be d same :) one day things shall change....hopefully :)

I bought the htc8x for same reasons, cool design and Nokia 920 too chunky. And yes, I have the concern that I am again betting on wrong horse - htc not succeeding in wp and may give up further development, hardware or software. I don't understand htc. They came up with the best wp in terms of design and then they are doing nothing else, letting Nokia take the lead, the momentum. Instead, the announced the htc one, the new flagship on Android.

The Android's overtaking of iphone (at least some countries) is not due to Android as a platform as much as Samsung or otherwise, we would seen all manufacturers doing equally well on Android, It is because of Samsung for its top hardware and the cool design of Galaxy lines. With Samsung in such lead, htc should not be banking on Android at expense of wp8. Not smart to me. I do not think they can succeed either.

What htc should do is to making the htc 8x/8z line as the "Galaxy lines" for windows phone. 8x can be improved with a 4.7" screen and better battery, external sd card etc..Why give up on best wp phone design in 8x/8s just like this. What kind of company strategies and marketing?