Yes it does!
Reports has been circulating on the impending purchase of HTC by Google after the manufacturer continue to see sliding sales of its smartphone business. Having seen its numbers dwindle to unfathomable figures, the Taiwanese company it may seem has decided to throw in the towel.
A strong contender in the mobile phone market a decade ago with stellar models and first to adopt Windows and Android OS, HTC failed to keep the momentum going and got pushed aside by the newbies Samsung and Apple. Complacency like many (BlackBerry, Nokia) who are now licking their wounds…set in, the company was blindsided by the Korean and Cuppertino giants and stood by the sidelines while they slowly took over.
Having used an HTC phone since Dopod days, my affection with the brand goes back a long way, it was the first smartphone I ever held and used or PDA as they were called then. Ever since, newer iterations were introduced and at times it was though the company could do no wrong coupled with its strong ally Google as its partner, HTC was invincible! In 2010 Google Nexus One was released manufactured by HTC, that same year at MWC two other models also made their debut, Desire and Legend all pushing the Android agenda further. Android’s command of 80% of global mobile OS market is partly due to early vendor support who believed and the encouragement delivered by brands like HTC.
In Death Do Us Part
Rumours are rife on the possible purchase of the smartphone division by Google and its about time something is done at HTC. There is no denying the company makes made great products, M9, M10 and U11 have been through our doors and we totally like the build and features. Quite frankly we didn’t find much flaws in them, critics would agree and customers would certify.
What I guess failed was positioning and leadership, in a sector that is proliferated with dozens of options from Chinese makers and the continued dominance of the bigwigs, the management team seemed oblivious and at lost sometimes. Not aware that the brand did not hold a premium position nor was it accorded similar status with Galaxy and iPhone from consumers, the company continued to price the phones at higher than similar spec’d competitors. (HTC should take a leaf from the pages of marketing books used by OPPO, Huwei and Xiaomi)
The good news is, Google is in the forefront again as the ‘Knight in Shining Armour’ to save yet another mobile phone brand, after pulling Motorola from the brink of obscurity. If the rumours are anything to go by, this will bode well for both parties. Pixel phones can be further refined to become the poster by for Android and keep Samsung in check, while HTC can focus on mobile innovation and technology and not be too concern about sales. Unlike Motorola which was later sold to Lenovo, Google will not be parting way with this maker that quickly, HTC is the right partner for the search giant to get into the hardware business to compete with Apple and more importantly integrate its ecosystem around the devices from ground up.
It is a sad outcome for the HTC brand but somehow we feel it has overstayed it welcome in the formula one race of mobile devices and needs a complete overhaul or in this case a new management.
