What could HTC have done differently?

[desura]

htc seemed to want to be the Apple of the Android world with the One line, but they lacked control over the OS and they lacked the scale that apple had. They don't have the manufacturing advantage of Samsung, whose amoled screens and control over chip design gave them an early advantage. Their phones don't offer the value of xiomi or one plus or Motorola. What could they have done differently?

 

[theeedude]

Nothing. Android hardware is a commodity. Anyone can make it. You can make it nice, midrange, or cheap. But at any price level, so can the competition. So the margins are going to approach subsistence level for the most efficient players, with inefficient players dying off.There is no Apple of Android, just like there is no Microsoft of Linux.

 

[StrangerGuy]

Fundamentally, HTC is just a hardware assembler without any other competitive advantages. It's the worst position to possibly be in a commoditized market.

Between Android's race to the bottom that only benefits Google in the long run and Apple's crazy profits you can be sure as hell everybody will be vying to build their own unique and defensible software ecosystem in the next tech craze.

 

[A5]

Do the M7 a year earlier and spend Samsung $$$ marketing it.

Or go down-market like Moto before they did it, with good devices at good prices.

 

[shabby]

Get rid of the bezel's, every single htc phone i overlook because of those hideous bezel's.

 

[desura]

Fundamentally, HTC is just a hardware assembler without any other competitive advantages. It's the worst position to possibly be in a commoditized market.

Between Android's race to the bottom that only benefits Google in the long run and Apple's crazy profits you can be sure as hell everybody will be vying to build their own unique and defensible software ecosystem in the next tech craze.

That's the thing. What could they have done? The only thing I can think of would be to somehow leverage being so close to TSMC into a competitive advantage.

 

[notposting]

I think an overlooked aspect is arrogance. I've seen many mentions of it over the years (Peter Chou, leading the way I guess). There's a subtle balance between leading the way and listening to your customers.

HTC will find something hot, then sit on it too long. Or come up with ideas like Ultra "no, low res is totally good enough" Pixel and again, stagnate. (Versus slowly creeping up the resolution, keeping an actually usable tech like OIS versus idiotic dual cams, then throwing in the towel a couple years later.)

Also, and I know the US carriers and others certainly are to blame a bit for this, but 8 million subtly different models...

Just do a basic approach like:
Cheap, midrange, flagship.
After phablets arrived? Each available in normal and humongous sizes. That's it. Maybe the stray tech demo niche like product (something like the 41mp Nokia's).

 

[gorcorps]

To be honest, right now is HTC's opportunity to cash in on Samsung going in a different direction compared to the past. If HTC comes out with a new flagship with good battery life, a good screen and give me an SD card slot they may get a purchase out of me. Right now I'm looking at LG as my only option for my next phone.

 

[F1shF4t]

Finally put a proper camera on their flagship phone. M7 was ok for it's time. M8 was a step backwards and the M9 is bad compared to something like a S6 (I have both to compare)

That bottom bezel is annoying too, if you have to have it then why not do something useful with it, like capacitive buttons? (As in the M7. I know not everyone likes it but at least provide people an option to use one or the other.)

 

[openwheel]

Can they make a Nexus equivalent? Unlocked, debloated. I would be interested if someone or anyone doesn't bend over backwards to carriers.

 

[cronos]

Can they make a Nexus equivalent? Unlocked, debloated. I would be interested if someone or anyone doesn't bend over backwards to carriers.

They do have the GPE version, you know. That's basically what a 'Nexus equivalent' is.

 

[core2slow]

Trying to be like iphone when their core customer base don't want an iPhone in the first place (otherwise they'd buy an iPhone already). Obviously at this point they couldn't care less what the customers think so they've essentially dig their own grave and bleeding cash slowly until someone feel bad enough about HTC and buy them out.

 

[Amol S.]

Trying to be like iphone when their core customer base don't want an iPhone in the first place (otherwise they'd buy an iPhone already). Obviously at this point they couldn't care less what the customers think so they've essentially dig their own grave and bleeding cash slowly until someone feel bad enough about HTC and buy them out.

Chances of a select list of companies to file chapeter 13 bankruptcy in the furture:
Comcast :thumbsdown: 100% only if someone is able to prove their unlawful business practices.

Takata Airbags 94%

BlackBerry 90%

Volkswagen 87% D: *coughs from large exhaust smoke*

HTC 81%

Tesla 76% :twisted: someone caught the car on fire.

ExxonMobile 56%:\ gas prices are rising

Malaisian Airlines 45% *did aliens abduct a whole aircraft to make it vanish?*

ect...

 

[desura]

So I did a little more research and it looks like HTC has the...Desire line of phones? Which receive far less coverage than like the Moto G 3rd gen received. They look appealing too. Also if I walk into Best Buy there is a working Samsung table just like Apple, but the only HTC phones that are available don't even turn on but have that crazy sticker on the screen simulating it.

These are like basic things that HTC seems to be missing, while it blows millions on Robert Downey Jr. (that must be the dumbest marketing move I've ever seen).

like, holy shit:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8bYG610YmSo

Cute, and "artsy" but they don't sell the phone, man.

 

[poofyhairguy]

HTC did blow all that money on RDJ that would have been better spent on more ad spots in general. Samsung rose the Galaxy to the top on marketing over any single feature, and back in the M7 days HTC had a product that could have sold itself if more people knew about it.

The M8 could have been an absolute slam dunk with a better camera, they missed a chance to really rise to the top of the heap replacing the OIS M7 camera with the weird 3D camera.

Since then I think they have been pretty smart. They didn't waste a ton of R&D on the M9, instead they have gone all-in on VR. Early previews of their VR unit have been very positive, and it is a much better future for the company than racing to the bottom with Android.

 

[core2slow]

The thing with marketing is that they're tricky. If you come out with a horrible phone like the M9 and over-market it, imagine all the negative feedback you're getting from users, who then in turn will blow it up on social media, tell their friends/families, etc. We know that HTC doesnt listen to their customers for the last couple of years, so i doubt they'll do much to facilitate any issues other than urging customers to sign up for their Uh-Oh protection plan...

Conversely, samsung has been steadily improving their galaxy S/note line for the last 5 years. They're confident in their products and have continually take risks in trying to differentiate their products from the competitors. They can afford to market their products not because they have a big bank account, but i think they truly believe in making great products (hence the reason to ditch snapdragon 810 among other things).

 

[desura]

HTC did blow all that money on RDJ that would have been better spent on more ad spots in general. Samsung rose the Galaxy to the top on marketing over any single feature, and back in the M7 days HTC had a product that could have sold itself if more people knew about it.

The M8 could have been an absolute slam dunk with a better camera, they missed a chance to really rise to the top of the heap replacing the OIS M7 camera with the weird 3D camera.

Since then I think they have been pretty smart. They didn't waste a ton of R&D on the M9, instead they have gone all-in on VR. Early previews of their VR unit have been very positive, and it is a much better future for the company than racing to the bottom with Android.

I disagree. While I am excited for vr, there stands a strong chance that it will be just another leap motion controller or like Kinect. Or like 4K monitor or curved screen. Smartphones are extremely practical. Vr is definitely cool, but it is for home entertainment.

This ad is much more competent than the Robert Downey Jr. Ads.

https://youtu.be/KDMC1U0ke6E

It appears to me that HTC failed to get salespeople excited early on to sell its phones. This stupid understated "quietly brilliant" slogan is so very beta in mindset. It's like expecting a girl to come to you because you're so nice and quirky and hip.

 

[pete6032]

Hindsight is always 20/20 but they should not have done the ultrapixel camera on the M7. And certainly not on the M8. Also the capacitive home button problem that rolled out on the M7 original firmware is totally unforgivable. How many people walked into a mobile phone store and tried the ONE in the first few months after it was released and got frustrated with the home button so they set it down and started playing with the LG and Samsung phones?

 

[isekii]

HTC did blow all that money on RDJ that would have been better spent on more ad spots in general. Samsung rose the Galaxy to the top on marketing over any single feature, and back in the M7 days HTC had a product that could have sold itself if more people knew about it.

The M8 could have been an absolute slam dunk with a better camera, they missed a chance to really rise to the top of the heap replacing the OIS M7 camera with the weird 3D camera.

Since then I think they have been pretty smart. They didn't waste a ton of R&D on the M9, instead they have gone all-in on VR. Early previews of their VR unit have been very positive, and it is a much better future for the company than racing to the bottom with Android.

M7 had OIS ?

 

[poofyhairguy]

M7 had OIS ?

Yup, one of the first phones to do so.