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Topic: Smartphones

A more aggressive HTC would be welcome

Summary: HTC plans to be more aggressive as it tries to rise up and punch Samsung in the nose. Even if HTC falters, the moves are welcome to keep Android ecosystem competition rolling.

Larry Dignan

By for Between the Lines |

HTC is promising more aggressive marketing against its rivals, plans to retire its "quietly brilliant" tagline and hopes to carve a comeback path.

That's the gist of HTC's master plan via a Wall Street Journal interview about the company's marketing. It's about time HTC started to punch back.

The smartphone device industry has boiled down to two primary players---Apple and Samsung. Sure, there's Huawei as an up and comer. There's also ZTE. But the Android spoils mostly go to Samsung. Nokia and BlackBerry are show-me stories pegged to mobile operating systems gunning to be a third platform.

More: HTC One to be released in the UK this week | HTC's custom component bet backfires as One smartphone delayed | The HTC One is the best smartphone I have ever used (review)

Why root for HTC? A duopoly doesn't do anyone any good.

htcone
HTC: More aggressive. Will it matter?

 

HTC, which has had a series of botched calls, has a strong device with its One, but it has been delayed over the company's decision to go with custom parts. Oddly enough, Samsung's S4 launch may have left an opening for HTC, which tried to counter its larger rival's marketing.

Samsung's S4 has a layer of software to skin Android and add to it. HTC tries to do the same. The moves make sense since hardware vendors have to differentiate, but there may be a nice market for a more pure Android experience. HTC could calm down with its Sense software layer and find a market.

Will HTC go there? Probably not. In any case, a more aggressive HTC is a welcome sight. It remains to be seen if the revved up marketing will make a difference.

Topics: Smartphones, Android, HTC, Mobility, Samsung, Bring Your Own Device

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8 comments
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  • HTC's marketing needs to be a lot better to take on Samsung and Apple

    The problem isn't their products, which tend to be great.
    bradavon
    Reply Vote

    • It's a good point

      You see those two advertising everywhere all the time. I can't think of a single HTC ad.

      I think their biggest opening is to be different. Samsung and apple only consider the other to be the threat. Windows and Nokia got there first and went for something different. Sadly HTC windows phones look a bit like "styled by Nokia" windows phones ... It's that kind of thing that has to stop. They've made some great things, now they have to make you remember them.
      MarknWill
      Reply Vote

  • Profanity filtered AGAIN!

    Once again, my post has been filtered for a non-existant profanity. Do this posts ever get 'reviewed' and posted later or do I have to totally rewrite whole paragraphs to try and work out what's catching it out?
    dale303
    Reply Vote

    • I have had the same phantom censoring issue numerous times.

      Whatever they do to filter comments is terribly broken. And . . . I've seen no sign that anything filtered actually gets reviewed by a human and posted at a later time.
      ricktay
      Reply Vote

      • It isn't profanity

        (You'd be amazed what does post) they've just added to their profanity filter terms used by the ad bots that have been a scourge on the site.

        Recently they have tightened the filter again. It is keeping the number of ad posts down, but it's infuriating users. You have to try and avoid anything that looks like one of those posts... Links, numbers, punctuation
        MarknWill
        Reply Vote

        • Do you mean like the spam

          ... about a guy an his girl/brother/mom/friend who makes lost of money visiting a scam website??

          Take a look .... it is posted multiple times a day .... and they still haven't figure out how to block it. And given that the post is exactly the same every time, one should question the abilities of the person developing the filter.
          wackoae
          Reply Vote

  • Battery change and SD Card support.

    I'm a user of HTC since 2007 with the HTC Touch. But now, before Sensation model there is no option two change battery (i always use two) and no option for SD Card. Because of this a change to Samsung.
    SuperCocoLoco
    Reply Vote

  • If HTC provide a pure Google experience as with the Nexus phones,

    ie, provide constant updates and good customer support, then their situation will improve immensely. They have great hardware, but are seriously lacking in customer support. Provide a phone that won't be forgotten any time soon. That will build customer loyalty.
    slamba
    Reply Vote
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