A more aggressive HTC would be welcome

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.

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.