HTC, who has seen a recent disruption in their management structure, may be ready to continue being a problem child. Noting their upcoming tablet would be “disruptive”, Chairwoman Cher Wang and CEO Peter Chou also noted that wearable devices are something HTC believes to be “critical” for their success.
In what could be considered a bit of slight toward Samsung, Chou noted that a wearable device has to “meet a need, otherwise if it’s just a gimmick or concept”. That may be a knock against the Galaxy Gear, which has many users and reviewers scratching their head at just what it’s for at this point. Chou said that should HTC release a product, it wouldn’t be a “version one” product, insinuating that the Gear — and others like it — were rushed to market.
Chou said that HTC worked on a smartwatch previously, with Microsoft. He also said that HTC paved the way with smartphones, and could do the same for smartwatches: “people laughed at us when we came out with the first smartphone… now everyone has a smartphone. I’m pretty sure wearables will be the same, but don’t judge from what is in the market [now].”
In regard to tablets, HTC hasn’t really had one since the HTC Flyer a few years back. Not a great device, it should also be said that it came at a time when tablets were finding their way, but was a typically solid HTC build. While rumors were floating around that they’d been approached by Microsoft to dual-boot Windows onto their Android devices, Chou did nothing to quiet that storm. Saying “when the tablet comes out it will be something nice and disruptive”, Chou didn’t offer much beyond that, though he did say that Windows Phone products represented a very slight portion of their sales, hinting that their tenure with the platform may be tenuous at best.
Chou went on to note that HTC was open to the possibility of an Amazon partnership, though he didn’t confirm or deny they were currently involved with the online shopping juggernaut for a line of smartphones. While HTC has seen their share of trouble lately, it’s clear they also realize their opportunities. Let’s hope they capitalize properly.
VIA: The Verge
