As HTC's Situation Becomes More Dire, Billionaire Co-Founder Takes the Reigns

[dgstorm]

HTC's stock is in the toilet following all the grim news regarding poor sales for the company. The OG HTC One from last year only sold 5 million units, compared to Samsung's 20 Million sold of the Galaxy S4. This is despite the fact that the HTC One was universally praised amongst Android fans and the mobile media as being a superior device to the Galaxy S4. In fact, many publications called it the best Android phone ever made.

Unfortunately, making the best product doesn't always translate into the best sales. HTC's marketing has been slip-shod over the years, while Samsung's has been phenomenal. Because of this impending doom, one of the original co-founders for the Taiwanese company is stepping in to take on a leadership role at the company. Cher Wang will be taking the reigns of the company to improve the image and improve customer connection.

Peter Chou will still be the CEO, but will be able to focus more on production and design, so HTC can improve its focus on building great products, while Cher Wang develops the global image of the company. Chou said, “I think we are on the right track. Now Cher is 100 percent focused on marketing, customer service, so I don’t have to worry. I have a lot more time driving the product, quality, supply.”

Here's a quote with a few more of the details,

And it is indeed marketing, or lack thereof, that most analysts blame HTC’s downfall on. The company has received mostly positive reviews for its last year’s HTC One, and this year’s successor, the One (M8) is also universally praised for its outstanding design (many, us included, are disappointed by the camera, but overall, it’s a great phone). However, HTC just could not get the sales it needs - within the first two months of availability of its flagships, it sold just 5 million units, while Samsung with the Galaxy S4 scored sales of 20 million in the same period.

That’s where Cher Wang comes in. “We just have to communicate well with our customers,” Wang said. “I believe if we can communicate better, we will do better.” Not much more in terms of change is needed, according to Wang, who got her Master’s degree in economics at University of California, Berkeley.

With first quarter sales slumping 23% from the previous year, one thing that everyone clearly sees right now is a mountain for HTC to climb ahead. We would not write it off that easily, though. With market cap of $4.5 billion and a strong presence on the hugely important US market, HTC’s volatile stock could also turn out to be a dream come true for investors willing to take the risk.

What do you guys think? Can Wang land a "Hail Mary" pass for HTC to get back in the game?

Source: PhoneArena

 

[UltraDroid]

HTC's stock is in the toilet following all the grim news regarding poor sales for the company. The OG HTC One from last year only sold 5 million units, compared to Samsung's 20 Million sold of the Galaxy S4. This is despite the fact that the HTC One was universally praised amongst Android fans and the mobile media as being a superior device to the Galaxy S4. In fact, many publications called it the best Android phone ever made.

Unfortunately, making the best product doesn't always translate into the best sales. HTC's marketing has been slip-shod over the years, while Samsung's has been phenomenal. Because of this impending doom, one of the original co-founders for the Taiwanese company is stepping in to take on a leadership role at the company. Cher Wang will be taking the reigns of the company to improve the image and improve customer connection.

Peter Chou will still be the CEO, but will be able to focus more on production and design, so HTC can improve its focus on building great products, while Cher Wang develops the global image of the company. Chou said, “I think we are on the right track. Now Cher is 100 percent focused on marketing, customer service, so I don’t have to worry. I have a lot more time driving the product, quality, supply.”

Here's a quote with a few more of the details,



What do you guys think? Can Wang land a "Hail Mary" pass for HTC to get back in the game?

Source: PhoneArena

Honestly? No. I think HTC has passed the point of no return.

 

[cereal killer]

Honestly? No. I think HTC has passed the point of no return.

Sadly I have to agree with this statement. Samsung's Galaxy line is now a household name. Everyone wants a Galaxy. They have managed to do what Apple has done with the iPhone, they branded a product. I remember years ago I said someone needs to do exactly what Apple is doing and find a brand name, make it your show piece an market the hell out of it, year after year after year. While HTC and Moto we're floundering around, Samsung was busy branding the Galaxy. Moto had it in the bank with the Motorola Droid branding and blew it.

Samsung has to make some serious missteps and stop or limit their marketing campaign (which aint gonna happen) in order for anyone to come along and knock them from their throne. That or someone has to come along with a truly revolutionary device that no one has seen before with software/hardware capabilities that are mind blowing. If not, I believe the other manufacturers are going to be stuck picking up the crumbs and starving to death for a looong time.

 

[comk4ver]

Makes you wish they could get back some of that money they blew on RDJ... I love the guy but wish HTC had thought it out a bit more.

Sent from my VS980 4G using Tapatalk

 

[johnomaz]

I have an M8 and if its the last great HTC phone then I'm glad I got it. I'm tired of the same old stuff from Samsung. HTC actually delivered new stuff in their phones which is why I got one.

 

[jspradling7]

What he said.

 

[pc747]

CK you are right in the Galaxy brand being a marketing machine. Was the s4 the best phones last year, nope and yet people bought it because that "galaxy name". I know co-workers who bought either the s4 or note 3 because seeing other people with galaxy devices. Galaxy has become basically the iphone of the android market, it may not be the best phone out but it is the most popular. Be interesting to see the numbers between the M8 and the s5 after reviews called the s5 a lag machine. Unfortunately the target audiences are more likely to go (or remain) with Samsung. I do think the Moto X got a good look but they are going to need more eye candy, marketing, and a few more successors to pick off the loyal Samsung customers.
I wonder how much of the Thunderbolt stigma is still sticking to HTC? It seems like after the Thunderbolt HTC has not been able to get back on their feet despite releasing some good devices in the m7 and M8 (minus the camera).

 

[cybertec69]

Get rid of that crapy camera, add removable battery and see how sales will skyrocket, apparently HTC has and will never learn, and their demise serves them well, it's not just marketing, but the device you are marketing, millions of people switched to other manufacturers when HTC decided not to listen to their faithful costumers, I was one of them, my first Android device was the Incredible, then the rezound, and that was my last HTC device, sorry but a metal body and front facing speakers does not make a device "unless you will be getting intimate with your device". Samsung for their polycarbonate "light and durable" designed phones sell in the tens of millions, reason is they pack them with features that consumers want, like the latest S5, water proof, fantastic camera and video recording, fantastic screen, removable battery " for the power hungry folk who are not stuck around an outlet all day, and need and like to use their smartphone, not just look at it", and since most people dress their phone in a case to protect their $600-$700 investment, it just makes no sense for a metal body phone, it just makes it more prone to sustain damage when dropped, reason people even with the HTC One's still buy a case for their phone, so the metal body is a moot point.

 

[mikezq8ss]

*snip*
I wonder how much of the Thunderbolt stigma is still sticking to HTC?
*/snip*

This is exactly the reason I won't buy HTC again, no matter how enticing the phone is. It was such an abysmal experience I'll never give HTC my money.

 

[pc747]

This is exactly the reason I won't buy HTC again, no matter how enticing the phone is. It was such an abysmal experience I'll never give HTC my money.

I must admit after being burned by both HTC and verizon (because verizon is just as at fault with wanting to "test" software instead of pushing out the emergency fix after a bad ota) it will be hard press to get me excited about HTC. With that said I do think the phones out now are a far cry from the thunderbolt. My issue is HTC trying to play the switcheroo with the camera. A 4mp camera is a 4 mp camera no matter how you slice it. If Nokia can put out a 40mp it is not too much to ask to at least include an 8. I guess that has always been my issue with HTC it seems like they are always looking to cut corners some where. When they were kicking out phones with awesome screens and a decent camera they were skimping on the battery or memory. Now the up the battery they skimping on the camera. We are still waiting on HTC to release a complete phone. Meanwhile Samsung is looking to lap them after spotting HTC a head start.
*end of HTC rant

Hey if they don't care then I don't care I got my nexus 5 in hand and am satisfied.

Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk 2

 

[johnomaz]

This is exactly the reason I won't buy HTC again, no matter how enticing the phone is. It was such an abysmal experience I'll never give HTC my money.

My wife had the Thunderbolt and it was TERRIBLE. We actually still have it. Our 8 year old plays with it and I have an app on it that lets it work like an IP Camera for the occasional time or two I set it up in my house to remotely see whats going on. Pure and utter garbage that phone was. The MTC One, both the M7 and M8, aren't anything like that. I totally get the feeling but I took the jump and am insanely happy I did. I've been on these boards for a long time and have many times mentioned the TB and how bad it was. But seeing where Samsung is going, how they are acting like Apple these days and that there isn't a good TMobile Moto device unless I plop down several hundred dollars for one, I went for it. BEYOND HAPPY is the only thing I can say.

I must admit after being burned by both HTC and verizon (because verizon is just as at fault with wanting to "test" software instead of pushing out the emergency fix after a bad ota) it will be hard press to get me excited about HTC. With that said I do think the phones out now are a far cry from the thunderbolt. My issue is HTC trying to play the switcheroo with the camera. A 4mp camera is a 4 mp camera no matter how you slice it. If Nokia can put out a 40mp it is not too much to ask to at least include an 8. I guess that has always been my issue with HTC it seems like they are always looking to cut corners some where. When they were kicking out phones with awesome screens and a decent camera they were skimping on the battery or memory. Now the up the battery they skimping on the camera. We are still waiting on HTC to release a complete phone. Meanwhile Samsung is looking to lap them after spotting HTC a head start.
*end of HTC rant

Hey if they don't care then I don't care I got my nexus 5 in hand and am satisfied.

Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk 2

The camera is just fine in the M8. To me, its a phone camera. The big megapixel numbers isn't that much. My wife took about 200 pictures on her M8 (we both upgraded to it) on Easter and we are thrilled with the images. I took my Canon DSLR of course because for me, if I want a good picture, I use an actual camera and not a phone. But the images from the M8 are very nice. Are they perfect, no, its a phone camera. Are they on par with the S4's camera or the Note 3's (our last two phones) very very close. I'm not gonna lie, I'm sure there is room for improvement but is anyone else doing anything with their cameras other than trying to cram more and more pixels into a tiny space and then use software to make the massive ISO numbers needed to get color out of them? Google put OIS in their Nexus 5 but that doesn't seem to be taking off. The speed at which this camera focuses is impressive. The flash in incredibly fast too. The flash has two different color LEDs to give truer color tons for flesh instead of getting bleached out faces in pictures. The dual camera thing is kinda cool too. Having a DSLR with several F1.8 lenses, there is no alternative for true bokeh, but it is a neat effect and I've applied it to a couple pictures with good results. I installed the Google Camera and it does the same thing in a different manner and it works pretty well too. That IMO is innovation. Giving us something different and letting us choose to use it or not. Lets not forget where most images on a phone are used. Facebook, Instagram, Twitter or only viewed on the phone itself.

 

[acousticshade]

Their demise probably started with the thunderbolt & continued with the Rezound. The Rezound was a fantastic phone (except for the battery) but nobody at Verizon pushed them because Moto probably paid big red through the nose. Razr ads were everywhere and every salesman pushed them over everything else.

HTC had the same problem last year with the S4 and the Note 3. Best Buy has a specific Samsung area showing all their products and the big red salesmen appear to have been bought by Samsung now.

Just goes to show you that you don't necessarily need a great product. Just great advertising.