Just in case you were unclear just how bad things have become for HTC, here are the most current facts. First, the company finally hemorrhaged enough money that it posted its first operating loss, based upon a steep decline in summer sales of devices. Here's a quick quote with the relevant details,
In fact, if that doesn't paint a bleak enough picture, to put things in perspective, HTC has lost 90% of its market value in just two years time. Furthermore, so far, whenever any company in the mobile world begins operating at a loss they have never recovered. Here's a quote from industry analyst Asymco’s Horace Dediu,
Finally, just to show you how desperate things have become, Microsoft is now courting HTC suggesting the company offer Windows Phone 8 as a dual-boot option on their phones with Android devices. In fact, reports suggest that Microsoft is even willing to forego their usual licensing fees for using Windows Phone and allow HTC to use it for free. Of course, this also expresses how desperate Microsoft has become to try and get competitive in the mobile world as well.
The idea is not without a tiny inkling of merit. It would allow HTC to offer a phone which would stand out from the crowd (if only slightly), and it would help Microsoft get their mobile OS onto more devices and in front of more users. Supposedly, HTC is warming up to the idea and is working out the logistics of making that happen on their devices.
Sadly, it's hard to see how this move will make much difference for either company.
Source: TechCrunch
I'd really have no use for a dual boot phone to be perfectly honest. WP and Android do everything I need, so for me it just comes down to which boat I want to jump into. I see where MS is going with this (introduces a wider audience to WP) and it can only help them. Google may not be so happy with this move though. It's not a secret that they are not so fond of Microsoft...
