By Not only does Windows Mobile sucks at kick ball – they aren’t even fun. But since they’ve been best friends with Coach HTC for twelve years, they’ve not only got a spot in the starting lineup but they’re batting cleanup as the Designated Hitter. Being World Series time (Go Yankees!), that’s what I thought of when I heard HTC CEO’s comments about the HTC Touch HD2 and Windows Mobile:
HTC may be updating its brand, but it’s sticking by its longtime partner, Microsoft ( MSFT – news – people ). Though other handset makers such as Motorola have dropped Microsoft’s Windows Mobile operating system in favor of Android, Chou says HTC has no plans to follow. That doesn’t mean he’s not frustrated with the software. “Windows Mobile innovation has been a little slow and interest in Windows Mobile phones has been declining,” he admits.
…. continued …
Gadget fans have been clamoring for an Android version of the HD2, but Chou hints that the handset will stay as is. “Technically, we could make the HD2 an Android phone, but I have to take care of Windows Mobile,” says Chou.
But there’s more. We thought things were all grand and cozy between HTC and Google, right? The two partnered on the launch of the HTC Dream/G1 – the first ever Android Phone – and HTC has been pumping out hot Android phones quicker than any other manufacturer. But could Google be pushing some buttons and hitting some nerves?
HTC’s loyalty also extends to Google, even amid reports that the search giant is developing its own Android handset. “Google tries to do things differently from the rest of the industry,” Chou notes. While some of Google’s actions can be “destructive,” Chou says, HTC still values the partnership. “We’ve worked with Microsoft for 13 years … I also believe we can work with Google for a long time,” he adds.
There is that infamous “gPhone” rumor yet again.
I wouldn’t take TOO much away from this news other than the HD2 won’t be an Android Phone. They could make similarly powered handsets with a different name, they just won’t use the HD2 brand to launch an Android Phone. The idea that the HTC/Google relationship is a little more rocky than we first heard COULD be a bit troubling. Google just launched Google Navigation and in one fell swoop put a huge dent in an entire industry… perhaps others are wondering “are we next?”
The destructive comment is probably with regards to the google maps announcement that gutted garmin and tomtom shares by 1/4th.
Great timing on the “destructive” statement and from the CEO none-the-less. With release of the Eris/Desire Passion/Dragon upcoming why throw out a potentially “sour taste” statement.
Good. The fewer ‘taco-bell of handset producers’ android devices, the better. The ‘destructiveness’ he references is related to HTC and other mobile carrier/handset producers’ bottom lines. From a consumer perspective, that’s a good thing… Screw this guy, and screw his company. For him to openly crow about the destruction of his bottom line by better products is downright insulting. I already knew I would never buy steaming pile of HTC, but this seals it.
I dont doubt htc will always put windows first tp be honest however try to remember that htc are in it for the money, and the money is in android not windoze mobile
I believe that when HTCs CEO is talking about Google being destructive he really means innovative. Destructive technology is the way of the industry and rather than keep companies around that do not innovate it is better for them to be purchased or just die off. Google is one of the only companies around that makes products for free that are better than any other alternative. And, of course “free” is never really free. We are paying Google with our information and they are serving ads to us that are useful.
So, what if Garmin and TomTom fail. If there is a better company (ie Google) that can provide a superior product for less of a cost, good riddance. If Garmin and TomTom do not want to fail then they need to innovate and make their products have some sort of greater value, which my have been possible, but now looks like it won’t happen (Garmin Nuvi Phone, seriously?).
I use Google everything. If they are careful, if they don’t infringe on me as a consumer, and if they provide better cheaper products, they will win 100% of the time. I love capitalism.
It was known from the beginning that, if the rumors of the gPhone were true, hardware manufacturers would get very angry… This guy seems to confirm that.
I’d like to see the entire statement that contained the singularly quoted word “destructive” before we form a lynch mob for Chou. It could be taken VERY out of context, not saying it is, but we just don’t know.
I think his words and actions are full of wisdom. The worst thing that can happen is that Google becomes so dominant that it destroys competition. Don’t get me wrong, I love Google in it’s current state, but they became what they are by batteling with MS and Apple, Yahoo and a lot of other great companies. No company is inherently good or evil. Give them to much power and they become evil, lazy and overconfident.
We now have great products and software because it’s a highly competitive market, but if Google wins it all their desire to inovate will die.
Companies and consumers need to keep a balance between competitors, need to encourage them everytime they come up with something good and punish them everytime they go wrong. We shouldn’t be fans, we need to stay consumers!
Come on Rob ,
you have to be more responsible than this. He mentions that Google can be destructive in the way they operate, but he did not call the OS Android destructive.
I’m assuming that Google didn’t favor them over any other manufacturer when they were launching Android 2.0. Since HTC launched Android 1.0 with Google.. they probably thought they gained some loyalty points. Or maybe Google did not give them enough time to finish up their sense UI in time for Android 2.0 launch. .. There are many internal things that may trigger that comment but please be responsible…
@Jerry — How is Rob being irresponsible by quoting the CEO of HTC? He clearly stated he didn’t take too much from it besides the HD2 not running android… it’s everyone else getting carried away with the speculation, including yourself.
boo yankees
At worst Google could be destructive but i’d think they’re being disruptive. Garmin and TomTom came and helped define good affordable personal gps devices but now they’ve gone stale. Is it the way of things nowadays to add a feature and charge more, as being innovative? So yay on Google for shaking out the complacency.
haha i love it. google does things differently from the rest of the industry. hence, they are destroying the industry as we know it…for the better. of course chou (htc) is pissed. so is any other previous industry leader (garmin, tomtom, etc.). but instead of sulking, they should just use it to their advantage. (make snappier, bigger, better hardware, and smack google nav on it).
oh and as for the gphone, it’s gonna be great. as powerful as teddy roosevelt, gorgeous as merilyn monroe, and i wont be surprised if it is cheaper than a las vegas whore. (only problem: a very small strip at the top of your screen that is completely dedicated to advertisements)
I gotta think (as others have suggested as well) that the intent was to say “disruptive”. The two words would be very easy to interchange. (Just say them together a couple of times quickly and you’ll see what I mean.) I’d like someone to directly ask him that question (which did he mean), if only to satisfy my own curiosity.
Since I live in Taiwan and talk all day with nationals in both English and Chinese, I can tell you that this would very easily simply be a slip of the tongue, nothing more. Not that it matters that much, but I am curious.
gPhone? I gotta think Google wouldn’t do it. Why would they do it and take the risk of angering all the OEMs/ODMs out there? They have absolutely no need to do it. Just look at the “hand-holding” they did with Moto to put out Droid. I would be really, really, really surprised if they built their own phone and started to compete directly with the companies they need to keep happy. Nope, don’t think so.
This is outrageous. What an asshat that HTC guy is. He even admitted in the forbes article that WinMobile is tanking, and then he insults his growth market (android). I’d never heard of HTC until I started following Android. What a moron.
Anyway, is there any sort of organized effort to get an HD2-like Android phone? A petition or letter writing campaign or something? I’m just so frustrated with the Android hardware market compared to the iPhone.
I’ve send about half a dozen emails to HTC customer service asking them to produce an Android HD2 and linking to fan sites like this when threads pop up calling for it. I know it’s stupid and little but it’s doing something (they do actually reply with unique responses about half of the time, so I think they are reading it).
BTW, for those who will say the Droid it the iPhone killer: We have a test model at work and … As much as I love Android and support Motorola branching out into this market… to paraphrase Obi Wan, ‘this is not the Droid you’re looking for’ … The keyboard is neat, but really awkward to use because of the 1970’s square pad thing you have to type around. It’s not beautiful and cleanly designed with a maximized screen size like the HD2 or iPhone. (and I’m not a keyboard hater, I actually prefer physical keyboard phones to virtual… I just can’t deal with these crippled keyboards that you have to twist your right hand into some freak claw to type on like the G1 and Droid now.)
HAIL to mr chou for respecting 13 years partnership with microsoft. without HTCs support we may lose the “once a great Mobile OS”. i hope microsoft will
survive the flood of iphone and android phones and give us something more promising than other smart phones. i used HTC Trinity P3600i for more than a year. when iphone came on the way, i continued to stick with p3600i. after the release of iPhone OS 3.0 & 3GS i found the htc magic/sapphire would be more interesting than latest iPhone. HTC HD2 is amazing but i’ll wait for winmo7 & 1GHz snapdragon based android (2.0) phone with sense UI from HTC. then i’ll decide which one to pick.
i just don’t like the the icons only desktop of iphone & hate the “no multitusking” of it.
chou is a perfect google man following the google’s law “Don’t be evil”. he could easily ditch winmo. but he’s giving the chance to an old OS to survive. the old os winmo was the only proper smart phone os with complete development kit 4 years ago when there was no iphone or android. i dont want winmo to be dissapeared. i just want to see that they are giving proper effort to survive and prove that they are not worthless. HTC O2 XDA IIs, Orange SPV M2000, Dopod 700, Qtek 9090, T-Mobile MDA 3, Siemens SX66, i-mate PDA2k, Verizon XV6600, Sprint PPC-6601 all these great phones were originally from HTC; they were simply great in 2004-5.