HTC struggling to sell 1 million HTC 10 units this year?

[jlarkins08]

I completely agree. $700 is the reason I have not upgraded my M7 to a 10. In fact $700 is why I will probably upgrade to an A9 when my M7 bites the dust. Although my M7 still looks brand new and functions like the day I bought it. HTC 10 is just over priced. And yes this is my opinion.

This is why I am still holding on to my M8 even though this phone is my daily driver and just a beast at 2 years old.. The HTC 10 is just way to outrages in price, even giving customers an extra $100 off wasn't good enough for me to shell out $600.. HTC didn't offer any good trade in offers for the M8 and by it running marshmallow already I decided to stick with it.. Maybe I'll buy the 10 when it comes down in price like $450 or $500 would be ideal!

 

[usguyver]

Maybe you do think the htc 10 is miles better but the discussion is why htc isn't selling well.

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I understand what you mean but it actually has been selling well they haven't said whether or not what they have sold. But I have another friend works HTC USA and then it's on to unlock phone at a pretty well. I have the phone I think it's off it is Miles better than the S7 I mean I work at Best Buy I'll try to have a guy with his fingerprint scanner on the S7 and it could hardly pick up his fingerprint and took a while to pick up mine. But I'm IM 10 it picks up right away unlock real fast. Also you have to think about this they haven't released any numbers as of yet it's only been on sale for last 2 to 3 months. Why don't we wait until they release some numbers so we actually know how well it's selling we're not selling.

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[Thomas Bright]

And I thought I was the only one who had this obvious personality disorder ........ haaaaa

I had preordered the HTC 10 before it was released but I was able to find one on display at one of the Verizon stores near me.

After a good half hour of holding and playing with it ..... comparing the screen size against my S6 Edge+ numerous times and then getting weird looks from the Verizon staff I decided it wasn't worth jumping into and cancelling my preorder when I got home.

I paid a visit and played with the HTC 10 on display twice, about 15 minutes each time. Returned mine after 10 days, just didn't seem like a huge upgrade from the s6.

 

[D13H4RD2L1V3]

Here's my personal thoughts on this.

Remember when I said that even if HTC makes an absolutely killer phone, it would still be a hard sell because their brand has pretty much faded and that they can't afford to sufficiently advertise their devices?

Holds true here. The HTC 10 is a wonderful phone, and one of the best Android phones and even overall smartphone that you can buy in 2016. I just think that due to HTC's past struggles, the general public may have forgotten all about HTC, especially with the flurry of devices coming out from rival OEMs. I once said that HTC needs good marketing in order to stand out but at this point, I'm not sure if that might even help them much.

What's perhaps not helping is pricing. The HTC 10 is every bit as good as the Galaxy S7, and in some areas like audio quality, bests it. However, remember what I said about the HTC brand fading? Because some people who have not read reviews, user opinion and/or used the device may find it difficult to spend $699 on a phone made by a company that doesn't have much presence. It's not easy to explain, but brand power can be immensely powerful.

The Vive seems to be doing better, though, despite still being much a niche. Especially since Oculus has gotten a lot of hooplah for recent happenings.

 

[Stevenmc8602]

Here's my personal thoughts on this.

Remember when I said that even if HTC makes an absolutely killer phone, it would still be a hard sell because their brand has pretty much faded and that they can't afford to sufficiently advertise their devices?

Holds true here. The HTC 10 is a wonderful phone, and one of the best Android phones and even overall smartphone that you can buy in 2016. I just think that due to HTC's past struggles, the general public may have forgotten all about HTC, especially with the flurry of devices coming out from rival OEMs. I once said that HTC needs good marketing in order to stand out but at this point, I'm not sure if that might even help them much.

What's perhaps not helping is pricing. The HTC 10 is every bit as good as the Galaxy S7, and in some areas like audio quality, bests it. However, remember what I said about the HTC brand fading? Because some people who have not read reviews, user opinion and/or used the device may find it difficult to spend $699 on a phone made by a company that doesn't have much presence. It's not easy to explain, but brand power can be immensely powerful.

The Vive seems to be doing better, though, despite still being much a niche. Especially since Oculus has gotten a lot of hooplah for recent happenings.

It's crazy how some ppl don't recognize how powerful marketing is... U could have the best product in the world if ppl don't know about it or have anything showing it's value to them they won't buy it... I sell cars and everyday someone comes in saying they want to pay some ridiculous amount for one and until you show them the value in the vehicle no matter how much you "discount" it's always gonna be "too much" or not a "great deal"

Plain and simple the phone is overpriced but every flagship is overpriced... I've seen too many ppl wanting a flagship from HTC but wants them to sell it at a mid-range phone price.

I never got the claims about HTC offering less features than Samsung... U can't have waterproofing bc that means u have to sacrifice sound quality...u don't have wireless charging bc of the metal body but with the metal body u also have a more durable phone... Ppl just need to decide which has more value to them and don't worry about the other phones

 

[Stevenmc8602]

HTC is gonna have to step it up in advertising and make ppl want to want their phone... I just sold a car to a manager at att and I was telling him that I think the 10 is the best phone out and asking if he knew why att is not selling them and he said "bc HTC sucks, nobody wants them" he didn't even know what the HTC 10 was or anything about it but that's his mindset and so many ppl who works at phone stores and bc of that it comes off to the consumers... I went into Verizon looking for an ice view case and the sales rep didn't know what it was and tried to sell me a new Samsung as if my phone was old and outdated... HTC has to step it up big time in their marketing

 

[usguyver]

That is true however the salesman will do that specially in AT&T and Verizon stores. Like you I'm in retail I work at Best Buy I saw all kinds of electronics including phones. I actually sell at Best Buy some unlock phones and clean the Galaxy S6. But I'm trying to get up yes I do agree with you that they should see me the step of the marketing. However if I had a cc in my store and not just online at my website. I could sell it like hotcakes because I actually had the device and it works a hell lot better than the Samsung Galaxy S7 especially the camera and the fingerprint scanner.
Actually had a customer come in today trying to get his fingerprints can work on his S6. So we can get to work with his finger I did get his command work on my phone well I had Nation C10 love the Galaxy S7 or the Galaxy S6. And the guy was so floored that he wanted to go get it but we don't sell it at Best Buy only online and I have none in stores. It's because of the way that retailers and salesmen treat the phone. They get a bigger bonus by selling Samsung phones and iPhones. Why sell a phone that don't get them that much money why would do what it's going to do they have to sell that phone unless it's a personal choice.

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[jimbo1mcm]

I have both the S7edge and the HTC 10. I took the sim card out of my S7 and put it in my 10. I was going to try it for just a few days. Funny thing is the sim card is still in the 10!! It's a wonderful phone. I seem to really like the touch responsiveness of the screen and the home button. The feel is great and so is the size. It could weigh a little less to be perfect. Nothing wrong with the S7Edge. I think both phones are equal, but the equality comes at you from different areas. I like the S7 weight and wireless charging. Nice having Ip68.

I wonder how I will feel when HTC brings out the Nexus 6 successor, based on the 10, at a lower price point?

 

[Habiib]

Well I'm convinced that HTC is in a no win situation. In spite of people hammering the marketing drum, HTC would be wasting their dime and nickel on a massive marketing campaign. Marketing a brand no one cares about is wasteful. HTC could etch their name on the surface of the moon and people would still grab an iPhone or Galaxy variant all day long.

For those claiming HTC 10 is overpriced, they could sell it for $100 and it'd still not sell well. The 10 could have had the best display, camera, waterproofing, and wireless charging, and it'd still fail to be competitive. I'd not be surprised if the 10 ends up being HTC's last or next to last flagship . No matter how much resources ($$$ + R&D) they pour into making a device, it'll never be a sales success. It's no fault of the product or the company, it's just that most markets only have two brands who make smartphones (in the minds of the general public), and no one else matters besides Apple and Samsung. My 2¢

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[erasat]

When you are struggling year by year with sales and recognition, your only way out is to standout from the crowd, no matter how good your marketing is if you have a mediocre product you can fool some but not everybody, so in the situation that HTC is right now, they MUST do both, good marketing and a standout phone, and right now they don't have any of those.

I have my S7 edge since launch and bought the HTC 10 from T-Mobile the same day it was available at my local store and for the past month and a half I've been switching phones every 5-7 days, my preference, the S7 edge, too many things that I use, too many standout features, things like Edge screens (some hates them and others say that are gimmicks, but nobody can say that they are unique), IP68 (No worries living on an Island on the Caribbean because of Dirt and water), Wireless Charging and fast Wireless Charging (Simply great and convenient), Bigger Battery, Better Screen (personal preference of course), better camera ( even with latest HTC 10 updates it still a little behind the Samsung ones, I can tell you by doing a direct comparison with the 10 and my wife's S7 at my daughter's Graduation) , Samsung Pay (Unique and great feature), MultiView (Multi-Tasking), Native Video calling and Enhanced Messaging, etc...

I'll stop right there because it's obvious that you got my point already, when you are in HTC position you need to come with a Killer phone, killer in every aspect, that even AT&T will beg you to allow them to sell it, HTC has created in the 10 their best phone yet, but besides the Sound (only by headset because the speakers to me are just meh) they just have "another" great android phone, nothing to standout, and that's exactly their problems right now, how can they attract people to buy their phones if they are not even on the stores display, people on forums are just an insignificant percent of the total market, people that know about the HTC 10 are people like us that come to forums like this and demands the phone from the stores (like I needed to do because the employees didn't even know it had been released) and then to pay the exact same price than a S7? Ehh for most people that's an immediate no, most people don't even know who HTC is, and for us that know, we have serious doubts of how long they can keep the business rolling, so no matter if you offer me 10 years of free Screen and battery replacement, what matters to me if you are going to be there to back it up.

It's simply a shame as the HTC 10 is a great phone, I certainly enjoy using it, but don't fool yourself the S7 edge is Samsung's best yet also and those who say that it lags and that 10 bests it in other than the Sound either they have never used a S7/S7 edge, got a bad one or are simply fooling themselves. Both are great phone and obviously Samsung will always sell ( at least for now) tons more than HTC and the rest of OEMs on the Android world, but it's not people's fault or ignorance the reason of HTC debacle, it has always been their stubbornness on adjusting to the market and its changes, great phone but not a standout one.

 

[Habiib]

When you are struggling year by year with sales and recognition, your only way out is to standout from the crowd, no matter how good your marketing is if you have a mediocre product you can fool some but not everybody, so in the situation that HTC is right now, they MUST do both, good marketing and a standout phone, and right now they don't have any of those.

I have my S7 edge since launch and bought the HTC 10 from T-Mobile the same day it was available at my local store and for the past month and a half I've been switching phones every 5-7 days, my preference, the S7 edge, too many things that I use, too many standout features, things like Edge screens (some hates them and others say that are gimmicks, but nobody can say that they are unique), IP68 (No worries living on an Island on the Caribbean because of Dirt and water), Wireless Charging and fast Wireless Charging (Simply great and convenient), Bigger Battery, Better Screen (personal preference of course), better camera ( even with latest HTC 10 updates it still a little behind the Samsung ones, I can tell you by doing a direct comparison with the 10 and my wife's S7 at my daughter's Graduation) , Samsung Pay (Unique and great feature), MultiView (Multi-Tasking), Native Video calling and Enhanced Messaging, etc...

I'll stop right there because it's obvious that you should have my point already, when you are in HTC position you need to come with a Killer phone, killer in every aspect, that even AT&T will beg you to allow them to sell it, HTC has created in the 10 their best phone yet, but besides the Sound (only by headset because the speakers to me are just meh) they just have "another" great android phone, nothing to standout, and that's exactly their problems right now, how can they attract people to buy their phones if they are not even on the stores display, people on forums are just an insignificant percent of the total market, people that know about the HTC 10 are people like us that come to forums like this and demands the phone from the stores (like I needed to do because the employees didn't even know it had been released) and then to pay the exact same price than a S7? Ehh for most people that's an immediate no, most people don't even know who HTC is, and for us that know, we have serious doubts of how long they can keep the business rolling, so no matter if you offer me 10 years of free Screen and battery replacement, what matters to me if you are going to be there to back it up.

It's simply a shame as the HTC 10 is a great phone, I certainly enjoy using it, but don't fool yourself the S7 edge is Samsung's best yet also and those who say that it lags and that 10 bests it in other than the Sound either they have never used a S7/S7 edge, got a bad one or are simply fooling themselves. Both are great phone and obviously Samsung will always sell ( at least for now) tons more than HTC and the rest of OEMs on the Android world, but it's not people's fault or ignorance the reason of HTC debacle, it has always been their stubbornness on adjusting to the market and its changes, great phone but not a standout one.

A killer phone would do much of nothing for HTC. The 10 could have been 3x as good as the S7e, plus marketed better and still it would flop. When certain smartphone markets have been reduced to only two options consisting of high profile brands, there's no coming back. The S7e could have been branded as an HTC and its sales would be nothing compared to the EXACT SAME device being branded as a Samsung. HTC's dilemma is one that no device can fix. Once Samsung established themselves as a viable option to the iPhone (around the time if the S3), it was a wrap from then on. HTC could have stood out and made all the adjustments, "listened to their customers" or "gave the people what they want", all day long and still they'd end up where they are now.

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[Not Quite Right]

You all can debate which phone is better until the cows come home, but the reality is if HTC is struggling to sell a million units of their "best" phone, then HTC is not going to be around much longer. Just ask the gang over at the BlackBerry camp how low sales numbers is working out for them ...

 

[LeoRex]

If true, this is evidence of like what stevenmc mentions... marketing can make or break a phone. The 10 is every bit the phone the S7 is, or any other phone for that matter. But HTC really botched the launch of the phone. To sell a TON of units, those things have to be front and center in every major carrier store, and OEMs need to get carrier involvement in marketing the thing.

Samsung has sold a ton of S7s. Granted, it is an excellent phone, but the phone is also seen all over the place. Every major carrier pushes it; deals, BOGO offers, bundles, finance discounts, etc. Walk into a Verizon Wireless or AT&T store and chances are you've already seen both models on large banners or posters, etc. You can't NOT see the phone and there are enough incentives that your average phone user is going to consider the phone by default.

HTC did none of that... the launch barely moved the needle. Add in the fact that the M line kind of went off the rails a bit after the M7 - the impact of that can be overstated- You have to be on the tip of that public perception spear or people will only remember rumors, "Oh, I heard they didn't make good phones anymore"... etc.

Still, as far as the phone is concerned, they did the right thing and built a hell of a nice phone. Which solved their missteps on the previous model but they puked on their shoes marketing and selling it.

 

[Habiib]

You all can debate which phone is better until the cows come home, but the reality is if HTC is struggling to sell a million units of their "best" phone, then HTC is not going to be around much longer. Just ask the gang over at the BlackBerry camp how low sales numbers is working out for them ...

...and Nokia, Palm, Microsoft, Motorola, etc. As to how people are still bent on thinking that having a good or best device = good sales, is beyond me. Indeed HTC's days are numbered and their devices not "standing out" won't be the cause of it. This is not to demean HTC one bit. They're just too small of a company (both in size and stature) to remain competitive.

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[NEXUS_HTC_PS]

It's simply a shame as the HTC 10 is a great phone, I certainly enjoy using it, but don't fool yourself the S7 edge is Samsung's best yet also and those who say that it lags and that 10 bests it in other than the Sound either they have never used a S7/S7 edge, got a bad one or are simply fooling themselves. Both are great phone and obviously Samsung will always sell ( at least for now) tons more than HTC and the rest of OEMs on the Android world, but it's not people's fault or ignorance the reason of HTC debacle, it has always been their stubbornness on adjusting to the market and its changes, great phone but not a standout one.

The HTC is better than the S7e(yes I actually own both) in many areas, not just audio. Superior touch responsiveness, fingerprint sensor, call quality, boomsound, front facing camera and the overall feel in hand without a case. Equal on the camera front, although I still get better low light shots on the 10. Less noise and fragments in the edge of the frame. The battery is equal. At first I was getting better battery life on the 10 but the S7e seems to be doing a lot better lately. I use the 10 throughout day more as I have all of my music on it. Unfortunately I can't argue the whole unlocked deal anymore. That's always been a selling point for me.

I only see three things the S7e has over the 10. The Samoled screen, waterproofing and wireless charging. The waterproofing.....couldn't care less. The screen is maybe a mile better, not "miles". However, I do love wireless charging. With the advancements Qualcomm has made with near field magnetic resonance, we very well may see wireless charging on the next generation HTC flagship.

Like Habiib said though, nothing short of miracle could bring HTC back. It's a shame. Time will tell of they can continue compering in this lopsided game. Carriers aren't pushing them. I've been to two T-Mobile stores and one Verizon store. Non have had a display model
One of the T-Mobile store didn't even have a display of the S7/edge. The only 2016 flagship they had was a G5. The average consumer doesn't buy unlocked phones. So many things working against them.

I don't think upping their marketing will help. Look at LG. They did a wondrous job hyping the G5. I saw the commercials, billboards and the carrier push. They tried so hard with differentiating it from the competition. The modules, the dual camera setup and keeping it so people can change out the battery years from now. It still isn't competing with Sammy.

Sheep mentality. Apples and Samdungs

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[LordLugard]

I don't think it helps that the HTC 10 isn't widely available.

I know that AT&T doesn't sell it, but an unlocked version is available from HTC that works on AT&T.

However, I've yet to see this device in a store. I went to a Verizon store hoping to play with it to see what it's like. However, the Verizon store didn't have it.

If I'm going to pay $700 for a phone, I'd like to play with it before ordering it online, but that has been impossible so far.

Why not just walk into your closest Sprint store and play with one?

Every Sprint store I've ever walked into has them on display.

 

[dpham00]

Personally I think that the problem is the pricing. If you were to lay out an 6s, S7, and 10 on the table and ask, which one would you choose to the general public and ask which one would you buy for $650-700, I would guess most would choose either the iPhone or S7.

Doesn't matter how great HTC makes the phone, they just don't command the premium pricing anymore to the general public, imo. To me, they would have gotten much better sales numbers competing in the $400-500 range.

There are some who truly buy a phone based on its merits, but, based on what I have seen in real life, the vast majority buy on brand recognition, and aren't willing to pay a premium for a phone that doesn't have it anymore.

 

[Habiib]

Personally I think that the problem is the pricing. If you were to lay out an 6s, S7, and 10 on the table and ask, which one would you choose to the general public and ask which one would you buy for $650-700, I would guess most would choose either the iPhone or S7.

Doesn't matter how great HTC makes the phone, they just don't command the premium pricing anymore to the general public, imo. To me, they would have gotten much better sales numbers competing in the $400-500 range.

There are some who truly buy a phone based on its merits, but, based on what I have seen in real life, the vast majority buy on brand recognition, and aren't willing to pay a premium for a phone that doesn't have it anymore.

Charge $100 for the HTC and they'd still go for the Samsung or Apple almost every time. Their sales increase would be minimal at best as a result of lower pricing. Low pricing, great features, great marketing, etc will almost never be a reason to buy an HTC over its competition in markets where Samsung and Apple rule. 0.02¢

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[LeoRex]

There are some who truly buy a phone based on its merits, but, based on what I have seen in real life, the vast majority buy on brand recognition, and aren't willing to pay a premium for a phone that doesn't have it anymore.

Right, this is the damage that was caused by their M derps... When the first One launched, that phone had a bit of gravitas to it... and it also commanded a price that was top shelf with the rest of the top end phones. Once you lose that public perception, that's REALLY hard to gain back.

 

[jimbo1mcm]

When I called my Verizon store to ask if they had one, she said, " I think we have one". When I got there, I asked her if they were selling many. Answer: " nope".