HTCU12 last flagship from HTC?

[anon(10470367)]

Do you all think this could be the last flagship from HTC? I love their phones and been rocking with them for awhile. I also preordered the U12 128GB in Trans Blue. Them selling off mostly ALL their engineeres and i also heard a big executive just left as well makes me concerned about their future.

 

[bhatech]

I mean I won't be surprised if that's the case. They could concentrate all their efforts in VR (Vive) and decide to shut down making phones. They aren't going to last or continue making phones if they can't turn that business into profit. One reason they are pricing their phones so high is to have a bigger profit margin even though they sell less. I think they know even if they reduce the price to say $650 or $700 they still are going to sell similar quantities. So looking to maximize profit I believe.

Either way, yeah this could be the last major flagship we could see from them. Hopefully it's not but hard to see how they can continue losing so much quarter after quarter.

 

[Frank 3]

People have been saying this about HTC for years now. however this time seems different. They look like a company in liquidation. Seems like the writing is on the wall.

 

[Larry 609]

I'm going to take a look at the S9 deal that Best Buy is offering later this afternoon. This would potentially save me a few hundred dollars if I went though one of the other big-name phones at the moment.

I've had the 10 for two years now and even though it's still running well for the most part, I can't look past some of the issues HTC has going on right now. Otherwise, they'd be on the top of my upgrade list. Sprint also isn't even offering the phone this time around, so hanging onto HTC would mean the added hassle of switching carriers right now and paying more under a different plan. Combine that with other things (jack v. USB-C audio, warranty issues when the phone is bought from HTC directly), and it seems like going through someone else might be for the best.

I thought about getting a U11 online too to tide me over until next year. But the phone isn't really available anymore and even if I bought it used, I'm concerned what might happen if something eventually goes wrong there without any insurance of sorts.

The good news is that if I did upgrade now, I could hold onto the 10 as a backup phone in case the next one breaks somehow (and still give it some use as a "workout/walk" phone, which the M8 sort of serves as right now). It's a shame because I would consider the U12 if a few of these things were in order, but it doesn't look like that'll be the case for this cycle (assuming they have more in the future).

 

[Habiib]

I say yes this is their last one. I wonder how much money they will have left for R&D (to produce a class leading device), marketing, etc. for another flagship. This taking into account that they might continue to incur double-digit losses each quarter. I also wonder if they do manage to create another flagship, will it be standout product or one that cuts corners and shows lack of cohesion.

 

[Frank 3]

To be honest, i can't see them improving to much. The U12 looks great. Maybe wireless charging, edge sense 3, better camera, and more exclusive exterior designs. They really made a hit with the U12. But like you said will they have the money to produce,market, and promote another flagship? The U12 was probably almost done when the Google transition went through.

 

[msm0511]

I could see them doing one flagship a year. Mainly to tie in with the Vive Focus. I think most of their resources will go into VR, but if the Focus sells decent when it goes on sale worldwide this fall, a companion flagship would be almost necessary.

 

[anon(10464842)]

It seems to me that many HTC fans are contributing to the propaganda of "HTC dying" which had been going on for years now. If it wasn't for fans returning, that propaganda would have occurred in reality. It only puts more ppl off buying the phone, which could then be the real cause of HTC not surviving the way it had done in the past.

 

[Habiib]

It seems to me that many HTC fans are contributing to the propaganda of "HTC dying" which had been going on for years now. If it wasn't for fans returning, that propaganda would have occurred in reality. It only puts more ppl off buying the phone, which could then be the real cause of HTC not surviving the way it had done in the past.

I disagree. For example I see some inconvenient truths about HTC's current state. HTC's brand name carries little value in the smartphone market. Carriers and big box retailers do not stock their devices in certain markets. HTC has abysmal customer service. HTC has always had a horrible marketing strategy. HTC has had a significant loss of workforce talent and expertise.

Now this leaves a company trying to sell a product they will market poorly to customers who can't even preview the device in person. Also the number of customers who would have gotten exposure to their products are greatly reduced. Also HTC will sell it at a price they will be reluctant to pay because the brand has less value compared to more popular offerings. Likewise, customers can expect poor post-sales support compared to more prominent brands. I wouldn't consider that propaganda, but most likely facts.

Any prospect of a future HTC device being extremely competitive are now reduced due to the knowledge drain HTC just had. Most likely if HTC makes another flagship, it will be full of misteps and compromises while excelling in few areas. If you see something in HTC's current situation that paints a brighter future, I'm open to input. Aside from that I'm not seeing a single plausible scenario where HTC can undo the damage from their business decisions and execution.