The deep fall of the HTC Android Stars - DiePresse.com

Vienna. 2010 was the great year of HTC. The Taiwanese mobile phone maker had just built with the Nexus One, the first Google phone. A technical marvel, celebrated in the trade press and customers alike. The following flight of the Americans and the Asian Group achieved record profits. It was well deserved loot that the company was only founded in 1997, as the first set to the triumph of the Google Android operating system. Two beautiful years, Google’s Android and HTC were almost one.
Today everything is different. Android is the undisputed giant in the smartphone operating systems on the market. HTC, however, is in trouble. Since mid-2011, the Group provides indeed sound equipment, lost in the stock market but ninety percent of its value. Instead of innovation is currently HTC only with profit warnings and industrial espionage scandals around the headlines. What happened there?

Google HTC let fall

“HTC is like a spoiled child who does not know how to fight properly with the big boys Samsung and Apple,” said Gartner analyst Carolina Milanesi. In fact, the Group had opposed the new rival to keep little after his dream start as de facto exclusive partner of Android.
In retrospect, 2010 was probably not the best year for HTC. It also marks the beginning of the deep event of the company. Because this year also joined the South Korean Samsung providers to the stage and gave the Galaxy S a first challenger to Apple’s iPhone 4 Technically, the device was still far away to be with the Apple phone at eye level, but at least the group’s claim was clear that Samsung was Apple’s number one competitor will – and has done it. While HTC herumdümpelt 2.2 percent market share, Samsung pulled over a fifth of the mobile phone market in and overtook the meantime even Apple. Not least thanks to Google, which dropped HTC and ordered the second model of its flagship Nexus-branded phones at Samsung.
HTC continues to build good technical equipment, but gave no more big hit. The hope for this year, the HTC one, waiting in vain for customers in February. The Group’s profit recently broke a 83 per cent. Now that three top designers have been arrested by HTC, because they should have sold industrial secrets is only the icing on the cake

With “Iron Man” against Samsung

The group also suffers from the international legal status of Taiwan. The country, which is struggling for half a century to be recognized as an independent state, is also at a disadvantage in international trade. The hope that the FTA ECFA with China would be the start of many more such contracts, has not been fulfilled. In deference to Beijing, which regards Taiwan as a renegade province, the most important commercial partner hold back. Samsung on the other hand benefits from the free trade agreement, which has its home South Korea concluded with the EU and the United States.
And also in terms of financial strength is inferior to the HTC rivals from South Korea far. This is best illustrated by the marketing billion that Samsung has spent his position as Apple’s arch-enemy number one. At least here now HTC wants to strike back. The Taiwanese company has made Robert Downey Junior as an advertising figure to have Samsung in their place. No small task for the “Iron Man”.