HTC may be gearing up for a strategy change. According to Wave7, HTC’s restructuring within the US could indicate that HTC is planning to a return to its ODM roots.
HTC started out as an ODM, building smartphones for dozens of different companies. But the company changed things up right before Android made its initial debut and started promoting devices which prominently featured the HTC brand. HTC continued its partnership with Sprint and T-Mobile to release EVO and myTouch devices for a few years, but it eventually decided that its brand was more important than the unique relationships it had with those service providers.
As things stand now, HTC isn’t doing so well. Because HTC phones haven’t been selling a good as they have in the past, US service providers have been hesitant in offering HTC’s device portfolio to their customers. HTC is currently only has the Google Pixel, Pixel XL, HTC 10 and HTC Desire 530 available through Verizon and the HTC 10 and HTC Bolt available through Sprint. AT&T and T-Mobile currently have no HTC devices available for their post-paid customers.
While we have suggested that HTC should consider the ODM route ourselves, like us, the Wave7 report does not have any hard evidence which indicates that HTC will actually move in that direction. HTC has stated that its agreement with Google to build the Pixel phones is profitable for HTC, but there hasn’t been any indication that HTC will be working with other company to build smartphones for them.
Source: FierceWireless
What? this article didnt even make sense
HTC makes great phones that nobody knows about. Their problem isn’t in their design or their own brand name, it’s the fact that they don’t know how to market their phones. HTC One phones for instance should have came with a dot view case to set them apart. Instead the coolest feature of those phones was $50… I have one on my M9 and everyone loves it and assumes it’s a brand new phone. HTC, if you’re reading this, I’ll gladly help you market your future phones so I can continue to enjoy them.