HTC reveals US marketing push

Marketing its wares straight to consumers is old hat for HTC in the Old World, but stateside? Not so much. That's not to say the HTC name is a total unknown in North America; there's been the odd Advantage here and Shift there, but by and large, we yanks know the Taiwanese firm better for its relatively anonymous efforts in the likes of the AT&T Tilt, Verizon XV6900, Sprint Touch, and countless other carrier-branded devices. That's about to change, though, with a full-court press of TV, print, outdoor, and online advertising targeted squarely at the US market launching this week. The company's first ad in the campaign is posted to YouTube -- no new products here, sadly, but it's an encouraging sign to see that one of the world's most prolific ODMs and smartphone manufacturers now thinks that the American market is mature enough to be dealt with directly. The announcement of the US-spec Touch Dual was a good start, and now, we look forward to seeing a whole heck of a lot more where that came from. Check the first commercial after the break.

[ddub @ Apr 22nd 2008 2:01PM]

First to kick your arse.

[ddub @ Apr 22nd 2008 2:03PM]

Fail #2, my reply above was a good 30 sec before your "second" comment. Go find a hole and die.

[B.B. @ Apr 22nd 2008 2:05PM]

Wow, whaddaya know? It looks just like an iPhone commercial!

Yet another pathetic Apple rip-off.

I swear I'd drop dead if these factories ever came out with anything original.

[Forrest @ Apr 22nd 2008 2:13PM]

Sigh...it's a God damned phone! How the hell are you supposed to show it off unless you hold the fucking thing up on the screen?

News flash assholes: Not EVERYTHING is a fucking Apple ripoff. A lot of us don't give two shits about Apple.

[Phoenix @ Apr 22nd 2008 2:16PM]

God man. It's different

Ok, the hand sweep at the end is similar, but as the commenter above said, it's impossible to show it off any other way

Unlike the iPhone ads, this isn't just the phone doing random stuff with a guy talking, there's actually some creativity.

[slackercow @ Apr 22nd 2008 2:20PM]

i kinda hope you drop dead anyway

[nostalgika @ Apr 22nd 2008 2:26PM]

ODM

"Original Design Manufacturer"

now drop dead

[Jakob Henner @ Apr 22nd 2008 2:28PM]

I give a fuck about Apple, love my iPhone ;)

But agree, it's just preposterous to call everything with a touch screen and a small border an iPhone clone.

[stankychicken @ Apr 22nd 2008 2:41PM]

@ forrest

LOL thank you!! 10 points to you sir.

[captainpease @ Apr 22nd 2008 2:43PM]

okay, well, i WAS going to give them credit for making a mostly original commercial...until the end. the last audible note displays the brand logo, JUST LIKE APPLE. pathetic. yes, this comes from an iPhone lover and Apple fan, but more than that, a creative thinker/designer.

[Kelly Nair @ Apr 22nd 2008 3:18PM]

This is as much an Apple commercial knockoff as Apple's is an HP knockoff.

[Darren @ Apr 22nd 2008 3:51PM]

iPhony device, iPhony commercial. But what other hand could HTC possibly play?

And just in time for iPhone 2.0, too.

[Bassir @ Apr 22nd 2008 6:55PM]

It was perfect until the last transition effect and chord ruined it. That's what gave it away as an iPhone-style commercial.

[Matt @ Apr 22nd 2008 7:49PM]

Yeah, the way it ended was so Apple, but it was still a good creative commercial.

[From Montreal, Canada @ Apr 22nd 2008 11:02PM]

That phone exit to the left at the end and then HTC appearing is a perfect replica of the iPhone ad layouts. Not to mention that cute, heart warming jingle... sounds like the iPhones...

OK. Now you can bash me.

[Kevin @ Apr 23rd 2008 2:35AM]

An Apple ripoff? Yeah, because I didn't have an HTC Cingular 8125 in February 2006 which performs essentially everything that the iPhone can. You probably think the iPod was an original idea too.

[Tarandon @ Apr 23rd 2008 9:15AM]

Now i thought right from the beginning of the commercial that it was an apple rip off, with the piano in the background and the overall relaxed mood.

[pcgecko85 @ Apr 22nd 2008 2:05PM]

yes!!!!! MORE HTC

[ddub @ Apr 22nd 2008 2:09PM]

I kinda regret my replies now. I feel like I'm stooping down to the level of a "FIRST COMMENT" person, where my comment has nothing to do with the article.

[Sasha S. @ Apr 22nd 2008 2:14PM]

Message to HTC: "It's the TOTAL interface, Stupid"

Touch interface in this HTC device is quickly put together add-on consisting of few screens. How about extending it throughout entire device.

That would mean showing Microsoft and their half-assed attempt at mobile software the way to the nearest compost heap. Then, HTC should try observing very carefully how people use their iPhones and then try to copy it well (or heavens forbid improving on it).

Then, and only then a glitzy ad like this would be considered a money well spent. Otherwise people will just get disappointed and go buy iPhone.

Nice Ad, HTC - but let's get the product fixed first, shell we?

[Lowest Ranked @ Apr 22nd 2008 2:52PM]

I was going through your ignorant post correcting all the run-ons, spelling errors and punctuation faults, and finally just gave-up.

Please, go back to the kitchen.

[JerryA @ Apr 22nd 2008 3:26PM]

The problem is that HTC isn't in the OS business. They aren't going to develop an entire competitor to WinMo or the iPhone OS or Android of whatever. Frankly I am glad to see at least one somewhat decent Windows Mobile phone maker. Yes I know about the video driver issues and all that but I think they make the best WinMo phones in the US at least. I quite like my HTC phone and the less polished UI of Windows Mobile is more than made up in functionality. Until someone puts out something that can beat both WinMo in functionality and Apple in looks, function wins.

[Todd @ Apr 22nd 2008 2:15PM]

That's about to change because of Android. HTC is smart, they can start brand familiarity now, then later when Android is a two-click, OTA install they'll be in a good position to suck down that proverbial Google Adsense money. Check out all these people who have got Android already running on HTC Touches:

http://www.google-phone.com/android-running-on-htc%e2%80%99s-tytn-ii-12305.php

IMEI+AdSense = $$$

[JerryA @ Apr 22nd 2008 3:47PM]

I'm pretty sure that's a "Tilt" and not a "Touch" but still, pretty cool. I would imagine that Android optimized for these devices and as the sole OS would run just fine as long as it has proper drivers and all.

[ZeitgeistXIII @ Apr 22nd 2008 2:15PM]

I like my XV6800 quite a bit. It works pretty well for a smart phone:)

[C.K. @ Apr 22nd 2008 2:24PM]

There is something inherently creepy about ads with just hands in them.

[boe @ Apr 22nd 2008 2:28PM]

C.K. - I agree - the add would have been more intersting if they had used people with hooks instead. I'm OK with just feet but hands are a creepy part of the body - shiver.

[boe @ Apr 22nd 2008 2:26PM]

I like my HTC touch very much but would like HTC to move forward to this decade with their technology.

Resolution still QVGA? The iPhone has twice the resolution - when the iPhone as VGA res will the touch 2 still be QVGA?

Bluetooth - go to any forum about any HTC phone - bluetooth is always an issue - why can't they tweak the widcom stack or work with MS on the BT stack?

Battery life - the iphone has great battery life - no HTC phone does - might be the OS - but wouldn't you want to work with MS on getting that fixed if that is the issue?

Processor - the iphone has a much faster processor - so while I like my touch I have to admit the iphone has better resolution, better bt, a faster processor and yet still has better battey life. Too bad HTC can't develop hardware that competes with the iPhone but runs WM - although with upcoming exchange and flash support the iphone is getting interesting as a pdaphone OS.

[Phoenix @ Apr 22nd 2008 3:42PM]

Cos yeah, you'll be sitting there on your iPhone without any A2DP. No stereo bluetooth on a music centric phone.

Dearie dearie me.

[Jakob Henner @ Apr 22nd 2008 2:34PM]

Hmm.. the bluetooth part of iPhone does SUCKS!
If you hate your HTC touch that much, you should buy an iPhone obviously.

[jamsquad @ Apr 22nd 2008 2:35PM]

wouldn't it be, "an old hat?"

[SimbaDogg @ Apr 22nd 2008 2:42PM]

i could care less about this commercial...fix my damn drivers

[Henry Khachatryan @ Apr 22nd 2008 2:44PM]

At this point i'm just waiting for SOMETHING....ANYTHING that remotely resembles an iPhone in functionality that is NOT made by a company called Apple so i can ditch my iPhone and move to something better.

Unfortunately, this is not it =/


http://www.collegemogul.com

[Jose @ Apr 22nd 2008 3:03PM]

HTC is Great! I love HTC products!

[John @ Apr 22nd 2008 3:04PM]

XPERIA X1. Not HTC, but they could sure learn a few lessons from Sony Ericcsson

[o rly @ Apr 22nd 2008 3:36PM]

You do know that HTC is the manufacturer/ODM of Sony's Xperia X1, right?

[Fernando @ Apr 22nd 2008 3:05PM]

HTC makes junk phones and the people that don't think this have obviously never used a real smart phone before. Windows Slowbile 6 is such a crappy mobile OS, I know for sure it was the same engineers as Vista, it has to be it's a hog just like it's daddy. I challenge anyone to put a brick sized HTC POC versus my pwnd iPhone, please I'll run circles around them while they are waiting for their screen to flip when they slide out their keyboards that's the same thickness as my iPhone. I'll pass until HTC starts implementing better design and Android on their phones. I speak from experience I work in the IT department and I manage all the different models of HTC crap. My 2 cents!

[o rly @ Apr 22nd 2008 3:26PM]

...not with that EDGE you won't.

[Fernando @ Apr 22nd 2008 3:57PM]

oooooo Edge who the hell does "real" surfing on a cellular network anyhow? Please 3G or not those are not realistic mobile web surfing technologies, WIMAX and WI-FI are the only realistic ones.

[tcc3 @ Apr 22nd 2008 4:30PM]

Its the mating cry of the illogical fanboy

"Yeah? Well I didn't need that feature anyway!"

[o rly @ Apr 22nd 2008 7:25PM]

It's OK Fernando, use your GPS to find your way out of the Reality Distortion Field? What's that? You don't have GPS? I'm sure someone with an HTC will let you borrow theirs; right after they reply to their work e-mail.

[Fernando @ Apr 23rd 2008 8:26AM]

Oh yeah as if looking at the GPS on my crappy ass HTC with that 3" screen is so great. Please that thing is so slow I might as well use Google Maps anyhow by the time that thing farts out a calculation of where I am on it's slow ass system I'll already be lost anyhow. Also why the hell would I use GPS when my car has a nice 7" screen with the sound coming through the speakers you know so you can actually hear it! Oh no wait I rather have 18 wires hanging off my dashboard and something stuck to my windshield blocking my view. If I want a GPS I'll get a GPS if I want a laptop I'll get that but as far as a phone goes HTC is crap and you people that sit here and support it as if it isn't, you definitely have never used a good mobile phone before.

[o rly @ Apr 23rd 2008 2:43PM]

It seems we've hit a nerve with Fernando. Are you done with your rambling about stuff you can't have or do you want to post a few more vacuous paragraphs that will end up "Low Ranked" anyway? You can do it fanboy.

[Dan @ Apr 24th 2008 1:12AM]

@Farnando

Keep in mind, not everyone has money to blow on a full-sized GPS navigation solution when there phone can do it just fine. Of course I'll admit, a mounted 4" - 7" display would be way nicer than my Mogul's screen, I can suffice because such a navigation unit is a lower priority for me and a tad out of budget. Also, Mogul only has one wire attached when I'm in the car and that's for power.

I use Microsoft Live Search (Windows Mobile Application. Bash Microsoft if you will, but this program is awesome; way better than Google Maps for that matter.) and navigating with GPS works fine and quickly for me. And searching near GPS coordinates for....whatever it is that you want....is useful. The iPhone can keep its shit cell tower triangulation, all phones should have freely accessible GPS chips built in; it's 2008.

[Ivar @ Apr 22nd 2008 3:24PM]

Please note:


THIS DEVICE HAS NO DRIVERS!!!!


Comparing it to the iphone is ridiculous since it is soooooo fvcking slow.

[Darren @ Apr 22nd 2008 3:37PM]

Just another in what's sure to be a long line of iPhony handhelds.

[Argot @ Apr 22nd 2008 4:18PM]

Looks a lot more like the phone that started it all waaaaaaay before the iPhone was even a sparkle in Jobs eye. I'm talking about the Neonode....

But just crank up the RDF and you'll be alright son.

http://www.slashgear.com/gallery/data_files/7/4/neonode-n2-1.jpg

[Darren @ Apr 22nd 2008 4:53PM]

Argot,

You're being a little harsh on HTC, don't you think? They may be bad, but they're not Neonode-bad. That would be crazy.

[Argot @ Apr 22nd 2008 5:48PM]

Hey, it could be even worse, they could be iPhone-bad. Nah, nothing can suck that much?

[ThePremierAssassin @ Apr 22nd 2008 4:39PM]

Wait is that an iPhone?

Oh yeah thats right...its a copycat...