Rumor: Sony Ericsson to buy HTC. HTC: nope, it's untrue.

So the backstory goes something like this: Swedish publication Elektroniktidningen were looking forward to a meeting with HTC, but the meeting was delayed due to talks of some sort of merger with Sony Ericsson. Everyone panicked: Could HTC be bought by Sony Ericsson? They've already worked together on the Xperia X1, so it could be possible, right? Not so much, according to HTC. Word from them is that this whole this is a bunch of hooey. According to HTC's spokesperson, "This is just a rumor and there is no truth to this statement." For now we're moving along.

[Marcus @ Jun 2nd 2008 1:09PM]

Puuh! I guess that would've meant no Android for HTC...

[fred @ Jun 2nd 2008 1:11PM]

Good!

We need more manufacturers of these devices. Not for them to get bought-out and buried in the basement.

[Head Scratcher @ Jun 2nd 2008 1:16PM]

PALM?

PALM?

PALM?

Hmmm...

[Naturallanguage Processor @ Jun 2nd 2008 1:29PM]

The Swedish article says "HTC" and Google is translating that to "Palm".

Lol!

[KEROLiUKAS @ Jun 2nd 2008 1:20PM]

HTC ftw, better not sell out...

[HalfJoey @ Jun 2nd 2008 1:21PM]

HTC seems to be the only CDMA or Verizon cell phone maker to actually put out exciting stuff. I'm glad this isn't true, or turns out to not be true.

[kal326 @ Jun 2nd 2008 1:23PM]

Sweet jesus this is a rumor that should scare any WM user..... If Sony ever buys out HTC I think I would die a little inside. Sony would completely ruin one of the few decent WM manufacturers. Besides do we really need another mobile device to turn a PS3 off and on and control it remotely?

[yelohbird @ Jun 2nd 2008 1:28PM]

yes
you're just jealous because you don't have a mobile device that can turn a 360 on and off and control it remotely =P

*stealthily ducks away from fanboy war*

[Ace b @ Jun 2nd 2008 6:02PM]

But this would be a great way for Sony to come up with the near perfect device.

A great WinMo device that can also play DLed PSone games and Psp games.

I ,for one, would welcome that merger/buyout with open arms.

[AndrewNeo @ Jun 2nd 2008 10:16PM]

To be honest, integrating something at least along the lines with starting the 360 and controlling media center with a WM device would be pretty cool.

[loosely_coupled @ Jun 3rd 2008 2:48AM]

People still use that god forsaken, steaming pile of trash that is Windows Mobile?

[HerbieC @ Jun 2nd 2008 1:31PM]

this will help 3G iphone sales. people on the fence between the two dont have to decide now.

[David @ Jun 2nd 2008 3:16PM]

that's a pretty weak connection, I hope you're not another member of the iCult

[Deluxe @ Jun 2nd 2008 8:22PM]

Please, Don't feed the trolls.

[kal326 @ Jun 2nd 2008 1:32PM]

@yelohbird
Yeah that maybe true, but I can't really think why I would want or need to do that with a 360. I can however remote to and control servers at work from a WM phone and that is useful for, you know, productive work related activities

[TheCow5 @ Jun 2nd 2008 1:42PM]

Please let this not be true.
sony will only screw up HTC and come out thie some proprietary crap.

I've always said if MS wants to compete it will have to strat making its own hardware or its competters will simply buy and manage the hardware market and shut them out.

I am saying MS needs to buy Logitec and HTC

[Jason @ Jun 2nd 2008 1:54PM]

Gee, because MS has never screwed up anything..... I would be more afraid of a software developer buying a hardware ODM then I would be if Sony bought one. HTC, while they do make a good number of MS Mobile devices, are technically OS/Software agnostic, and they will make anything for whomever foots the bill.

[BlowURmindBowel @ Jun 2nd 2008 2:07PM]

I would love to see SE start making Android phones! But since they recently bit the bullet and started shipping with WM I doubt if that will happen now.

But of all the big phone makers I actually see SE having the clout and balls to tell M$ to "sit and spin" if Android pans out to be as big a draw as many of us are expecting/hoping...

[Riley @ Jun 2nd 2008 3:28PM]

MICROSOFT buy LOGITECH? You're kidding, right?

[AndrewNeo @ Jun 2nd 2008 10:17PM]

Riley:
http://www.engadget.com/2008/01/10/microsoft-to-buy-logitech/

[ITRanger @ Jun 2nd 2008 1:49PM]

That would be disasterous since HTC design/make most of the products for other manufacturers, including Palm who have just got back nice and cosy with them.

These guys have definately been designing some of the hottest stuff around for many years.

[Jason @ Jun 2nd 2008 1:55PM]

Also, there is no reason that HTC would want to sell. They are well into the black when it comes to profits, the only time companies position themselves for a buyout, is when they are losing money or are about to start losing money for some reasons....

That of course would not rule out a hostile takeover though...

[BlowURmindBowel @ Jun 2nd 2008 2:03PM]

Anything that could threaten HTC's ability to make Android phones should be obliterated with extreme prejudice!

*evil-eye @ Sony...

Although I have a long track record of satisfaction with many Sony products, I also have a love/hate thing with them regarding their obsession with making their own proprietary crap (Memory Stick) when sufficiently useful/feature rich market standards already exist (SD, MMC, CF, etc.).

[simon @ Jun 2nd 2008 2:25PM]

You do of course realize that Sony's memorystick was on the market for a year before SD was developed as a _proprietary_ format by sandisk, panasoic, and toshiba. By that timing it's hard to say that there was already a sufficiently useful/feature rich market standard (CF was first but those things are physically huge - i use one in my Sony alpha).

[BlowURmindBowel @ Jun 2nd 2008 2:49PM]

Ahhh, the splitting of hairs...

So long as that made you feel smart, I won't bother to making a rebuttal.

On second thought... Is memory stick media supported by any other manufactures in any non-Sony devices (other than "universal" media card readers)?

[MasterCKO @ Jun 2nd 2008 4:46PM]

yes. Some Panasonic devices have supported it in the past. I don't really know if they still do now or not.

Anyway, SD is seriously no more "open" than MS. It's just a question of licensing and timing and Sony got the short end of that stick, I guess.

[BlowURmindBowel @ Jun 2nd 2008 5:14PM]

There are minor exceptions to every rule, that doesn't really effect my overall claim that Sony has a penchant for devising proprietary solutions for things that other manufacturers rely on more 'standardized' solutions to fulfill the same need. (I never used the term "open")

I'm sure this comes from a corporate and/or R&D opinion that Sony believes they can "do it better" if they do it from the ground up themselves, but at the same time it's obnoxious when manufacturers try and lock you into their parts/accessories in every way that they can.

But like I said, I am a fan of Sony generally, not quite a fanboi by the colloquial definition, but I'm not trying to flame them over this, I was simply reiterating a minor gripe that I have heard time and again from many other Sony customers...

[Geir E @ Jun 2nd 2008 5:58PM]

My Sony Alpha takes CF plus ms, my Sony Ericsson k850i takes SD micro plus ms. Yea, Sony really forces its memory card standard on people.

[BlowURmindBowel @ Jun 2nd 2008 6:18PM]

Jesus buttfucking Christ, I didn't realize there were this many Sony fanbois on Engadget...

So, just ignore my point and focus on the minute detail I may have slightly misstated or failed to qualify correctly, cuz that's clearly more important to your ego than any other point I may have been making... (or not making, but simply using as a general example).

Duh, the Alpha is a DSLR if it didn't use CF they wouldn't sell ANY of them... And yes, despite the fact we were talking about phones, and I neglected to mention that I was referring to non-phone devices, I know SE phones use micro SD, none of this is news to me, but none of it really has anything to do with what I was taking about either, so congrats on being a jackass...

[Deluxe @ Jun 2nd 2008 8:24PM]

BlowURmindBowel, what part of 'wrong' don't you understand :-/?

[BlowURmindBowel @ Jun 3rd 2008 11:39AM]

Yeah and if I had used a different example to go along with that footnote on my initial comment, or not bothered to cite one at all, none of you would have had shit to nit-pick me about, so that obviously means that my entire point was completely incorrect, that's also how my initial comment became "highly ranked".

I stand by my "Jesus Buttfucking Christ" comment, you people are amazing...

Love,
BUMB

[MasterCKO @ Jun 5th 2008 2:48PM]

I understand your point, and it does make sense.

Just to let you know, though, I think some of this comes from your misuse of the term "proprietary." The antonym of which is "open" in the case of technology. Which is my point from before, knocking Sony for being proprietary doesn't make sense when every single other solution on the market is also proprietary.

If your point is Sony uses "non-standard" formats and that's annoying (which I believe is your point), then yes, I agree with that. However, it's not as bad as you think. Sony has recently shown a willingness to use more standard formats in its own products (examples above) and (finally) has gotten a format that it spearheaded (with a few other companies) to become a standard (Blu-ray), so meh.

Also, if you want to make arguments, be prepared to have people point out flaws. Complaining about how people point out factually incorrect statements in your basic examples and reasoning makes no sense and gets you nowhere towards making your point.

[Franchesca @ Jun 2nd 2008 2:07PM]

Another nail in Palm Coffin!!!!


Palm is doooooooooooooooooommmmmmmmmmeeeeeeeeeeeeeeedddddddddddddddd.

So is Nintendo. Wii what a silly name they think they will sell even 100 of those stupid white iPod wannabe consoles?

And the Centro another stupid white iPod wanabe. I bet Palm won't even sell 50 of those crappy phones.

[BlowURmindBowel @ Jun 2nd 2008 2:17PM]

Nothing is as funny as ambiguous sarcasm, no wait...

It's not funny, it's something else... I can't think of the word for it right now.

[Palm Whosthat @ Jun 2nd 2008 2:21PM]

> ...I can't think of the word for it right now.

Desperate?

[BlowURmindBowel @ Jun 2nd 2008 2:40PM]

I was thinking more along the lines of douchy, but I still think there is a better word I haven't been able to remember yet... *wink*

[Phoenix @ Jun 2nd 2008 2:52PM]

wow, there was no need for that. I would start insulting your logic but SOMETHING tells me that was meant as a joke.

Here's some news for you: It was a shit joke. it wasn't funny. Go to hell.

[Sam Zebian @ Jun 2nd 2008 2:52PM]

If they were able to come up with the xperia by just working together, imagine what would become of them when they joined to be one company! I want the Xperia so badly, but the only problem is that it doesn't exactly "Tilt" like ym tilt. Also, no pricing info yet, and no official shipping date :(

[Phoenix @ Jun 2nd 2008 3:50PM]

well HTC made the Diamond And Raphael on their own... I say they're better than the X1

[substance90 @ Jun 2nd 2008 4:26PM]

What is the point of such "news"?! It`s a rumor and in fact an already denied rumor... Sometimes I feel that Engadget just posts too much useless news, among the good serious ones.

[Simon @ Jun 2nd 2008 3:58PM]

I would think they simply have meeting to discuss the X1, that's all. Why would ppl think they want to buy HTC? SE has a strong phone design team, out-source X1 to HTC already seem strange. But HTC is the leader of WM phone, guess that's why SE turn to them for help.

[thedesolate1 @ Jun 2nd 2008 4:01PM]

we need more competition not mergers god damn it...

[~~Tito~~ @ Jun 2nd 2008 4:56PM]

If only this were true. . . . . HTC would be a much cleaner and better company.

[Steffen Jobbs @ Jun 2nd 2008 6:36PM]

Wow!

[Javaflash @ Jun 2nd 2008 7:28PM]

HTC is quite sizable, and very very expensive. I don't think such transaction is possible with Sony's current financial state. Plus, the couple who runs HTC aren't the kind of management who dig m&a. Just look at how they hang on to VIA all these years.

[JHKennedy @ Jun 3rd 2008 7:40PM]

Can anyone tell me the name of the phone pictured? I know its been on Engadget before, but I don't feel like digging through old posts to find out.

[Achilles @ Jun 2nd 2008 9:23PM]

Sony will f*** up HTC. Stay away Sony.