HTC gunning for top-five worldwide phone marketshare

HTC's already done a terrific job of going from anonymous Asian ODM to a major name player in the cellphone game, and it sounds like the company's aiming for the next level -- in an interview with the Commercial Times, CEO Peter Chou said the goal is to become one of the top three to five handset makers in the global market. That's a pretty aggressive target for a smartphone manufacturer -- competitors like Nokia and Samsung crank out millions of low-end dumbphones every quarter, and while there's no denying the appeal of devices like the Touch Diamond and Touch Pro, it's going to be hard to match those numbers. Still, with Android and the Dream on the horizon, anything's possible -- and HTC's definitely got the chops to pull it off.

[Via Electronista]

[Samo @ Aug 19th 2008 7:00PM]

Just hope their ethics get better on their (probably) eventual rise to stardom.

In case you're wondering why i said that google "tytn graphics driver", and you'll find some bad blood there

A happy (mostly, anyway) Tytn II owner

[Abuzar Baloach @ Aug 19th 2008 10:27PM]

I wouldn't be happy. You got screwed over big time.

[Alexius @ Aug 19th 2008 7:03PM]

Won't happen.

[Hush @ Aug 19th 2008 8:07PM]

Will if they release new phones starting at 399$ unlocked and not $699. They should be able to make these better and cheaper by now sheesh. They've been at this for almost ten yrs now...

[nxp3 @ Aug 19th 2008 7:08PM]

I haven't even seen 1 htc product in the US...yet engadget always talks about it.

[apple fanboy @ Aug 19th 2008 7:10PM]

wtf are u talking about?

[tetronic @ Aug 19th 2008 7:12PM]

There are plenty of HTC products from AT&T and T-Mobile. They're usually under the carrier name such as the Tilt or the Wing. HTC has been typically rebranded for the major carriers.

[KEROLiUKAS @ Aug 19th 2008 7:15PM]

You sir fail. Seriously.

[Jason @ Aug 19th 2008 7:17PM]

HE'S TALKING ABOUT HTC PRODUCTS. HE HASN'T SEEN THEM.

[simon @ Aug 19th 2008 7:18PM]

Could have something to do with US carriers' penchant for renaming handsets

[Steve A. @ Aug 19th 2008 7:22PM]

My AT&T 8525 hangs it's head in shame at you (bought at an AT&T store, in Seattle, Dec '06).

[Adrian Williams @ Aug 19th 2008 7:28PM]

I asked my GF's brother what kind of phone he has his reply was Sprint so I took a look it was a HTC

[Totalfixation @ Aug 19th 2008 7:29PM]

You can look at it both ways, but HTC is clearly being sold in the US. So what if it doesn't have the HTC brand, it's still there, and people know it.

Just a list of some of the Rebranded HTC phones: Tytn, 8125, 8525, 8925, Kaiser, Mogul, Dash, Shadow, Spint Touch, XV6900. Soon to be, Diamond Touch and Touch Pro.

[JohnTitor @ Aug 19th 2008 7:36PM]

Rule of Thumb:
if it's a phone
if it's running Windows Mobile
if it does NOT have a Motorola or Samsung logo
it's most likely built by HTC

[Abuzar Baloach @ Aug 19th 2008 10:28PM]

I don't understand why HTC lets the carries re-name their phones. If people actually knew who HTC was they would buy more HTC phones.

[Mark @ Aug 19th 2008 11:21PM]

@Abuzar: I think that's what they're trying to do with their new US marketing push that engadget reported on a couple months ago.

[Grant @ Aug 19th 2008 11:22PM]

#1. Go to your local Verizon store
#2. Look at VX6800 and VX6900

Congratulations! you've seen you're first two HTC phones.... even though you've probably already seen one and just have no clue.

[Hamidxa @ Aug 20th 2008 2:24AM]

Then you are blind.

Every single carrier carries HTC phones, and their HTC's are usually their top of the line handsets.

[resource @ Aug 19th 2008 7:13PM]

It's possible.

Palm and Moto are down.

Apple, Nokia, Samsung and LG are locked down.

Sony Ericsson is using HTC phones now. I say they can crack top 5 of smartphones fairly easily.
Overall phones in a few more years.

[iofthestorm @ Aug 20th 2008 2:47AM]

I'd be surprised if they aren't already in the top 5 smartphone manufacturers actually, besides Nokia and RIM I think they make the most smartphones. But this is talking about top 5 overall, which would be very ambitious for them considering they make smartphones exclusively. I think it would be cool if they made some semi-low end smartphones for the consumer market, slightly above the cheap/free feature phones, perhaps running Android or some other mobile Linux variant to cut down on costs. They could be a big hit, since now all of a sudden everyone sees the value of having internet and music on their phones, and while I hate giving Apple credit I think it's largely due to the iPhone.

[KEROLiUKAS @ Aug 19th 2008 7:14PM]

Go HTC, I

[sonicwind @ Aug 19th 2008 7:30PM]

I've never been really impressed by HTC. They cram in a lot of features in a slightly over sized phone in a cheap feeling case. Still, I've owned 2 or 3 models. No one will ever reach the goal mentioned unless they also make the aptly nicknamed dumbphones. The question is how to make a great cheap dumbphone. I think Apple could do it, but doesn't want to and doesn't really know how to address people who actually want to save money and buy products for a fair price/value. But HTC seems to have the right inattention to quality to move forward in this direction.

[Abuzar Baloach @ Aug 19th 2008 10:29PM]

I thought Apple already had a dumbphone?

I kid, I kid.

[Steven @ Aug 20th 2008 6:33AM]

Cramming in a lot of features is good. That's what people want.

And what exactly do you mean by "slightly oversized"? The Touch Diamond is 33% less in volume than the iPhone (sorry guys :-)) 3G and weighs 18% less. I think HTC has done a great job on the TD.

[Marko @ Aug 20th 2008 9:59AM]

Try Diamond and you'll see: small case, VGA display, GPS, 192MB RAM, etc...

[russellfclark @ Aug 19th 2008 7:55PM]

HTC Touch, HTC Touch Dual, HTC Touch™ (Alltel), HTC Touch™ (Bell), Touch by HTC™ (Sprint), Verizon Wireless XV6900, AT&T 8525, AT&T Tilt, Bell PPC6800, HTC P4000, HTC P4300, HTC P4300, HTC P4351, HTC PPC6800 (Alltel), HTC TyTN, HTC TyTN II,
Mogul™ by HTC (Qwest), Mogul™ by HTC (Sprint), T-Mobile Wing, Verizon XV6800 are all sold by various US carriers.

[a ham sandwich @ Aug 19th 2008 8:31PM]

top 3-5? i get what they're going at but lol.

[nizzy1115 @ Aug 19th 2008 8:37PM]

I love my HTC 6800!

[targe @ Aug 19th 2008 9:26PM]

I think HTC should stick to what they do best, i.e. making smartphones/pocket pcs. You just know they're going to pack too much "gadgetry" into any "dumbphone" they produce, resulting in a dumphone that's just too complicated and too pricey to compete with the likes of Nokia and Samsung. Reminds me of when Landrover tried to break into the market for cheaper, small SUVs: What did they come up with? The "Freelander"; a piece of crap!

Of course, I could be proved wrong...I was wrong once before....about something....I think.

- a contented HTC PPC6800 (and Landrover) owner

[TareX @ Aug 19th 2008 9:40PM]

I think Android is their ticket into the top 5.

WM was never friendly to the public, who opted for Symbian or OSX. Android is specifically designed to be accessible and powerful without being closed. So without WM pulling it back, HTC should make it in top five EASY.

[Quikboy @ Aug 19th 2008 11:23PM]

I'd rather wait to see WM7 come out, before dropping WinMo entirely. Everyone knows that if it weren't for some companies like HTC, WinMo would only be for business users, or geeks who like to play around and dig deep to get some of the good stuff to work. WinMo just needs to start new with more focus on regular consumers, and balance the business side too.

The WinMo team is hinting towards a much better mobile OS, and I'm guessing it's finally getting designed with consumers in mind.

[dennis @ Aug 20th 2008 6:42AM]

I totally agree with you about Android (see comment below).

Of course, HTC only benefits from having two OSs run on identical hardware designs. In fact, it would be a unique advantage.

[barry99705 @ Aug 19th 2008 10:53PM]

Don't forget the Palm Treo 750. I believe some of the Hp devices are made my HTC as well.

[moon1234 @ Aug 20th 2008 12:07AM]

Almost all of Palm's Treo's have been built by HTC as well. HTC also comes up with better names for their phones than Sprint/Verizon et al. My wife has the HTC Apache (Sprint PPC-6700). Apache sounds a lot better than PPC-6700.

The code name for the Touch Pro was the HTC Raphael. Raphael is one of the Archangels, who are the most powerful Angels. Why they would abandon that name is beyond me. I really like it. Touch Pro sounds like something a pedophile would pick.

[Grant @ Aug 19th 2008 11:28PM]

i could see this being entirely possible, but they may need to make some cheaper phones to get more mass appeal. Their phones are usually pretty well equipped and i like windows mobile, but i couldn't see my mom ever being able to figure it out, and she's not a total technotard.

[David @ Aug 19th 2008 11:50PM]

If they keep this up, it could happen.

European market share and rate of growth. Impressive.

http://wmpoweruser.com/?p=678

and HTC Diamond voted best smart phone.

http://www.gsmarena.com/htc_samsung_and_sony_ericsson_snatch_eisa_awards-news-570.php

I wonder why these news items didn't make in onto engadget? Oh yeah, no fruit logo.

[Hamidxa @ Aug 20th 2008 2:29AM]

You nailed it.

HTC has consistently outsold Apple quarter for quarter and yet you don't really hear mentions of their sales figures on Engadget...guess HTC doesn't pay the bills around here...

[Nilay Patel @ Aug 20th 2008 11:30AM]

What are you two on about? We run posts on HTC sales all the time:

http://www.engadget.com/2008/08/07/htc-to-ship-one-millionth-touch-diamond-this-month/

http://www.engadget.com/2007/10/03/htc-sells-800-000-touch-handsets/

http://www.engadget.com/2008/02/11/whats-an-iphone-14-3m-windows-mobile-phones-sold-in-the-past-s/

You see what you want to see.

[dennis @ Aug 20th 2008 12:05AM]

One word: Android.
HTC has to be giving up on WM. They've been trying to tweak it for like 3 years, and the best result that they can get is essentially 'surprisingly not bad' and 'a little sluggish.' That's got to piss them off.

[Ahmed Alzayani @ Aug 20th 2008 1:13AM]

i think WM slow them down..... let see what happen with Android , I love android 0.9 .... but it's still .. LOOOOOOOOO...OOOOOOOOONG way to go.

[silverblackvoid @ Aug 20th 2008 9:57AM]

htc rulz