Switched On: Halting Total Customization
By Ross Rubin 
posted March 16th 2010 5:30PM
posted March 16th 2010 5:30PM
Each week Ross Rubin contributes Switched On, a column about consumer technology.
Throughout the histories of Windows Mobile and Android, many handset developers have talked the talk of supporting these mobile operating systems, dribbling out a couple of handsets per year as they focused on other priorities. But not HTC. The company has created more Windows Mobile and Android handsets than companies many times its size, and in fact developed the very first Android handset. Microsoft cited HTC at Mobile World Congress 2009 for being an exceptional partner, while Google's Nexus One is an HTC-built handset sold exclusively by the search giant.
HTC has done more than simply create a lot of phones for these operating systems. It has attracted attention for its designs that include some of the largest displays and best QWERTY keyboards, as well as clever touches like the Touch Pro2's speakerphone, which activates simply by placing the handset face down on a table during a call. But most distinctively, HTC has invested heavily in developing engaging user interfaces on top of both mobile OS foundations, with development teams focused on delivering skins like TouchFLO and Sense to both Windows Mobile and Android. But now that Microsoft is radically changing Windows Phone 7 Series, HTC will have to change course, and in the process lose the distinction of having its custom user experiences live across both Windows Mobile and Android.
HTC's parallel user experience strategy of making over its phones' user interface always drew its share of puzzlement. For example, if the company was working so hard to create so similar an experience across Windows Mobile and Android, did it really need to support both? But that's a moot question now. With Windows Phone 7 Series, Microsoft has swung the pendulum away from open customization and instituted iPhone-associated conventions like limited multitasking, an app store where submissions are hand-screened, and a ban on putting other top-level user interfaces above its own, often known as "skinning." That last prohibition casts aside user interface layers such as Sony Ericsson's Panels, LG's S-Class and Samsung's TouchWiz on Windows Phone 7 Series devices.
For the sake of consistency of the depth and breadth of the platform, this is the right decision for Microsoft. It never said much for previous versions of Windows Mobile that vendors had to take key elements of the user interface -- or nearly all elements of the user interface as HTC did -- into their own hands to create something closer to a competitive experience. However, while Microsoft's skinning prohibition raises general questions of how licensees will differentiate themselves, it has a particular impact on HTC. HTC could probably continue to license Windows Mobile 6.5 (or Windows Phone Starter Edition, or whatever it's called in the future) although that isn't a viable long-term strategy, and one that runs counter to HTC's focus on innovation.
HTC can certainly decide to ship Windows Phone 7 Series devices, relying on its enthusiast-friendly hardware designs to set it apart in a market where competitors like LG and Samsung have better economies of scale and better-known brands. Or it could drop Microsoft's mobile operating system altogether and focus on a single OS, as Palm and Motorola have done, leveraging the knowledge built up in evolving Sense on Windows Mobile. Of course, that would place HTC in direct competition with Motorola as the premier Android shop, but Motorola is not the global force that Samsung and LG are today, and Sense can more than hold its own against MOTOBLUR. Perhaps the upgrade for that "orphaned" HD2 is to Android.
In the broader context, a better Microsoft operating system for handsets helps all of its licensees. Differentiation doesn't count for much if nobody wants any of the products. Regardless of whether it stays with Windows Phone 7 Series, though, HTC is left in a weaker competitive position than it was in before skinning went away on Windows Phone 7 Series. It looks like Microsoft's Windows Mobile "reboot" booted at least one of its key partners in the behind.
Ross Rubin is executive director of industry analysis for consumer technology at market research and analysis firm The NPD Group. Views expressed in Switched On are his own.
HTC has done more than simply create a lot of phones for these operating systems. It has attracted attention for its designs that include some of the largest displays and best QWERTY keyboards, as well as clever touches like the Touch Pro2's speakerphone, which activates simply by placing the handset face down on a table during a call. But most distinctively, HTC has invested heavily in developing engaging user interfaces on top of both mobile OS foundations, with development teams focused on delivering skins like TouchFLO and Sense to both Windows Mobile and Android. But now that Microsoft is radically changing Windows Phone 7 Series, HTC will have to change course, and in the process lose the distinction of having its custom user experiences live across both Windows Mobile and Android.
HTC's parallel user experience strategy of making over its phones' user interface always drew its share of puzzlement. For example, if the company was working so hard to create so similar an experience across Windows Mobile and Android, did it really need to support both? But that's a moot question now. With Windows Phone 7 Series, Microsoft has swung the pendulum away from open customization and instituted iPhone-associated conventions like limited multitasking, an app store where submissions are hand-screened, and a ban on putting other top-level user interfaces above its own, often known as "skinning." That last prohibition casts aside user interface layers such as Sony Ericsson's Panels, LG's S-Class and Samsung's TouchWiz on Windows Phone 7 Series devices.
Perhaps the upgrade for that "orphaned" HD2 is to Android. |
For the sake of consistency of the depth and breadth of the platform, this is the right decision for Microsoft. It never said much for previous versions of Windows Mobile that vendors had to take key elements of the user interface -- or nearly all elements of the user interface as HTC did -- into their own hands to create something closer to a competitive experience. However, while Microsoft's skinning prohibition raises general questions of how licensees will differentiate themselves, it has a particular impact on HTC. HTC could probably continue to license Windows Mobile 6.5 (or Windows Phone Starter Edition, or whatever it's called in the future) although that isn't a viable long-term strategy, and one that runs counter to HTC's focus on innovation.
HTC can certainly decide to ship Windows Phone 7 Series devices, relying on its enthusiast-friendly hardware designs to set it apart in a market where competitors like LG and Samsung have better economies of scale and better-known brands. Or it could drop Microsoft's mobile operating system altogether and focus on a single OS, as Palm and Motorola have done, leveraging the knowledge built up in evolving Sense on Windows Mobile. Of course, that would place HTC in direct competition with Motorola as the premier Android shop, but Motorola is not the global force that Samsung and LG are today, and Sense can more than hold its own against MOTOBLUR. Perhaps the upgrade for that "orphaned" HD2 is to Android.
In the broader context, a better Microsoft operating system for handsets helps all of its licensees. Differentiation doesn't count for much if nobody wants any of the products. Regardless of whether it stays with Windows Phone 7 Series, though, HTC is left in a weaker competitive position than it was in before skinning went away on Windows Phone 7 Series. It looks like Microsoft's Windows Mobile "reboot" booted at least one of its key partners in the behind.
Ross Rubin is executive director of industry analysis for consumer technology at market research and analysis firm The NPD Group. Views expressed in Switched On are his own.
What would make sense for HTC(pun intended), is to develop good apps for the windows phone device which utilizes unique hardware and software(drivers) and offer a much better end user experience. Skinning is not the only way to differentiate, they can have custom panels linking to their own apps.
I don't understand why Microsoft has learned that customization and choices is what people want. You can put anything designed for windows on windows, and windows on anything designed for windows. Macs are vastly different and I think that is reflected in their amount of marketshare. People aren't only complaining about the look of Winmo but the capabilities of it. If you restrict it to much you are greatly reducing its capabilites. Just my .02
Yeah, I should have proofread that.
No multitask + no copy-paste + no customization + walled-garden app store = no buy.
If I wanted those, I'd just buy an iPhone, at least it has a lot of apps.
Profit-wise, HTC might want to release a WPS7 phone - knowing them, it would be the best WPS7 phone around, so they might just win themselves the early adopters. But WPS7 won't replace WinMo 6.5, it's based on a completely different paradigm, aimed at a completely different user base.
Maybe HTC should make a Symbian^4 phone with Sense UI, as Symbian fills the "business phone" niche better than either Android or WPS7. But that's just my $0.02.
@Gerusz :
Eh, contrary to what's going around, it does look like there will be multitasking according to this: http://www.engadget.com/photos/windows-phone-7-development-docs-leaked/#2721838
It's still not RTM yet, and the MS reps said that copy & paste are not in the demo, but should be there before it hits RTM.
Well there does seem to be a level of customization within the OS already, like the background, accent colors, wallpapers, home screen tiles, etc. You could always hack it too of course.
I don't like the garden wall app store, but I think it may be there only in the first few iterations just to ensure the platform is secure enough before a bunch of 3rd parties make unofficial apps to toss on there. Again, it is possible to hack it, thanks to XDA when they get it done.
Just want to say that we should wait until RTM, before we are quick to judge it.
Hello Android & Symbian ^3, ^4 the 2 remaining open platforms, HTC should start releaseing phones on Symbian as well as Android, Hopefully.
''No copy and paste?'' ,''No multitask?'' , and ''No customization?''
This is Karma! as I used to be so proud of what my WM device can do, and often show it off to iphone users, show them how I do all these crazy cut n paste between apps, customizations, multitasking and all. And now all that is going to bite me in the arse!
Now that Iphone is probably going to have multitask in the next update...I might just buy myself an Iphone..a phone which I used to loath! Damn u MIcrosoft!
HTC should kick Microsoft to the curb and make their own OS.
"Sense OS" has a good ring to it.
Why is HTC always referred to as a tiny company? Their smartphone marketshare is about the same size as RIM's and nobody ever calls RIM a small company.