I hesitate to voice my opinion since it will probably be met with scorn but their latest device (HTC One X) has a hardware design I'd like Apple to take some note of. I love the large thin form-factor and weight, and I've always felt HTC's phones took the best photos in all kinds of lighting circumstances.
And yes - I am an Apple zeolet with only Macs, Ipads, and Iphones littered throughout my house.
I just feel Apple needs to make a marked change to their next Iphone's form-factor. 4G LTE to me is a feature I could care less about.
Hey, Apple isn't perfect. I have used Apple products since 1977 and have sold their products at various resellers and only use Apple phones, tablets, laptops and desktops that I currently own or have paid for over the years. Yeah, I know, sometimes I wish they did something slightly different. I wish they had a 15 inch iPad where they had various features because the screen size is suitable for my needs and it is still fits in a notebook format, just something thinner and easier to use for casual computing. Whether they do it or not, I don't know.
When you base your product on an Operating System that is FREE, then you are basing your business on a worthless Operating System because you didn't pay for it. Some things in life that are free end up being worthless. There is a difference between charging a reasonable amount of money, being gouged, to being hoodwinked into a worthless product. Oh well, you can lead them to water, but you can't make em drink it until they get thirsty enough.
You realise that the core of iOS and OSX is free too? Is Mach worthless because it's free?
This isn't too surprising; HTC has had a compelling model for a long time. They held the top of the line smartphone on 3 of the 4 carriers for a while (droid incredible on verizon, evo on sprint, g2 on tmobile) all of which were the most desirable phones on their respective carriers for their time, but since then they kinda fell off the map.
Samsung has, for the most part replaced them in the top of the line models. I hope they can bounce back with the one series since I feel that they build great phones, and samsung's are wayy too plasticity.
Samsung has an opportunity here to become the Apple of Android. Samsung should create its own fork of Android, its own appstore, cloud service, etc.
It probably wouldn't work because Samsung lacks the software expertise, but it's their best shot of moving into the same league as Apple, and Samsung is the only company in the world that has this opportunity. If Samsung can't seize this window of opportunity, then Apple will be unstoppable.
My guess is that this window of opportunity will stay open for about one more year.
I'm also guessing that Samsung will fail to seize it.
actually, Samsung is trying to build its own ecosystem now centered on its new 2012 Smart TV line, not its mobile devices. check them out ($2000-$3000 at Amazon). basic gesture and voice UI, face user recognition, and a batch of standard HDTV apps. but at the moment they are stand alone, not linked to Samsung's other products or UI, like TouchWiz on its Android phones. there is no AirPlay equivalent. i assume this will change pretty soon ...
Samsung has no music/media store yet either, and there is no such app yet on its Smart TV's (just a MOG subscription). and the only Google app on the Smart TV is Google Talk for messaging, so Samsung obviously is not going to depend on Google for anything in its own would-be "walled garden."
Sony is also building its own ecosystem centered on its new Internet TV's that have many of the same apps. Sony has more to offer, with its own Sony Entertainment Network media store and PlayStation game products that are linked with its line of Android phones and tablets too. some also have GoogleTV built in.
but i doubt these new TV-centered initiatives will succeed much. except for gadget lovers (maybe 5% of the consumer market), i don't think people want to center multiple aspects their everyday lives around their big screen HDTV in the living room. the real "hub" device for anyone's ecosystem is more likely to be their handheld phone or tablet that they can tote with them everywhere they go, and quickly/easily do a lot of more complicated everyday stuff with too, like pay bills. and you can stream your TV watching to them if you want - all you need is a Slingbox.
actually, the center of our home ecosystem has - without planning - become the iMac in our kitchen nook/office. we spend more time in the kitchen than any other room in the house anyway. we use it as our 27" kitchen TV via SlingPlayer a lot, either full screen or in a smaller window while doing something else on it. the iMac contains all our files of course. use its AirPlay to stream music to the living room and patio speakers. use FaceTime on it too. also control some lights with SmartLinc (and much more capable new smart home devices are becoming available). our iPad/iPhone can do many of these things too, but only use them when we are in other rooms in the house - especially when watching that big screen HDTV (with its Apple TV)!
so if you think instead of that same iMac as a 27" smart HDTV (which in fact it is) instead of a desktop PC, it can do everything Samsung and Sony are trying to do with their Smart/Internet TV's and much more - and more conveniently.
actually, i'm not sure what else the much rumored Apple TV (iPanel?) will do on a big Apple screen in my living room that i actually need anything to do there at all. sure, the Apple TV could be built in and the UI could be slick. that's cool, but not really necessary. i guess i'll just have to wait and see what Apple has up its sleeve ...
And the reason why HTC is failing in the smartphone market is because it manufactures 6x different models and types of android phones, if they wanted to emulate Apple, they would have only one model and make it the best phone they can make.
And the reason why HTC is failing in the smartphone market is because it manufactures 6x different models and types of android phones, if they wanted to emulate Apple, they would have only one model and make it the best phone they can make.
They had well over x6 models last year, and that was the biggest problem was them releasing too many models. Too many mediocre devices, with some models being exactly the same as the previous but with "Beats by Dre".
So far it seems they've learned from their mistakes and cut that list of devices down tremendously. They have a low end model with the One V that can be had off contract for roughly 300 bucks. Their "midrange" in the One S is a definite performer with the Qualcomm Krait processor, and their halo device with the One X, the benchmark for Android phones this year.
All of these devices are launching with Beats, Android 4.0, and the latest version of Sense.
I'd say HTC is off to a pretty good start on the Android front, but they need to drop Windows until they launch Windows Phone 8 or Apollo or whatever its called
I've said it before and I'll say it again: Samsung is going to become the de facto Android handset manufacturer. Google's only hardware partner that matters.
LG is losing money, Sony is irrelevant, HTC was hanging in there but the trend is bad, Moto will make low selling reference handsets for Google's pointless efforts to take control back of their platform.
Samsung will feel they have earned the right to treat Android as their own, modifying as they see fit, and certainly moving to bring former Google services in house (think their recent ad initiative). No, they won't be as good, but as the only viable Android partner, what can anyone do? I think Android will become as much Samsung's as Google's, if not more.
Comments
I hesitate to voice my opinion since it will probably be met with scorn but their latest device (HTC One X) has a hardware design I'd like Apple to take some note of. I love the large thin form-factor and weight, and I've always felt HTC's phones took the best photos in all kinds of lighting circumstances.
And yes - I am an Apple zeolet with only Macs, Ipads, and Iphones littered throughout my house.
I just feel Apple needs to make a marked change to their next Iphone's form-factor. 4G LTE to me is a feature I could care less about.
Hey, Apple isn't perfect. I have used Apple products since 1977 and have sold their products at various resellers and only use Apple phones, tablets, laptops and desktops that I currently own or have paid for over the years. Yeah, I know, sometimes I wish they did something slightly different. I wish they had a 15 inch iPad where they had various features because the screen size is suitable for my needs and it is still fits in a notebook format, just something thinner and easier to use for casual computing. Whether they do it or not, I don't know.
When you base your product on an Operating System that is FREE, then you are basing your business on a worthless Operating System because you didn't pay for it. Some things in life that are free end up being worthless. There is a difference between charging a reasonable amount of money, being gouged, to being hoodwinked into a worthless product. Oh well, you can lead them to water, but you can't make em drink it until they get thirsty enough.
You realise that the core of iOS and OSX is free too? Is Mach worthless because it's free?
Logic fail.
Some things in life that are free end up being worthless.
Common Wisdom: The best things in life are free.
Apple: You can tell that to the birds and the bees. I want money. That's what I want.
Common Wisdom: The best things in life are free.
Apple: You can tell that to the birds and the bees. I want money. That's what I want.
What are the best things in life?
Should Apple want to turn bellyup instead?
Samsung has, for the most part replaced them in the top of the line models. I hope they can bounce back with the one series since I feel that they build great phones, and samsung's are wayy too plasticity.
What are the best things in life?
Nicely designed gadgets?
HTC primarily relies on Google's Android mobile operating system for its phones [...]
Well there's your problem. Samsung is crushing all other droid makers. That's the proverbial "rock."
[...] though it also sells devices running the Windows Phone platform.
Not helping much, evidently. That's the proverbial "hard place."
Nicely designed gadgets?
Mmmmhmmm.
HTC Radar...
HTC Resist
HTC Regret
HTC Remorse
HTC Return
HTC Dread
HTC Dregs
HTC Dreck
Samsung has an opportunity here to become the Apple of Android. Samsung should create its own fork of Android, its own appstore, cloud service, etc.
It probably wouldn't work because Samsung lacks the software expertise, but it's their best shot of moving into the same league as Apple, and Samsung is the only company in the world that has this opportunity. If Samsung can't seize this window of opportunity, then Apple will be unstoppable.
My guess is that this window of opportunity will stay open for about one more year.
I'm also guessing that Samsung will fail to seize it.
actually, Samsung is trying to build its own ecosystem now centered on its new 2012 Smart TV line, not its mobile devices. check them out ($2000-$3000 at Amazon). basic gesture and voice UI, face user recognition, and a batch of standard HDTV apps. but at the moment they are stand alone, not linked to Samsung's other products or UI, like TouchWiz on its Android phones. there is no AirPlay equivalent. i assume this will change pretty soon ...
Samsung has no music/media store yet either, and there is no such app yet on its Smart TV's (just a MOG subscription). and the only Google app on the Smart TV is Google Talk for messaging, so Samsung obviously is not going to depend on Google for anything in its own would-be "walled garden."
Sony is also building its own ecosystem centered on its new Internet TV's that have many of the same apps. Sony has more to offer, with its own Sony Entertainment Network media store and PlayStation game products that are linked with its line of Android phones and tablets too. some also have GoogleTV built in.
but i doubt these new TV-centered initiatives will succeed much. except for gadget lovers (maybe 5% of the consumer market), i don't think people want to center multiple aspects their everyday lives around their big screen HDTV in the living room. the real "hub" device for anyone's ecosystem is more likely to be their handheld phone or tablet that they can tote with them everywhere they go, and quickly/easily do a lot of more complicated everyday stuff with too, like pay bills. and you can stream your TV watching to them if you want - all you need is a Slingbox.
actually, the center of our home ecosystem has - without planning - become the iMac in our kitchen nook/office. we spend more time in the kitchen than any other room in the house anyway. we use it as our 27" kitchen TV via SlingPlayer a lot, either full screen or in a smaller window while doing something else on it. the iMac contains all our files of course. use its AirPlay to stream music to the living room and patio speakers. use FaceTime on it too. also control some lights with SmartLinc (and much more capable new smart home devices are becoming available). our iPad/iPhone can do many of these things too, but only use them when we are in other rooms in the house - especially when watching that big screen HDTV (with its Apple TV)!
so if you think instead of that same iMac as a 27" smart HDTV (which in fact it is) instead of a desktop PC, it can do everything Samsung and Sony are trying to do with their Smart/Internet TV's and much more - and more conveniently.
actually, i'm not sure what else the much rumored Apple TV (iPanel?) will do on a big Apple screen in my living room that i actually need anything to do there at all. sure, the Apple TV could be built in and the UI could be slick. that's cool, but not really necessary. i guess i'll just have to wait and see what Apple has up its sleeve ...
there is no AirPlay equivalent. i assume this will change pretty soon ...
Didn't they announce SwipeIt at this year's CES?
Samsung: "The Apple for the rest of you"
There fixed it for you.
uh... no thanks, i like mine better.
And the reason why HTC is failing in the smartphone market is because it manufactures 6x different models and types of android phones, if they wanted to emulate Apple, they would have only one model and make it the best phone they can make.
They had well over x6 models last year, and that was the biggest problem was them releasing too many models. Too many mediocre devices, with some models being exactly the same as the previous but with "Beats by Dre".
So far it seems they've learned from their mistakes and cut that list of devices down tremendously. They have a low end model with the One V that can be had off contract for roughly 300 bucks. Their "midrange" in the One S is a definite performer with the Qualcomm Krait processor, and their halo device with the One X, the benchmark for Android phones this year.
All of these devices are launching with Beats, Android 4.0, and the latest version of Sense.
I'd say HTC is off to a pretty good start on the Android front, but they need to drop Windows until they launch Windows Phone 8 or Apollo or whatever its called
HTC Resist
HTC Regret
HTC Remorse
HTC Return
HTC Dread
HTC Dregs
HTC Dreck
Samsung: "The Apple for the rest of us"
Us?
LG is losing money, Sony is irrelevant, HTC was hanging in there but the trend is bad, Moto will make low selling reference handsets for Google's pointless efforts to take control back of their platform.
Samsung will feel they have earned the right to treat Android as their own, modifying as they see fit, and certainly moving to bring former Google services in house (think their recent ad initiative). No, they won't be as good, but as the only viable Android partner, what can anyone do? I think Android will become as much Samsung's as Google's, if not more.
Us?
Samsung: "The Apple for the rest of us"
Good riddence..
I'm with you - suspect alot of HTC's problems arose from making crappy products. I've bought my last one.