The HTC One, the smartphone that is set to be HTC’s biggest and most important release in recent memory, is reportedly going to be delayed by a few weeks or possibly longer. While countless eagre fans worldwide will doubtless throw their hands up in frustration and ask ‘why’ to an uncaring and disinterested sky, HTC may actually have cause to worry here.
It seems like every year HTC announces its newest smartphone, managing to impress tech gurus and potential customers alike the world-over. Every year, again, Samsung unveils their newest Galaxy device a short while later and HTC’s flagship suddenly looks less appealing. Still a solid smartphone, but Samsung has managed to out-do them in terms of features and general online appeal repeatedly.
Not this time, however. This time around HTC has presented such an impressive device that many reviewers who have already had their hands on one finds it difficult to believe that the GS4 could be demonstrably better. Whether this is because of the quality and unique features of the One or because of the questionably affective GS4 unveiling event is probably a moot point. The fact is that HTC has a serious chance of improving its market share with the One, so the earlier it can get it in to the hands of consumers than the GS4 the better.
Samsung has the public presence, with GS3s cropping up with iPhone-esque regularity in the hands of ordinary folk. This means that the GS4 will have a home field advantage over any Android device that’s set to compete with it. A same-time release for the HTC One could be anything from damaging to disastrous (although probably the former) for HTC.
HTC is already on shaky ground, reportedly losing 32.1 million unit sales from 2011 to 2012 to the likes of Samsung and Apple at the high end of the market and other up-coming manufacturers on the lower end of things. The One really is good enough to reclaim some of that market share for HTC. Not only that, good sales this year will make marketing next year’s HTC flagship easier, as they’ll have a piece of the mental space that the public reserves for devices that crop up in the hands of people everywhere.
The delay in shipping has been reported by the Wall Street Journal, citing HTC executives as its source. The key components causing the delay are reportedly elements of the camera, as well as the beautiful unibody aluminum frame that is the cause for a large portion of the HTC One’s appeal.
HTC originally stated that the One would be available in more than 80 regions at the beginning of March. Granted, some consumers already have their HTC Ones, but many of us will have to late until late March or early April.
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