HTC and Windows Phone 7: The End of Total Customization

Over the entire existence of Windows Mobile and Android, all manufacturers have been talking about unconditional support for these platforms, but they have released an insanely small number of phones, focusing on their own problems. All, but not HTC. The company has created such a number of Windows Mobile and Android smartphones, which is not dreamed of by companies, at times exceeding HTC. HTC also created the first Android device. At Mobile World Congress 2009, Microsoft was named HTC an exclusive partner, while the search giant was selling the Google-created Google Nexus One.

HTC did a really great job, not just punching a huge number of devices for the mentioned operating systems. They attracted attention due to the unique design, which includes some of the largest displays, the best QWERTY keyboards, as well as a variety of clever solutions: for example, the loudspeaker in the Touch Pro 2 turns on if the phone is turned face down during a call. It is definitely clear that HTC has invested a huge amount of money in the development of advanced user interfaces for both mobile platforms: TouchFLO and Sense. But now, when Microsoft has made radical changes to the concept of Windows Phone 7 Series, HTC should change course and lose all the benefits of a single user interface for Windows Mobile and Android.


The strategy of a single user interface for the entire range of smartphones, which HTC uses, has always been puzzling. If a company really invests a lot in creating a single interface standard for Windows Mobile and Android, is it necessary to support both platforms? But this question is no longer relevant. With the announcement of Windows Phone 7 Series, Microsoft swung the pendulum away from the open customization of the platform and established iPhone-like rules, such as: limited multitasking, an app store with manual testing of all applications, a ban on using its own interface over the standard one. The latest ban leaves in the past such interfaces as the Panels from Sony Ericsson, S-Class from LG and TouchWiz from Samsung.

This is the right decision of Microsoft, which was taken in order to preserve the integrity of the platform. Although for previous versions of Windows Mobile, Microsoft did not directly declare this, but in order to create something competitive, manufacturers had to redo some key elements (or almost everything, in the case of HTC) of the system’s user interface. Be that as it may, Microsoft has changed the rules of the game, and along with the ban on changing the user interface, a new question arises: how will manufacturers differ from each other? - which has a special meaning in the case of HTC. Probably, HTC may continue to license Windows Mobile 6.5 (or Windows Phone Started Edition, or whatever it will be called there), but this strategy is only a temporary solution that starts the timer. A timer that counts the last seconds of HTC’s attempts to create something innovative.
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Of course, HTC can decide to release devices with Windows Phone 7 Series, relying on fan-oriented hardware development. Then they will be able to highlight their devices in the niche, where competitors such as LG and Samsung have a stronger economic position and brand awareness. Or they can remove the support of all systems from Microsoft and concentrate on a single OS, as Palm and Motorola did at one time. Of course, this solution will push HTC and Motorola as the main suppliers of Android devices, but unlike Samsung and LG, Motorola is not a global manufacturer. And the shell HTC Sense looks preferable to MOTOBLUR. Thus, the "orphaned" HD2 can get an update to Android.

Despite this, an improved Microsoft OS will somehow play into the hands of all licensees. The differences between the products do not particularly help in the case when these same products are not needed by anyone. However, with the release of Windows Phone 7 Series, HTC’s competitiveness will weaken, as user interface modifications are no longer allowed. It seems that the "reboot" of Windows Mobile left one of Microsoft's key partners aside.

about the author

Ross Rubin is the executive director of the research firm The NPD Group, as well as the author of the Switched On column at Engadget.

Push

Of course, not everything is as sad as Ross is trying to imagine. HTC has a lot of established connections with operators from different countries, especially with Verizon, Sprint and AT & T, so it’s obviously not a concern for the success of the company's smartphones in the US market. Moreover, the ongoing partnership with Qualcomm (supplier of System-On-Chip) and the acquisition of the well-known design company One & Co does not give reason to doubt the design and power of HTC devices.