HTC has slumped to its lowest profit in all its time making Android smart phones -- could the impending M7 turn things around?
As rumours swirl about the forthcoming M7 -- and new Sense 5.0 software that comes with it -- HTC is hitting new lows. Having made £21.5m profit in the past three months, the results for the final quarter of 2012 are HTC's worst numbers since 2004.
It's better than a loss, but that's a very slim profit from a total revenue of over a billion quid, and it continues HTC's downward trend. Samsung has muscled HTC off the top spot as leading Android manufacturer, while the rival iPhone shows no signs of slowing.
All of this puts extra pressure on HTC's forthcoming phones, including the M7. New leaks suggest the M7 will have a black shell and bevelled edge, encasing its 1.7GHz quad-core Snapdragon processor, 2GB of RAM, 32GB of storage and 13-megapixel camera. It's also rumoured to include 4G and 802.11ac, the next generation of Wi-Fi.
The new phones are expected to run Sense 5.0, the next version of HTC's interface that sits on top of the phone's Android software. At launch the new phone is expected to be running Android 4.2, with Sense 5.0 paring down the extras to give you a cleaner Android experience.
If leaked screenshots are to be believed, Sense 5.0 gets rid of the ring on the lock screen, where the phone now displays the time and icons revealing the current weather.
Is HTC dead in the water? What does it need to pull from up its sleeve this year to challenge the iPhones and Galaxys of this world? Tell me your thoughts in the comments or on our Facebook page.
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Comments 21
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anonymous 7 January, 2013 17:59
They came out with good phones this year, just that Samsung did better. Small novelty things in the S3 impressed people better, the speed was faster and important of all it had a removeable battery and SD Card. Stick a few of those in and you'll have a winning HTC
anonymous 7 January, 2013 18:00
Their phones had overheating problems this year along with wifi issues
CaptainPicard 7 January, 2013 18:46
I agree entirely with the first two comments. I would also like to add Samsung had better marketing, the adverts for the S3 were better than the ads for the One X.
And it needs to stop releasing a flagship phone every 4 months. HTC Sensation, Sensation XE, One X, One X+, Droid DNA/Butteryfly (in some markets) and in a couple of weeks timer it'll be HTC M7- over the last 18 months HTC released 6 flagship phones, whereas Sammy and Apple released 2. It should focus its effort on updating existing phones with ICS and JB.
I really like HTC as a company, it built Android, but it really needs to listen to its customers.
anonymous 7 January, 2013 19:10
I loved HTC but they need to look after customers they have, update the phones more regualr and quicker it annoys people who are stuck with your phones for 2 years on outdated software and also put a sd card slot. You need to add what the customers want!
anonymous 7 January, 2013 19:35
I really don't understand why HTC is doing so badly. Their phones are great! I've got an s3 but one x is just as amazing...
anonymous 7 January, 2013 20:30
I've had it with HTC. I've used them since the HD2 but I am so sick of their lack of updates, even the SG2 is getting JB!! As has been mentioned above they have spread themselves too thin on the ground. Joe public doesn't want a new phone every 2 months, most of us are tied in for 24 months!!
Perhaps marketing may help lure away some Galaxy/iPhone users but I wouldn't bet the farm on it. Consumers generally stay loyal to their chosen brand unless they really mess up. The other competitors are doing the job better with a proven 'single' household name. Too many phones = confused consumers who have to rely on their own research or having to listen to whatever the guy in CPW is trying to get rid of out of the stock room
I'm due for renewal in May but unless they bring out a bona fide SG4/iPhone 5S slayer then I’m jumping ship. It was good while it lasted HTC but a little bit of Beats software isn’t going to make me think twice about it either.
Damien2501 7 January, 2013 21:01
C'mon #TeamHTC I hope you come back!
ddmartin86 7 January, 2013 21:31
1 very SIMPLE things HTC has to do......improve battery life. So many people have swapped HTC for Samsung or Apple iphones, because the battery life on HTC is shockingly bad. Samsung Galaxy Note 2 has an amazing battery, as does the S3. HTC interface is great to use, slick, fast and the phones weight, design etc are fantastic, but a battery that lasts 7-8 hrs with minimal use (HTC one S/X, HTC Sensation XE, yes i've had a few) I'm holding out on a new phone (Mainly because the Nexus 4 is out of stock everywhere) so HTC......impress me
anonymous 7 January, 2013 21:57
HTC need to let go off the 2007 concept of Apple iphone one carrier deal, learn from Samsung all carriers get the new releases, even Apple iphones have gone that root and with great success. Wake up HTC you are digging your own grave.
anonymous 7 January, 2013 22:15
Also I'd like too add, the naming of the phones. Not everyone is tech minded like us folk here but do have alot of cash to spend on the latest and greatest mobile. After 2011 flagships Sensation/XE they never did a follow up with an Sensation 2 they just replaced it with the One series and after that it seems they'll either do HTC One ___ (Enter letter) that is very original or the rumored M7
anonymous 7 January, 2013 22:18
HTC - Have you heard of something called an SD card slot?????
Why don't you listen ????
anonymous 7 January, 2013 22:19
I agree with all of the previous comments, and I would like to that the removing of the micro SD card slot and battery was their down fall. As the previous state, focus more on the devices that you have out instead of putting out a new phone every month. Focus on getting updates to all of your devices that can support them. I still use my HTC HD2 with a custom Jellybean rom until something worth it comes that would make me retire my HD2.
anonymous 7 January, 2013 22:45
Simple add a sd card slot and removable battery, then I would have a difficult decision to make Samsung or HTC! This was the reason I moved from HTC to the Samsung S3. still prefer HTC sense though. since moving to the S3 i have bought a Note 2,which I think is great. Nothing out there at this moment I think is making me want to change.
anonymous 7 January, 2013 22:59
I have used HTC phones since my TyTn in 2006 which has passed to one of my sons who still uses it. I now use a Touch Pro 2 via a TyTn 2, but am desperate to upgrade to a Windows 8 phone. Number 1 son has the Nokia 900 so I know that Win 8 is going to be better than 6.5.
I want a Windows phone with a pull out keyboard as good as the one on my Pro 2. I know its not going to happen but I can wish. What I must have is NFC, 4G and a microSD slot, removable battery and a high res screen of less that 5". As I buy my phones outright and then pass them on, I tend to keep them for a year or 3 so it has to withstand the odd drop. Microsoft need to sort out the resolution issue with Windows Phone 8, it needs to go to full HD although being greedy I would prefer 1920 * 1600.
anonymous 8 January, 2013 01:24
I feel another flop coming out soon. They should have incorporated the new Integra 3 chip which buy the quarter of the year most powerful smartphones will have (ie Samsung S4). The smart sense is just absolutely junk. I got rid of my htc x last year in favour of a new Note 2 and have not looked back. HTC were good a few years ago but they seem to be beaten hands down by Samsung and I feel this year will be another bad year for them.
Dave Phipp 8 January, 2013 09:01
I think HTC need to follow the nexus 4 and release a high end phone that is much cheaper than the competition. Samsung has taken over and it will take something special to compete with them in the same price range. as for sd slot this doesn't bother me too much as long as the keep the internal storage high (32/64gb) I agree with the many people who have mentioned how many phones HTC have released. I think their next phone should have a new name and be followed by the name2, name3 etc, or maybe revive a popular old phone like release the hd3 and stick with that name.
anonymous 8 January, 2013 09:03
Small profits from considerable revenue suggests problems with the HTC business model, not the product. Really want HTC to do well, been so impressed with their phones - stable software, quality build, Sense, excellent HTC Dev portal, which all shows they understand what users want.
But last year they promised to focus on a few models and unleashed a whole load. Can't understand why they did this. Give us the M7 and maybe a lower spec version and get thiose margins up!
anonymous 9 January, 2013 00:15
HTC is so much easier to use than most and they make bloody good phones I made the mistake of switching to Sony and had so many faults with it o2 gave me the one x and I love it. Only issue is it took ages to get jelly bean. They needado wwhat apple do with updates. I don't see the lack of sd card a problem with 32gb on board as flash memory on board can b faster. Battery life is better under jellybean but not as good as Samsung. HTC need to focus on what matters to customers battery life, updates, reliability and ease of use.
anonymous 9 January, 2013 07:23
contarary to what many are saying, the One X is not slower than the S3; on a stock handset running 4.1, I can get 6968 in Quadrant!
anonymous 10 January, 2013 15:48
Can they please go back to making phones with camera lens that don't stick out (you wouldnt have a digital camera with a lens that sticks out and comes without a lens cover, so why have it on all recent htc phones!?)
Also bring back the SD card slot and HTC will be back in the game.
I found my old HTC phone had alot better reception and quicker processor than my more expensive Sony, so I am looking forward to seeing what HTC come up with.
I hope they would bring HTC J to the UK. (Shame the J Butterfly is 5", if it had been slightly smaller it would have been ideal phone)
anonymous 13 March, 2013 22:53
HTC make the best quality hardware. Samsung have a massive marketing budget and have used it to the max to lure the masses. Don't listen to the hype. I for one will pay for a phone that has been built on a solid production budget, and not a solid media campaign. HTC made a mistake in following IPhone tech by not offering memory expandability, as it gave the perception that it is now less customisable, but I'll be honest and say that I've had noproblems with my 32gb One X. In fact, not only did my 6 month old One X beat my colleague's Samsung GS3 on all the benchmark programs, but the memory and Dropbox combo has proved to be far safer to faults than the external memory card that died in his phone recently. And I'd prefer a better camera (M7's) to a gimicky software programme that tracks where you're looking on hour phone, which is bound to be just another feature to drain your battery to (on the new GS4). But I imagine Samsung will bring out another cheap looking phone which cheap hardware, market the gimmicks till they've milked every untech-savvy hype follower, dry. I will buy another HTC, and it will last longer than a Samsung. It will be easier to use, I'll get updates more readily, and will laugh at everyone who bought an over-priced Samsung