HTC: we're not out to kill the iPhone ~ GoAndroid

Tuesday, September 13, 2011

HTC: we're not out to kill the iPhone

10:42 AM

Simranpal SIngh

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HTC's American president Martin Fichter touched on his earlier interview with a rare follow-up elaborating on his position. He claimed that he not only didn't see HTC setting out to make an "iPhone killer" but that he actively discouraged the idea in the office. The goal was not to replace Apple but to target those people who didn't fit in Apple's world."I’ve heard the term iPhone killer a lot of times, outside of my company and inside my company," Fichter told Geekwire. "Whenever I hear it in meeting rooms inside HTC, I caution people and say: ‘Hey, look, there is a market there for the iPhone.’ I don’t think we want to kill the iPhone because it is geared to a certain amount of people who like things in a certain way, and we do something different."

Among the examples was HTC's Watch movie service, which took a different approach than iTunes for getting movies. Most also point to HTC's Sense UI having its own distinct look even relative to Android.

While Fichter might not represent his whole company, the attitude is a contrast to other smartphone developers, many of whom are often bent on making more direct comparisons to the iPhone. Much of Samsung's recent trouble has been blamed on its going beyond standard Android design to more closely resemble the iPhone with hardware and software like that in the Galaxy S II. HTC's patent disputes with Apple have focused on patents relating to Android itself, not to HTC's custom hardware or software design.

HTC is considerably smaller than Apple. As one of the fastest-growing smartphone makers, though, it has succeeded through its ability to cater both to low-end or first-time smartphone buyers through a phone like the Wildfire S as well as the high end that defines the US and Europe, such as in the dual-core Sensation. The company also just recently dipped into tablets through the Flyer (Evo View 4G) and Jetstream, and it remains one of the most loyal supporters of Windows Phone through the Radar and Titan.