HTC is not another Nokia?!

HTC is one of greatest case study from Taiwanese electronic manufactory history, almost ten years ago HTC was a white-label, no-name manufacturer to now it becomes fourth biggest phone-maker in the world, but recently HTC faced some fierce challenge, including IP patent lawsuit, compete with Apple and Samsung, and acquirement issue (S3 graphic company), last week they downgraded their financial prediction in future Q4, and their stock price in Taiwan downed to almost half price in just few weeks, foreign investment banks review  HTC stock from "Hold" to "Sold". So what is the problem with HTC?

First I think HTC needs to build the flagship phone, a phone can catch most people eyeball, a phone can beat other competitors to the ground (Like Samsung's Galaxy), a phone can change everything (Like Apple's iPhone), some might say HTC has Vivid for AT&T, Rezound LTE 4G phone for Verizon, Amaze 4G for T- Mobile, but there are some problems: for the design part, you can hardly to tell each one from another one, and HTC hasn't changed its design language for couple years. For the spec part, Samsung recently releases faster CPU and larger and clearer screen to it smartphone product line, even Apple already passed by Samsung, it become the number one smartphone maker in U.S. For the software part, although HTC has very successful strategy with Google, the Google G1, first android phone in the world, is from HTC, and their customize theme "Sense" got very good review from user, but it's still not enough, HTC needs to catch up with Samsung and Apple, it needs to build the complete unique, eyeball-catching, top-rated spec smartphone, HTC already hints that they will bring more powerful, amazing device in 2012, we can wait and see.

But I think the most serious problem is not about the device, it's about the brand image, Apple and Samsung already build a very strong brand recognition, I know HTC tries very hard to build a world brand, it's marketing campaign is "YOU" and "Quietly Brilliant", but it still need to penetrate more to customers' radar.

I think HTC definitely knows that, and I believe their strategy has planned to change, actually HTC really needs a bold move to compete this fierce "red ocean". 

Here's the very interesting Ad from Samsung, it attacks Apple fan directly, and I think this ad is very weird but worth to take a look.