HTC: “We’re not going to put HTC One on every product”
Last night, HTC unveiled the future of its flagship Android lineup: the new HTC One series. And while I, for one, am extremely excited about this (I think HTC's latest innovations are some of the most creative since the original HTC EVO 4G), others seem to feel very differently. Many Sprint fans in particular have expressed concerns that the new One series will do two things: first, it will replace the EVO brand; and second, it won't be making its way to Sprint at all.
And these fears aren't entirely irrational: Sprint has never indicated that it intends to release any more EVO phones in the future. It spent a lot of money getting the iPhone. And Sprint was notably absent throughout all of HTC's announcements on Sunday.
But at the same time, it's really too early to call how this will turn out. And it's also too early to expect any new EVO announcements, if the last two years are to be any indication. Additionally, there is a silver lining in all of this: according to a recent interview with HTC's chief product officer, Kouji Kodera, "We'll have three products to start with, and later on we may have some additions. We're not going to put HTC One on every product."
In other words, HTC is indeed simplifying its lineup. But that doesn't necessarily mean the EVO is dead. Kodera even went on to say, "There's a lot of operator franchise markets, and in those cases branding and those discussions will come from the [operator] customers. … We have some franchise business outside of this [One line]."
According to Kodera, there will be additional One devices released throughout the year, and also HTC Android devices that are not One-branded. But why do some people care so much about the EVO brand in the first place?
Well, the EVO represents all that the One line seeks to be: innovative, creative, and even revolutionary. And, being a Sprint-exclusive brand in the US, the EVO also represents accessibility: in spite of all the recent cutbacks, Sprint is still among the cheapest options for most people, and the only nationwide carrier to still offer truly unlimited data. Sprint's also improving its network every day, so chances are your coverage will improve soon if it's weak right now. So who wouldn't want a brand new EVO phone on Sprint with all these fantastic new One series features?
Until we hear more from HTC and Sprint in the coming months, anything is possible. It will certainly be interesting to see how this all plays out!
[PC Mag]
