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REPORT: Google buying HTC's phone division
- Thread starter v0lume4
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Apple would have **** their pants if that happened as Apple have invested billions into LG to produce displays for iPhones.
They bought Motorola and sold it.
Microsoft bought Nokia and fired everyone.
Google is buying the Pixel team and will likely fire them in two years when they reboot their strategy and call it Pixus, a combination of Nexus and Pixel.
I'm calling it now.
Wow... so it's happening.
I say "happening." This really is quite different than the Motorola acquisition from back in the day. As the article says, Google is acquiring PART OF HTC's mobile division, whatever that exactly means. I assume it means guaranteed talent, R&D, and production line space that Google simply couldn't have gotten via contract, like they were working before. I guess time is the only thing that will show us the fruit that comes from this.
That explains the rumored 1 thousand dollar pixel XL 2s to pay for their new acquisition 
This could be interesting for sure.
This could be interesting for sure.
That explains the rumored 1 thousand dollar pixel XL 2s to pay for their new acquisition
This could be interesting for sure.
Nah, OLED is expensive and NAND is apparently in short supply as well.
So it was partially true. They bought the 'Pixel' division .... Not sure how this benefits anyone other than allowing Google to keep hardware design in house, but they would still need to partner with an OEM manufacturer to actually produce them.
I think this just shows that Google has no long term hardware strategy. They bought a team to design the Pixel.....that was already do that job on someone else's payroll.
Pixus! I like it
I think this just shows that Google has no long term hardware strategy. They bought a team to design the Pixel.....that was already do that job on someone else's payroll.
Pixus! I like it
Yeah I just don't get the 'true' benefit here.
1. Are these workers so 'rare' in an industry that they couldn't have sought new talented indviduals externally ?
2. Is this still a 'partnership' with HTC ? ie. still some underlying ties to HTC
3. If it is, are HTC still going to manufacturer the Pixel phones going forward
4. If it isn't, other than cash injection in buying out the staff, what is HTC getting ? If these people are so 'rare' in an industry that Google couldn't just employ new designers, then where does this leave HTC ? If HTC are no longer going to be guaranteed Pixel production, isn't the 1b cash injection now, essentially putting an Elastoplast on what could be a giant haemorrhage.
It's all just doesn't make sense from either perspective as far as I can tell based on the narrow information we have, especially when you factor in the LG aspect of this years Pixel.
It just leaves me confused about the strategy here, from either perspective (HTC or Google)
This acquisition also puts me off from the Pixel 2. It looks like Google needs to get their strategy in line first before I'm ready to commit.
Sorry, but Samsung, at this point in time, still offers the best premium smartphone experience. It isn't going to be easy to draw me away. And with how the Pixel 2 rumors are shaping up, it certainly won't happen this year.
We'll see how future Pixel phones turn out with this acquisition...!
[doublepost=1506001108][/doublepost]I also don't understand why HTC still plans to release a flagship device even after the acquisition of their mobile division.
Wut???
Sorry, but Samsung, at this point in time, still offers the best premium smartphone experience. It isn't going to be easy to draw me away. And with how the Pixel 2 rumors are shaping up, it certainly won't happen this year.
We'll see how future Pixel phones turn out with this acquisition...!
[doublepost=1506001108][/doublepost]I also don't understand why HTC still plans to release a flagship device even after the acquisition of their mobile division.
Wut???
They aren't selling their entire mobile division. Just the part of it allocated to Pixel production. For all intents and purposes HTC mobile division for its own branded devices is still very much intact.
Which only makes the whole exercise even more curious.
Thats what I got from the whole thing too. What I don't understand is why all the fuss? Why stop stock trading? It is just a few employees that are jumping ship from one company to another. Since Google doesn't do hardware...where will these employees work? What is going to to be home for them?
Yeah I think there has to be some element of this that we aren't getting. Otherwise its just
It's about 2,000 employees, or about one fifth of HTC.
Those employees were dedicated to Google stuff. So this is basically transferring them completely under Google's control as a new R&D center in Taiwan.
And leaves HTC proper to continue doing what they do.
I wonder where they will work? Continue to report to work in the same offices? Is Google going to open a new mobile design center there in Taiwan? I'm sure Google will want them out of HTC's buildings to keep separation of duties.
Haven't seen anything about the details yet.
Just that it's seen as a win-win deal:
- Google gets a lot of engineers who are already experienced designing its devices.
- HTC gets an injection of cash to stay alive.
.
And also, a potential plus -- Google gets guaranteed production line space. No more having to compete with HTC's other devices. This might mean no more pre-order delays going on for months, like we saw with the original Pixel.
Of course, I'm pulling that out of my rear. I have no actual idea. But it's a thought.
This would explain, why the 2017 Pixel 2 (and XL) will be hilarious looking bezel monsters, having nothing in common with the V30 design wise...
The Verge:
Google sets its sights on the iPhone with HTC deal
Google is becoming Apple faster than Apple can become Google
Google sets its sights on the iPhone with HTC deal
Google is becoming Apple faster than Apple can become Google