The Verge:
Google sets its sights on the iPhone with HTC deal
Google is becoming Apple faster than Apple can become Google
Interesting article, I was particularly fascinated by the part about why this is different than Motorola. I guess back then Google was still tip toeing around the oems, but now they don't care. I say BRAVO, screw the oems, they will find a way to sell phones anyway. I've always advocated Google ramp up and become a hardware company, not necessarily to make a profit (although at 649-849 they will make a profit), but to better streamline their software to the hardware. F the oems with their 8 month OS update schedules I say.
But in any event it will be more competition, which means everyone will step up their game. Maybe on the other end Apple will step up its game with its services, maybe they will improve maps or gain something unique like Waze has, or maybe they will open up their walled garden a bit.
The only caveat is HTC, sigh why freakin HTC? They've proven they can't make a modern phone with their latest set of bricks, they are even ruining the smaller pixel 2. We can only hope with an infusion of money and management their phones designs may improve, at least we can say goodbye to their OS overlay.
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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.
Oh I didn't realize this, how odd. So HTC phones will continue to exist? Basically they just bought out all the pixel employees and technology.
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The idea of Google going to war with the iPhone. Seriously the Verge editing staff are smoking something wild.
Yes they spent 1.5 billion in buying some staff and a venue.
A design team doesn't equate to built devices.
By comparison, Apple has spent multi billions in just Display technologies alone. Let alone billions on chipsets and such.
There is a gaping disparity between essentially the baby steps Google has made and the reality of the investment needed and Apple has invested to get where it is.
Let alone the elephant in the room. Google makes money from services and licencing. If it ever was a potential threat to Apple, it would be a far greater threat to the myriad of OEMs producing Android handsets. Do we really believe Google is ready to take a big bite at the hand that feeds it.
I think it may be what Google is doing, but you bring up some great and very valid points. But Google seems like a company that wants to do certain things and allocates some resources towards those ends, but then doesn't follow through and lets that objective rot away on the vine. A lot of what they do doesn't make sense, and almost seems like some manager or board member coming up with an idea and the rest of the board saying "hey we gotta spend money somewhere".
But if Google were doing this they would have to start really big. For them to piss off the oems, and to cause Apple to withdraw its Google software on its devices, well they better be ready for world war 3.
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Interested to see the U11 Plus design. Perhaps HTC
can be competitive in design this year. If the bezel-less design of the U11 Plus is impressive, it'll give me hope for future Pixel devices.
Rumor: HTC U11 Plus coming soon, near-bezel-less screen included
https://www.phonearena.com/news/HTC-U11-Plus-features-rumor_id98282
^ Emphasis on the rumored "near bezel-less" screen
Sigh, another 18:9 display. PLEASE someone make a freakin 16:9 display!!!! Bravo though, I wish HTC luck and hope they design a killer phone and make a comeback.
