Tonight the team over at WP Central exclusively posted all the specifications of the anticipated HTC One W8. When I saw the notification pop up, I immediately jumped on it and read it. Pretty exciting stuff. But I was eating sushi and not much gets in the way between me and sushi. So now that I’ve had my sushi, rather than simply re-post what WPC posted, I’ll provide you a link to what I’m referring to in case you missed it.
Now my question to all of you is simple: Do you care? And perhaps equally as important, do you trust HTC to stay in the Windows Phone game with the HTC One W8 – or whatever the call it? I ask in all seriousness because given HTC’s track record, they may have a public perception problem to overcome regardless of how awesome the W8 looks.
I have personally always been a fan of HTC and have several friends who work at the company. They produce some beautiful
HTC One W8 Mock Up from WP Central
phones and the HTC Sense elements they have layered into Windows Mobile before and Android now are fantastic. There was a point not so long ago that if you wanted a Windows Mobile device you got an HTC. It had all the cool bits. Equally, as I told a colleague who just upgraded to a M8 and to my friend Arne Hess over at the::unwired, that is the only phone on the Android market that would make me consider Android (which I detest with vigour and passion).
When Windows Phone 7 and then 8 rolled out, HTC was in the game and for 8 produced the 8S and the 8X. Both did okay but not great partly because the company went through a bit of a process re-jigging their Android counterparts and dumbed them down a bit. And then they just seemed to leave them on the self to expire. The 8X is all but dead now and the 8S is, well, in need of an update. It is very unclear if it will see the shining light of Windows Phone 8.1. Which is a shame really because it’s not a bad piece of kit.
So now HTC are coming back with the HTC One W8. It is identical to the M8 which is key for HTC (one device, two different OS’) and for consumers (one device, two different OS’ to chose from on it). The question I have for you is do you care? Will you give HTC the opportunity to come back into the Windows Phone community and buy this device? I mean, you accepted me back pretty readily but let’s face it, I’m an idiot with a microphone. I’m not a hardware manufacture. You have way more to risk if you buy a device and a year later it is dead in the water.
To be fair to them, HTC appear by all account to be serious on this go ’round. The ability to have one platform with two different OS choices will help them keep costs down which is critical for a company that financially has been struggling. Equally, Windows Phone needs HTC in the game. I love the Nokia Lumia devices that I’ve been testing and using these past few weeks. They are really, really good and you have a ton to chose from in their lineup. But they aren’t HTC. HTC produces beautiful devices. Having them in the mix will help Microsoft convince a market that needs convincing on Windows Phone as a platform.
Tell me what you think. Tweet me up or leave a comment below. I’d like to hear your thoughts on if you will be getting an HTC One W8 or will at the very least be looking at it. It looks like initially it will only be available for Verizon customers in the US. If it comes to your carrier or country, will you be considering it?
