Handset-Maker HTC Says ‘No One Is More Committed’ To Windows Mobile And Android

HTC Hero

Microsoft’s launch of its Windows Mobile 6.5 went head-to-head with a number of phone releases by Google (NSDQ: GOOG) Android this week, but perhaps, no one else is at the heart of either operating system more than HTC, which announced five Windows Mobile 6.5 devices that will ship by the end of the year. HTC America’s VP of sales and marketing Jason Mackenzie told mocoNews: “No one is more committed to 6.5 than HTC, and no one is more committed to Android.” In fact, this year alone, the Taiwanese handset-maker shipped four Android phones before anyone else had shipped one.

Mackenzie said ideally the company’s handset portfolio will be split about 50-50 between the two operating systems, but if the phones we saw this week are any indication, the differences will be minor. HTC has built a user interface called Sense that sits on both platforms to make them look almost identical. “Our belief is that the user doesn’t care about the operating system, so that’s our philosophy with Sense — it’s a design framework.”

The framework is the brainchild of a small design office in Seattle’s historic Pioneer Square neighborhood with about 15 employees. It has three philosophies: “Make it Mine,” which means allow users to personalize the device; “Stay Close,” which means be people centric; and “Discover the Unexpected,” which “continually reinforces the reason why the person buys the phone by providing simple surprises.” An example of staying close is the way you can pull up a friend in the contacts list and see all of their emails, texts and photos from them. And, an example of the unexpected is going into your calendar and seeing the weather for the day embedded right into the day. Mackenzie: “You shouldn’t have to think about applications.”

Given the amount of design work HTC has done to the devices, Mackenzie said they plan to promote the company’s brand more going forward to become a household name. They want people to say “I want an HTC phone,” not necessarily a Google or Microsoft (NSDQ: MSFT) phone, built by HTC. To do so, HTC plans to roll out its own ad campaign later this year that “specifically talks to the customer,” but doesn’t necessarily promote one single device.

HTC may just need the ad campaign. Better well-known consumer brands, like Samsung and Motorola (NYSE: MOT), are increasing their investments in the space, and even computer-makers, like Dell and Acer, are entering the fray, as well.

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