Taiwanese device maker HTC’s latest smartphone can rival any top end handset currently in the market, but only if the price is right, an Informa Telecoms and Media analyst says.
Julian Jest, research analyst at the firm, says the HTC One – which was unveiled yesterday – is on par with the best devices made by the firm so far, and is a credible rival to current high-end smartphones. He also notes the Android device stands out from other handsets running the Google operating system thanks to an overhaul of the firm’s customization options for the platform.
While Jest is bullish about the device’s hardware and HTC’s take on Android, he is cautious about branding the unit an overnight success. “HTC has to get the pricing right with the One. It is unlikely that network operators will give their support to a device that they…need to subsidize heavily – and from a vendor which has struggled to compete with Samsung, the market leader on the Android OS.”
Despite those reservations, Jest notes the timing of the launch of the device is good, as iPhone sales slow and high-end smartphone consumers seek “more innovative devices to satisfy their appetite to explore the new technology horizons.”