March 25th, 2010 by Arjan Olsder Posted in Platforms: AndroidOS, Platforms: Windows Mobile, Smartphones & Tablets | No Comments »
The biggest sponsor behind the Android Experience was HTC. No wonder they took the stage to discuss where they are heading with Android, how it matches up with Windows Mobile and centralizing the User Experience.
First off, a bit of where HTC stands in the Dutch market. HTC Netherlands is a team of 9 people. The company holds the second place in the Dutch smartphone market. The leader was not mentioned but they probably refer to Nokia or Apple. In the two OS’ sold on HTC phones (Android and Windows Mobile), the company is leading the market.
In total, 7 OS’ are present in the Dutch market (depending on how you define the Smartphone). HTC is a firm believer of an open OS as Closed Operating Systems bring in a lot of problems. With an Open OS, the OS maker has to satisfy the hardware vendor that is making money for both with the sale of the combination.
HTC is also committed to continue with both Android and Windows Mobile (or Windows Phone 7 Series). Both product lines are dear to HTC and fit in their strategy.
The Netherlands is one of the leading markets for Android in Europe. At the moment, 8% of the Dutch consumers own an Android device. Germany is stronger at 9%, but countries like France and the UK don’t rise above the 4.8%.
Mark Moons from HTC explains that HTC is very committed to the Android OS. It is the only handset maker to be represented in the Open Handset Alliance. To make the platform even more popular, they developed the Sense UI. In the spirit of Android, Sense UI is also an open platform meaning they allow widgets that compete directly with those developed by HTC internally. HTC is about the user experience.
Coming back to fragmentation, Moons also explains that it is something consumers don’t understand. When a consumers sees an app they like with a friend or on TV, they want to download it. Overcoming fragmentation, or at least making sure your software runs on any device, is the most important thing to market your apps.
To close off, Moons also quickly notified the public about his personal favorites on the Android Market. He loves the game Raging Thunder. He praised the gameplay and graphics.
