Restarting HTC Sense and the hope of a return

Nothing sums up the new HTC revamped look better than his clock and weather widget.

Gone is the trademark retro flip clock, which has been a fixture on HTC Android phones from the renowned Hero began more than three years, and in its place is easier to display more digital future of virtual time. Adjacent is a modern icon to represent time, far from the colorful graphics found in previous phones.

As the clock is so closely linked to the identity of HTC, this was not an easy decision, nor one that was universally supported. HTC designers took painstaking efforts to reorganize the widget without completely ignoring the heritage of the company. This means creating hundreds of versions of clocks, each with ten designers creating their own versions. Of this number, 25 animated clocks were tested before the final choice. The dramatic change in the clock highlights the broader transformation in the look and feel of the HTC One, part of an effort to breathe new life into its latest smartphone, as well as for society as a whole. With the new look, the company hopes to appeal to both longtime fans of HTC, as well as turning heads with new customers. HTC desire to break with tradition is not without momentum, the company is feeling the heat of competition that has clamped down on its turnover and profit and felt compelled to make things happen.

"Should we keep our existing brand or should we go out on a limb and try to change radically?" said Drew Bamford, who heads the team of the company design the user experience. "Sure, there was some apprehension. But I think it felt like the right thing to do right now."

The company had actually hoped that last year, a series of phones, launched its flagship One X, stimulate its recovery. This does not happen as smartphones critically acclaimed but commercially ignored were rejected in favor of III Samsung Electronics Samsung Galaxy S and the Apple iPhone 4S and iPhone 5.

While we take two call back from HTC story - where the company takes a few more chances with its products.

"HTC is in a position in the market where you can take greater risks," he said.

This position is, unfortunately, a retired while the market is slowly swallowed by a virtual duopoly, consisting of Samsung and Apple. From HTC's smartphone market in 2012 was 4.7 percent, about half of its market share in 2011, according to Gartner.

In January, HTC reported a 90 percent drop in earnings in the fourth quarter, down $ 1 billion Taiwan dollars (34 million) in its worst result since eight years. Income, meanwhile, fell by about 40 percent.

Gone are the days when HTC was considered a pioneer in the smartphone, creating the first Android smartphone in the G1 and the first 4G smartphone in the original Evo 4G WiMax motor. And while carriers continue to offer phones and critical praise for its products, consumers have increasingly turned their backs on society.

Meaning restarted
Almost a year ago, I called HTC Sense and blow massive overhaul of the skin, which sits on top of the Android operating system. I called both beloved retro clock flap stale and desperately needs an update.

Bamford has specifically requested that the story when it comes to updating. "You'll be happy with the new direction," he said.

In fact, HTC takes a whole new approach with the One, to change up the clock widget beloved and weather (which is still available for fans of the old school) to move away from the traditional grid of applications.

While key applications such as phone, text and icons applications remain at the bottom, the rest of the page is dominated by BlinkFeed HTC, a Flipboard-like interface which shows the latest news, updates day of social networking, photos, and other information and images from applications loaded on the phone in an attractive layout graph scrolls down.

There is a second screen that users can drag to acting more like the Android home screen traditional, but HTC bet people - especially younger invented "Feed Generation" - would be attracted BlinkFeed place rather that rows of applications and widgets. "It's the idea of ​​snacking on information from food service," said Bamford. "The idea is that every time you turn on your phone, you are presented with an updated content."

Bamford said he believes scroll down and magazine-like layout of images and stories mimic the way people get their information on the route and argued that it is more efficient than the grid inspiration desktop application that dominates most smartphones. The power graph is somewhat similar to using Microsoft Live tile in Windows Phone, but Bamford said he is not as radical.

HTC, however, risks alienating Android users with radical change. But given the dire situation of the company, it appears he has to do something different at this point, a point of view which is down from CEO Peter Chou.

"There has always been something of a risk taker," said Bamford. "Will take paris has always characterized HTC."

A streamlined strategy
The changes go beyond the phone and expand the focus and strategy of HTC. Last year, the company has attempted to streamline its product range the dizzying array of products tested on it in 2011. Although the intention was there, the execution below, particularly in the United States While Samsung Galaxy S3 could hold her in almost all the major carriers, HTC has managed to get his X A lighthouse for AT & T Sprint Nextel obtain Evo 4G LTE, and Verizon Wireless Droid obtain DNA much later in the year. At the same time, there were dozens of variations on the series One, from S to V One One One and X +. This time, HTC launches one smartphone, one simply named, will sell at AT & T, Sprint and T-Mobile (HTC executives would only say they intend something else for Verizon ). More importantly, the carriers would not tinker too much with the One, so that the phone will live or die by his own virtues.

HTC takes a page from Apple and Samsung playbooks and get the phone as supports both. At the global level, it will hit store shelves with 150 mobile operators in March, making it the biggest launch of the company.

HTC will be more proactive in marketing its own products before, relying less on its carrier partners, according to a company executive. One will launch with a new marketing campaign that will focus on some of the major changes in the phone.

The company will need to exercise more muscle marketing, as it was eclipsed last year by Samsung. Despite the positive feedback on the X One, it has been largely ignored for Samsung's flagship phone. This year, HTC has improved the design with a unique aluminum housing, improved camera, and two front speakers. But the company had a good product and could not sell it. This time, it shall ensure that the placing on the market and step up support carries.

Otherwise, there are few things that get HTC out of the pit it is located in.
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