HTC facts for kids
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| Public | |
| Traded as | TWSE: 2498 |
| Industry | Telecommunications equipment |
| Founded | 15 May 1997 |
| Founder |
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| Headquarters |
Taoyuan, Taoyuan
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Taiwan
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Area served
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Worldwide |
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Key people
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| Products | Smartphones, VR headsets, Laptop |
| Revenue |  TWD 23.7 billion (2018) |
 TWD 12 billion (2018) |
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| Total assets | TWD 67.7 billion (2016) |
| Subsidiaries | S3 Graphics Saffron Digital |
HTC Corporation (Chinese: 宏達國際電子股份有限公司; pinyin: Hóngdá Guójì Diànzǐ Gǔfèn Yǒuxiàn Gōngsī), also known as High Tech Computer Corporation or simply HTC, is a company from Taiwan. It makes cool electronics for people, like smartphones and virtual reality headsets. HTC started in 1997. At first, they designed and made laptop computers for other companies.
HTC first made smartphones that used the Windows Mobile system. Later, they became one of the main companies in the Open Handset Alliance. This group worked together to create the Android operating system. The HTC Dream was the very first phone to run Android. It was sold by T-Mobile as the T-Mobile G1.
HTC was very successful with smartphones for a while. In 2011, they were the biggest smartphone seller in the U.S. But then, other big companies like Samsung and Apple started making more phones. HTC's share of the market became smaller. In 2016, HTC started making more than just smartphones. They teamed up with Valve to create a virtual reality system called HTC Vive. In 2017, HTC sold part of its smartphone design team and some of its ideas to Google for a lot of money.
Contents
The Story of HTC
How HTC Started
Cher Wang and H. T. Cho started HTC in 1997. They first made notebook computers. By 1998, HTC began designing some of the first touch-screen and wireless hand-held devices.
From 2004, HTC made PDAs (personal digital assistants) and smartphones using Windows Mobile. These were sold under the brand name Qtek. In 2006, they changed the brand to HTC with the launch of the HTC TyTN.
In 2007, HTC bought another mobile device company called Dopod International. A year later, in 2008, HTC showed off the HTC Max 4G. This was the first mobile phone to work on WiMAX networks.
The Android Era
HTC joined Google's Open Handset Alliance. In 2008, they created and released the first device powered by Android. This phone was called the HTC Dream.
In October 2009, HTC launched a new slogan: "quietly brilliant." They also started their first worldwide advertising campaign called "YOU."
In November 2009, HTC released the HTC HD2. This was the first Windows Mobile device with a Touchscreen. In the same year, HTC Sense was introduced. This is a special user interface that HTC still uses.
In July 2010, HTC announced they would start selling their smartphones in China. They partnered with China Mobile for this. In October 2010, the HTC HD7 was released. It was one of the first phones for Microsoft's new Windows Phone system. In 2010, HTC sold over 24.6 million phones. This was a huge increase from 2009.
At the Mobile World Congress in February 2011, HTC was named "Device Manufacturer of the Year." This was a big award! By April 2011, HTC became the third-largest smartphone maker in the world. They were behind Apple and Samsung.
In 2011, HTC also bought parts of other companies. They bought a share in S3 Graphics and acquired Dashwire. They also partnered with Beats Electronics.
In 2011, HTC was listed as one of the top 100 global brands. They were valued at $3.6 billion. In late 2011, HTC became the biggest smartphone seller in the U.S. They had 24% of the market.
Challenges and Changes
During 2012, HTC's share of the U.S. market became smaller. This was because of strong competition from Apple and Samsung. By February 2013, HTC had only 9.3% of the U.S. smartphone market.
In 2013, HTC released a new flagship phone, the HTC One (M7). This phone won many awards for being the best smartphone and for its design. However, it didn't sell as well as Samsung's Samsung Galaxy S4. In October 2013, HTC reported its first-ever quarterly loss. They said marketing problems were the main reason.
In August 2013, HTC started a new global marketing campaign called "Here's To Change." It featured actor Robert Downey Jr.. In September 2013, HTC announced they would sell back their share in Beats Electronics.
After the HTC One, two other versions were released in 2013. The HTC One Mini was a smaller version. The HTC One Max was a larger version with a bigger screen and a fingerprint sensor.
In March 2014, HTC released the HTC One (M8). This was the next version of their flagship phone. It was available for purchase on the same day it was launched.
In April 2014, HTC's sales went up by 12.7%. This was their fastest growth since 2011. In September 2014, Google chose HTC to make its Nexus 9 tablet. HTC also made a Windows Phone version of the One (M8). After this, HTC stopped making Windows Phone devices and focused only on Android.
Virtual Reality and Google Partnership
On March 1, 2015, HTC showed off Vive. This is a virtual reality headset they made with Valve. In 2015, HTC reported losses. They faced more competition from other smartphone makers. Their stock price had fallen a lot since 2011.
By November 2016, HTC had sold at least 140,000 Vive units. They were making a profit on each one. In January 2017, HTC launched its new U series smartphones, the U Play and U Ultra. They said this series was a "new direction" for their phones, focusing on a built-in virtual assistant.
On September 21, 2017, Google announced it would buy about half of HTC's design and research staff. This included the team that worked on Google's Google Pixel phone, which HTC made. Google also got rights to some of HTC's smartphone ideas. This deal was worth US$1.1 billion. The deal was completed on January 30, 2018. HTC still makes its own smartphones, but they are focusing more on Internet of Things and virtual reality.
Recent Developments
In March 2018, HTC reported a net loss for late 2017. They said this was due to market competition and product pricing. HTC said they would use their money to invest more in "emerging technologies" like VR. This included their new Vive Pro model and Vive Focus VR headset.
In July 2018, HTC partnered with Animoca Brands, a company that makes games and apps. They planned to work together on games, blockchain, artificial intelligence, and virtual reality. Animoca's games are now pre-installed on some HTC devices.
In February 2019, HTC released its first "Cryptophone." This phone focuses on secure finance using Bitcoin and aims to help create a decentralized web. In May 2019, HTC announced that its Cryptophone would be the first smartphone to support a full Bitcoin node.
In September 2019, Yves Maitre became the new CEO of HTC. Cher Wang continued as chairwoman. In September 2020, Yves Maitre stepped down, and co-founder Cher Wang became the CEO again.
How HTC Works
HTC's chairwoman and CEO is Cher Wang. She is the daughter of Wang Yung-ching, who started the Formosa Plastics Group. Peter Chou leads the HTC Future Development Lab. HT Cho is a Director of the Board and Chairman of the HTC Foundation. The company's CFO (Chief Financial Officer) is Hui-Ming Cheng.
HTC invests a lot in research and development. About a quarter of its employees work in this area. HTC has a software design office in Seattle, where they create their own phone interfaces. In 2011, they also opened a research and development office in Durham, North Carolina.
In February 2010, Fast Company magazine ranked HTC as the 31st most innovative company in the world. In May 2011, HTC announced they would no longer lock the bootloaders on their Android phones. This was in response to feedback from their customers.
HTC's Sponsorships
HTC has sponsored various teams and events.
- From 2009 to 2011, HTC sponsored the HTC-Highroad professional cycling team.
- In 2012, HTC became the official smartphone sponsor for the UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League in soccer.
- HTC also sponsored the Indian Super League soccer team NorthEast United FC from 2014 to 2016.
- For the 2015 season, HTC sponsored the Indian Premier League cricket team Kings XI Punjab. Their logo was on the team's jersey.
- HTC sponsors professional eSports teams like FaZe Clan, Team SoloMid, Cloud9, Team Liquid, and J Team.
- HTC sponsored a Super Smash Bros. Melee tournament called HTC Throwdown in 2015. They also sponsored the SSBMRank, which ranks the best Melee players.
Making Products for Others
HTC has also made many smartphones for other brands. These include Palm, Fujitsu-Siemens, Hewlett Packard, Google, and Sony Ericsson.
More to Explore
- List of companies of Taiwan
- Comparison of HTC devices
- HTC Sense
- HTC Vive
See also
In Spanish: HTC Corporation para niños
