Taiwanese smartphone manufacturer, HTC, has stated that the company is open to the possibility of using Research In Motion’s (RIM) operating system on their phones. HTC is moving into an important part of the year where they will be releasing several new phones running Google’s Android and Microsoft’s Windows Phone in upcoming months. Currently, HTC does not have a mobile operating system of their own and use third party software to run their devices.
The Canadian manufacturer of the BlackBerry has seen a slump in its business due to competitors like Apple and Samsung cutting into its market share. RIM has been exploring ways to resuscitate its business and one idea that has been rumored is the licensing of the popular BlackBerry OS. The company is expected to release the latest version of the OS named BB10 by early next year.
Graham Wheeler, director of product management for EMEA at HTC, spoke about the possibility of his firm utilizing RIM by stating that: “I don’t have any knowledge but that is not to say we are not looking at it. But from my point of view we are not saying we are closed to a new operating system. We will review each one to make sure it’s the best for our customers.”
HTC has been struggling lately because of manufacturers like Samsung taking the lead in the lucrative smartphone market. Analysts expect the Taiwanese firm’s sales to drop further this quarter to NT$70bn. In a bid to increase market share and be a true contender in the sector, HTC is believed to be creating a device that will run the highly anticipated Windows Phone 8 OS. However, Wheeler did not directly address the rumor and only said: “Windows Phone 8 is an incredibly exciting operating system. The ecosystem it has will lead us to create great products.”
Wheeler also spoke about the strategy the company would employ to create a turn around by stating that, “It’s all about making great products. That’s the most important thing. That’s what consumers want. We think we do create great products and we will continue with our focus on that. That’s our number one strategy.”
Source: Mobile Magazine
Photo: HTC