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HTC shares crash, "brand, factories and buildings were worthless"
- Thread starter juliushandle
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Jazzy Network
Member
hopefully it's not to late for them to diversify that portfolio. it's dangerous to grow that large and remain a one-trick pony.
Nah bro they got like that cool VR shit now and that fitness band.
Frankfurter
Member
That's exactly what the chart is illustrating. Android users are moving to low/mid range offerings, high-end Android phones don't sell as they used to.
TBH I wouldn't be surprised if high-end Android phones would be selling better than ever. The ASP maybe going down, but that may very well be due to the low-cost segment growing faster, not due to the high end segment shrinking in absolute terms.
That's exactly what the chart is illustrating. Android users are moving to low/mid range offerings, high-end Android phones don't sell as they used to.
How many people are buying top of the line android phones off contract?
If an iPhone user breaks their iPhone, chances are they're getting another iPhone, and there's not much variety there in terms of price. If a Samsung Galaxy S6 user breaks their S6, well, there's a wide swath of Android devices to choose from that aren't $500+
I don't get it though.
- If you accept that the Apple pricing is justified for the hardware you get, then flagship android devices with arguably better hardware should at least justify similar pricing. But high priced android smartphones get laughed at it seems.
- if you accept that android devices with similar hardware to apple should sell at $3-400, then why are people accepting Apple charging those prices? Why hasn't their margin collapsed?
Yes I realise this is a huge amount to do with marketing and brand value, but isn't that all just vacuous nonsense? Why is nobody going 'hang on, why are we paying $7-800 for these phones?'. Especially in the US which is supposedly such a price-sensitive market.
It is...
-Partly perception, whether justified or not, of iOS being faster and better than Android.
-Partly due to a better app selection; the vast majority of developers go iOS first, Android second (if ever) because that's where the money is.
-Partly marketing and brand power, yes.
-Partly due to a value proposition that better appeals to wider classes of people (ease of use, communication between Apple devices is years ahead of anything else on the market. I'm not saying it's a better value proposition, mind you, just that it's more appealing to many more people than what Android has to offer)
-Partly due to better design, materials, construction (nice Android phones are a rarity, most of them are ugly as sin)
-Partly due to better support (updates years after release, generally good warranty support)
-Partly due to platform lock-in (when you've got more than one Apple product, you're not switching. Nor will you if you risk losing apps you've bought, etc.)
-Partly due to better value retention (you can sell Apple devices much, much higher than you would a competing device once you're done using it, which amortizes some of the cost)
-Partly because Apple products are seen as a status symbol (especially true in China and other developing countries these days, but also true in Occidental countries)
-Partly due to personal preference, often.
The problem you have, like most geeks evaluating smartphones, is that you equate value with hardware specs, which is as far as you can get from the typical consumer's mindset. Apple has high margins because people are willing to pay for an experience which is perceived as superior to what competing smartphones offer. That has nothing to do with how much it cost to produce and everything to do with the fact that they differentiated their product enough that consumers consider the competition inadequate unless they're on a tight budget. When they have enough money to buy an iPhone, there is no product currently that the consumers see as close enough to consider buying.
biggersmaller
Banned
Had a Thunderbolt for 18 months. I actually miss the built-in kickstand. Otherwise it was shit.
o shit
I have an M8
You're already dead.
I have one too. Hopefully we still get software updates
My friend had a M7 and it died within a year. He seems so loyal to HTC that he bought M8 and the camera got screwed up within 7 months but the phone is fine.
He even wants to get the Nexus 9. I don't really understand why he would still buy these devices when clearly there are issues with the quality.
I had a HTC Desire Z for 3 years on contract. It barely lasted that time and I had to stick with it until the end, and right when I got my S4 the Desire wouldn't turn on anymore. I had such an awful experience with my phone that I don't care what happens to HTC.
He even wants to get the Nexus 9. I don't really understand why he would still buy these devices when clearly there are issues with the quality.
I had a HTC Desire Z for 3 years on contract. It barely lasted that time and I had to stick with it until the end, and right when I got my S4 the Desire wouldn't turn on anymore. I had such an awful experience with my phone that I don't care what happens to HTC.
I think you're looking at this the wrong way. The great majority of people buying iPhones (and other smartphones) have no idea what "quad core Snapdragon 810 4GB RAM" means. It really is more about brand awareness and value proposition. Apple is seen as a premium, top of the line brand. And, going back to brand awareness, a lot of Android brands just aren't even in the conversation to be considered.I don't get it though.
- If you accept that the Apple pricing is justified for the hardware you get, then flagship android devices with arguably better hardware should at least justify similar pricing. But high priced android smartphones get laughed at it seems.
- if you accept that android devices with similar hardware to apple should sell at $3-400, then why are people accepting Apple charging those prices? Why hasn't their margin collapsed?
Yes I realise this is a huge amount to do with marketing and brand value, but isn't that all just vacuous nonsense? Why is nobody going 'hang on, why are we paying $7-800 for these phones?'. Especially in the US which is supposedly such a price-sensitive market.
Hence why the one that does have relatively strong brand awareness, the Galaxy S series, crushes sales numbers to other Android phones.I think you're looking at this the wrong way. The great majority of people buying iPhones (and other smartphones) have no idea what "quad core Snapdragon 810 4GB RAM" means. It really is more about brand awareness and value proposition. Apple is seen as a premium, top of the line brand. And, going back to brand awareness, a lot of Android brands just aren't even in the conversation to be considered.
My M8 just started to really suck and lag constantly lately. I was gonna wait till spring to upgrade but Verizon offered to let me out of my contact and upgrade fees to get me switched to their new plan. I'm seriously considering it.
SomedayTheFire
Member
o shit
I have an M8
Also a "proud" M8 owner. I've given up on HTC though. Rooted my phone and installed a stock Android rom back when their stock tanked.You're already dead.
I have one too. Hopefully we still get software updates
EatinOlives
Member
The thunderbolt is legit one of the worst smartphones in existence. Its crazy how they were making money back then too. They were shitting out those phones and people were buying them up but they left such a bad taste in peoples mouths that they started losing share fast.
Never recovered. The thunderbolt is fucking legendary in terms of how shit the battery life was.
Little did people know, "Thunderbolt" was named after how long the battery lasts
Jazzy Network
Member
I wonder which device had the worse battery, Thunderbolt or Galaxy Nexus? It's funny how much we complain about battery life nowadays when back then, phones could barely last even half the day.
Silver Arrows
Banned
I can already see the battery life issues on my M8. And I've only had it since December of last year.
Manmademan
Member
*hugs M9* love this thing. You people are delusional.
TBH I wouldn't be surprised if high-end Android phones would be selling better than ever. The ASP maybe going down, but that may very well be due to the low-cost segment growing faster, not due to the high end segment shrinking in absolute terms.
No, it's dying.
Michael F. Assbender
Banned
No, it's dying.
Right. Wasn't there a thread here recently about how much Samsung's high-end sales have dropped off recently? I seem to remember something about that...
I was victim of this for a few years. Until I realized that all the hardware in the world wouldn't stop my Android phones from randomly turning completely off in the middle of the night, not receiving text messages for 2 weeks, or systematically slowing down after 12 months. On topic, HTC made good phones. For a while. Too many products, not enough people.It is...
The problem you have, like most geeks evaluating smartphones, is that you equate value with hardware specs, which is as far as you can get from the typical consumer's mindset. Apple has high margins because people are willing to pay for an experience which is perceived as superior to what competing smartphones offer. That has nothing to do with how much it cost to produce and everything to do with the fact that they differentiated their product enough that consumers consider the competition inadequate unless they're on a tight budget. When they have enough money to buy an iPhone, there is no product currently that the consumers see as close enough to consider buying.
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