New HTC CEO Admits Company Stopped Innovating on Smartphones
HTC's new CEO Yves Maitre openly acknowledges that the company stopped innovating on smartphone hardware while competitors surged ahead. He blames a critical timing mistake involving a heavy shift of R&D funds into virtual reality.
HTC's new CEO Yves Maitre openly admits that the company stops innovating on smartphone hardware as competitors like Apple, Samsung, and华为 invest heavily in their devices. He explains that HTC diverts its research and development funds into virtual reality through its Vive division instead of focusing on mobile technology. This strategic shift contributes to a massive decline in market share, dropping from 11 percent of global sales in 2011 to being grouped among "Others" in industry reports.
Maitre takes over the struggling company from co-founder Cher Wang and brings a refreshingly candid perspective to HTC's ongoing difficulties. The Taiwanese firm currently faces its fifth consecutive quarterly loss and lays off approximately a quarter of its workforce last July. Maitre frames HTC's decline not as a lack of innovation, but as being right about virtual reality at the wrong time.
The new CEO remains optimistic about the company's future despite these costly timing mistakes. He anticipates that HTC's XR offerings overtake its mobile business in about five years, though he notes that customer adoption ultimately dictates this timeline. Maitre believes HTC still possesses strong assets in terms of innovation, team talent, and balance sheets to recover from its current slump.