Gadgetory

just a few years ago HTC was the king of Android phones now as it reveals the One m8 its future is much less certain adventures in tech examines the rise and fall of HTC with the 1m eights now taking center stage it's easy to forget that HTC began out of the spotlight making unbranded Mobile's for the likes of orange HP and o2 to slap their label on plenty of these phones were well-received and after several years HTC started making Mobile's that actually bore its logo a landmark moment came in 2008 when HTC built the t-mobile g1 the very first Android phone a quirky mobile with a blocky chin that would make Judge Dredd blush the following year we got the hero which introduced the Sense UI HTC was experienced at tweaking operating systems and since filled Android with extra features and widgets smoothing over androids rough edges sense also featured HTC's famous clock widget which tells you what the weather's like where you are I've never really understood the appeal of that one 2010 saw a streak of major hits including the USA's first 4G phone and the very first Nexus device by the end of the year HTC had sold twenty 4.6 million phones cementing its position as the king of Android the Editors Choice Awards bought in and so did the cash in 2011 HTC went for even bigger chunkier phones it didn't feel like anything would stop the HTC train but then something stopped the HTC train Samsung had been slow off the mark with its own Android devices but didn't lie dormant for long producing the galaxy s2 in 2011 a smartphone that was both shockingly powerful and extremely thin and light almost overnight HTC's mobile started to feel bulky by comparison as if that wasn't enough Google was busy super charging Android 2011 saw the leap from Gingerbread to the futuristic Ice Cream Sandwich followed up by jelly bean a mere nine months later HTC Sense started as an improvement on Android but was quickly becoming less relevant a turning point came in spring 2012 when both HTC and Samsung revealed new flagship phones the slender One X made a good impression but was steamrolled by the glossy galaxy s3 which launched not only to orchestral fanfare but a lavish Olympic ad campaign in shorts the s3 broke the 1 X like Carthaginian general Hannibal shattered the Roman legions at the Battle of the Trebbia look we can do it if we green-screen the river and the Numidian cavalry we have the Romans played by extras about a thousand lots of catering then on my signal the animal handlers released the war elephants across the river for the big climax and seen a Samsung's fortunes rose HTC's fell Samsung doesn't just make Mobile's and its massive size gave it a huge advantage in both assembling phones and marketing them production problems and new rivals made HTC situation worse and in 2013 the company Rafi it was losing money for the first time in its history even a samsung boasted of record profits in the clutches of catastrophe HTC has revealed the One m8 a phone that needs to make a big impression the m8 looks gorgeous and has some really cool camera features but then producing compelling hardware has never been a problem for HTC instead it's the presence of powerful much larger rivals that's making things tough for this small phone maker an Apple and Samsung aren't going anywhere can HTC make a comeback and what do you think of the One m8 let me know and check back next time for another adventure in tech