14 DAY TRIAL // HTC and Samsung are the undisputed champions of the smartphone market in the second quarter of 2014. With Sony struggling to boost Xperia Z2 stocks and LG yet to announce its next flagship smartphone, the G3, we’re now watching a 1 vs. 1 clash that doesn’t seem to have started in fair conditions for both fighters.
While Samsung has managed to gather millions of fans thanks to its Galaxy S series, HTC has lost lots of its fans to other operating systems or brands due to some botched devices or simply by not investing so much in marketing.
Even though last year’s HTC One (M7) was the most awarded smartphone of 2013, it still did not offer the Taiwanese company the financial boost it hoped to keep it above the red line. The opposite of HTC One M7, Samsung Galaxy S4 was blasphemed by reviewers, media and fans alike, mostly due to its cheap look.
Now, you have two smartphones that have almost identical specs (with few exceptions), but they are completely opposite when it comes to design.
Between the HTC One M7 with its premium look, made of anodized aluminum on one hand, and the cheap-looking Samsung Galaxy S4 that uses a hyper glazed plastic, which one would you choose?
It appears that most people have chosen the Samsung Galaxy S4, even if they were fewer than those who bought the Galaxy S III one year ago.
This year, the history seems to repeat itself, as Samsung’s official Galaxy S5 sales are over the charts, while HTC is mostly focusing its sales in the United States and the UK.
Both flagship smartphones are now available in all major markets, but HTC seems to be pushing its One M8 with the help of promo and ads only in the most important markets.
Obviously, the Taiwanese company does not have the financial strength of Samsung’s, which is why it needs to target where it hopes to get more sales. This is one of the reasons that Galaxy S5 is likely to sell much better than the HTC One M8.
The good news is that HTC One M8 sales are strong, at least in the United States where HTC’s President Jason Mackenzie has confirmed that the flagships smartphone is on a roll for the third and fourth week since it got released on the market.
It appears that the One M8 sales are much higher than those of its predecessor during the same period, which means that HTC is gathering more and more followers.
Even though this year’s Galaxy S smartphone kept its plastic chassis, the gorgeous HTC One M8 will not sell better due to the lower market base of the Taiwanese handset maker.
With the recent launch of the HTC One M8 Harman Kardon Edition in the United States, the company is trying to tap into another type of consumers, the audiophiles.
In addition to that, a new set of ads and promos will start airing in these major countries beginning next month, which hopefully will attract more customers into opting for the aluminum-clad HTC One M8 instead of the plastic Samsung Galaxy S5.
If HTC manages to keep the One M8 sales strong for the next couple of months, it will be in a much better position for the next year, when HTC will be much stronger financially to compete with the South Korean colossus. What do you think about HTC’s momentum? Share your thoughts with us in the comments.