MWC 2015 – HTC: ‘Vive RE headset goes a long way … “- ZDNet France

Barcelona – HTC has surprised everyone in Barcelona. Not with its new high-end smartphone M9 One particularly successful, but rather because of the announcement of a virtual reality helmet designed with Valve. We met Francis Hernandez, director of HTC France, to take stock of this strategy that clearly put on diversification

-ZDNet.fr. In a smartphone market driven by the the low-cost, HTC seems to maintain a premium strategy?

– François Hernandez : Yes, we are maintaining our strategy because it works. Our expertise is the premium, it is a pillar of our DNA. We apply this principle to all market segments, especially when strengthening the mid-range or as now on the top of the catalog. Today, HTC is profitable again, confirming our choices. Apart from Apple and Samsung, nobody makes profits in the industry.

-Néanmoins, we do not see a gain in market share, HTC is still quite far from the Top 5 …

There are geographical disparities and trade. In France for example, 60% of smartphones sold are models below 150 euros, we do not necessarily have the range to address all market. We do not change the way: one remains, whatever the premium segment

-Y-is he still room on the high end, facing the juggernaut Apple and Samsung.

Yes, make a cross on the high end for a perfectly estr suicidal manufacturer. With high-end models that a manufacturer is able to show what he is capable of doing. It is this segment that the brand images develop. We are legitimate, then there is no reason to give up.

-Even proposing a design for the M9 almost similar to its predecessors?

It was the most award-winning design, why do we change? The real risk is to break this heritage with a design out to disappoint our users. The most popular design by changing keys. We do not want to break everything.

-HTC clearly opted for a strategy of diversification with cameras, activity bracelets … a pragmatic choice facing saturation in some smartphones ? Market

We just held the third part of our strategy: expanding the spectrum. We start new uses and develops products around these uses. Today, the smartphone remains at the heart of our business but the technologies can go further.

-As augmented reality? Can you tell us more about the helmet Re Vive?

Augmented reality is the boom in the next decade, we believe. We will propose a device that allows you to go away, and offer extensive experience. It is serene because we have a large community of developers to create multiple applications, not just the gaming via the partnership with Valve.

We will go much further than that, this headset will, for example vocation for use in companies, for example, a furniture dealer who will no longer need physical showroom to show its products. Armchair and our helmet enough …

-You announce availability before the end of the year, while the SDK will be available shortly? Is not it a little short to develop true compelling applications?

Rest assured, we are already working with many partners, many developers are working on the issue. This may seem short, but it also wants to show developers that there is a framework and a clear timetable. This speeds up the process. Developers can quickly buy a dedicated version of the helmet (a price not yet, Ed).

You are a Microsoft partner, still no Windows Phone the horizon?

We remain committed to Android but if we are still working with Microsoft. It is too early to talk about the Windows 10 cases but there are permanent contacts with the two firms. If it makes sense, we’ll go.