Engadget Interviews Peter Chou, CEO of HTC

Engadget scored an interview with Peter Chou, CEO of HTC, the top Asian cellphone maker . Frankly, I don't know what to make of the interview.

Majority of the interview questions were about Android. Unfortunately, the HTC CEO gave very few specific, clear answers. To begin with, he is not a native English speaker, and "some of his replies have been edited (by Engadget) for clarity". To compound matters, there was a certain ambiguity in his answers, which seemed deliberate. And then, he was trying to be politically correct vis-a-vis the Windows Mobile platform (HTC is a big maker of Win Mobile handsets).

For some reason, Engadget seemed to frame many of the Android questions, pitching it against Windows Mobile. This was unnecessary, and it seemed to put Peter Chou on the defensive. He was being very careful not to appear to say anything bad about Win Mobile. Perhaps, he might have answered with more openness if Engadget had asked about Android, without referring to Win Mobile in the same breath.

About two-thirds of the way down into the interview, Jason Gordon, HTC Global Director of Communications, added his two cents to his CEO's response. After this point, the language of the answers changed. But we are not sure if this is because of Engadget's editing of Peter Chou's responses, or if Jason Gordon continued to answer all questions from then on. However, the change in langauge did not lead to any more clarity in the responses. HTC continued to give safe answers, so as not to ruffle their partners, be they Microsoft or the US wireless carriers.

Just about the only clear answer was given when Engadget asked if HTC was going to put Android on any of their existing hardware:

Is that something you have the intention of doing? Using current hardware platforms to run Android?

No.

So it's still going to be about the vertically integrated approach going forward? Not just about throwing any operating system on any piece of hardware.

Right. But, of course, we have a lot of the latest leading-edge wireless technology, so some of our software can definitely leverage that. But products need to be very specific. Today, people really interface with and are really passionate about [our] products, so they need to feel something really unique about them.

So, at least we know that HTC is designing totally new handset models for Android. It will be interesting to see how different the hardware specifications for Android will be compared to some of their existing smartphones.


[via Engadget]

Verizon makes it official: We are open to Android

Since almost nobody (AFAIK*) seemed to be getting it, except this blog, Verizon itself had to come out and make the announcement in the BusinessWeek: Verizon Embraces Google's Android.

(Verizon Wireless's) Chief Executive Officer Lowell McAdam says it now makes sense to get behind Android. "We're planning on using Android," McAdam tells BusinessWeek. "Android is an enabler of what we do."
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When Verizon executives and engineers examined Android's software tool kit, however, they were impressed. "Clearly the Android system gives a lot of developers the opportunity to develop applications for a wide range of handsets," says McAdam. Not only did the company decide to support Android, but McAdam says the new platform was a key influence in adopting open access. "Android really facilitated this move,"says McAdam.

Verizon's acceptance of Android should have been obvious from its previous announcement of opening its network to "any device, any app" in 2008. Yet, BusinessWeek still terms this as "yet another sudden shift" by Verizon!

You might want to checkout the BusinessWeek article, because it has some of the so-far-elusive background story leading upto Verizon's decision of opening its network. Apparently, talks of opening their network were going on among the highest executives at Verizon for almost a year now! That makes you wonder why they went to the extent of suing FCC over the open access requirements of the 700 MHz auction!


[via BusinessWeek]


Related: Verizon opens up to Android


*AFAIK = As Far As I Know

Verizon opens up to Android

Many people have been writing that Verizon's recent announcement to open up its network by the end of 2008 is a reaction to the Google-led Open Handset Alliance. Unbelievably, some people are even seeing this move as a competition to OHA! Others are asking if Verizon will join the OHA after this move. But they are missing out on a different slant to this news: Verizon is opening up to Android-based g(od)Phones!

Verizon has announced that, "any device that meets the minimum technical standard will be activated on the network." Unless something goes very, very bad, there will be lots of Android phones which meet Verizon's minimum technical standards. With this move, Verizon has opened upto Android without even joining the Open Handset Alliance.

Why does Verizon need to join the OHA, anyway? I personally believe that this is a more solid announcement favoring Android by a non-OHA carrier than the same old vague tunes from OHA-member Sprint Nextel!

AT&T's questions for Android

Epicenter, Wired's business blog managed to get a little more response from AT&T, than the vague "analyzing the situation" stance that was in the news last week. In the article AT&T Articulates its Open Handset Alliance Concerns:

Contrary to what the Wall Street Journal recently reported, AT&T's lack of OHA involvement does not seem to be linked to any contractual agreement with Apple. Instead, like everyone else, the company is simply waiting to see what this whole alliance business will mean for the mobile industry.

A company spokesman did get back to EPICENTER and outlined some of the company's more pressing concerns re: Google's Android and the happy-go-lucky alliance.

According to AT&T, those questions include:

• What will customers get on an Android-powered phone that they can't get on their current devices? New content? New applications?


• Will the system be secure enough to prevent viruses, hacking and other potential problems?


• What safeguards will be in place to protect customer's privacy?


• If Gmail is the default e-mail, how easy will it be for customers to access other email platforms?

In other words, how much is Google's new OS going to crap up the traditional carrier business model and take control away from likes of AT&T and Verizon?