TAIPEI, Taiwan — HTC wants to be successful again, Cher Wang, CEO of HTC, HTC’s CEO, has notably stepped up to the plate by telling her employees that the One A9 would be a good alternative to the iPhone 6, citing that it “strikes a balance between beauty, performance and simplicity.” Unfortunately, there’s a fine line between good alternative and bad copy.
HTC has been in a slump due to the low demand for their products. The reason is that the company can’t compete with Apple and Samsung in high-end handsets, as well as falls behind Huawei and Xiaomi. The company should by all means to make a strong comeback by delivering a new, much more desirable product.
However, the A9 turns out to be nothing but a disappointment in terms of its specifications and appearance. On the other hand, lack of innovation and creativity.
Firstly, the A9 takes after the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6S so much. Though HTC actually started its uni-body aluminium design in 2013. The fact is that nobody cares, people simply see this new product a copy of iPhone 6 or iPhone 6S.
Secondly, the company stated that it hasn't gone for USB Type-C because it's not a mass market. In fact, wireless charging is not a mass market comparing to the wired charging. Samsung’s Galaxy S6 features it. In other words, Samsung chose to be a pioneer, while HTC stayed as a follower.
Regardless of its similarities to Apple's flagship, it seems that the A9 only has the competitive advantage in its price tag. For those who can’t afford iPhone 6 or iPhone 6S, the A9 is indeed a good alternative. (or a bad copy?)
