Store savvy
HTC is rumoured to be planning to launch its own online store selling apps and e-books.
According to two anonymous sources, HTC is busy hiring people to work on its fabled shopping proposition as manufacturers are desperately working out how they can differentiate themselves through content from similar handsets, The FT reported.
HTC's revenues doubled in Q3 of this year to $5.85bn compared with a year ago when it was $2.51bn. However, the phone giant Samsung has reportedly recently overtaken the Taiwanese giant to become the fourth-largest smartphone maker in the world, according to IDC figures.
The FT's sources told the newspaper that HTC is hiring content editors for its planned mobile store, with e-books, magazines and apps rumoured to have been proposed. While it is understood to comprise a small team in Taiwan, HTC reportedly has big ambitions to hire more people until its team reaches some 100 employees, scattered across the world.
HTC reportedly partnered with a US e-book distributor called Kobo last month to offer its books on HTC's phones but the FT's sources believe there is more afoot with a possible expansion of the HTC Sence.com service.
HTC told the newspaper it is: "growing very fast and we are hiring for a variety of positions including marketers, developers, technical writers and many others. We are always exploring new areas we can add value to our customers but we can't comment on our future plans."
HTC's chief exec, Peter Chou has previously said he saw ‘little value' in the firm rolling out its own app store. Yet on the flip side, he is also said to believe that it is not enough for HTC to just add its own skin to Android phones but it needs something more impressive to differentiate itself from other Android offerings.
