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In 2008, a quirky little phone with a slide-out keyboard went on sale for $179. It was the T-Mobile G1 — the HTC Dream — the first Android phone ever sold. And the Taiwanese company that built it, HTC, would be worth $33.8 billion just three years later, briefly bigger than Nokia and the number-one smartphone seller in the United States. Then it lost almost everything.
This is the full rise and fall of HTC: how a "ghost factory" from Taoyuan that secretly built everyone else's phones became the pioneer of the entire Android world — and how one quiet, disciplined decision handed that future to Samsung. From Cher Wang and Peter Chou, to the "Quietly Brilliant" strategy, the all-metal HTC One, the Apple patent ban, and the final irony of Google buying HTC's Pixel engineers for $1.1 billion, this is the story of the company that built the first Android and lost the war it started.
If you owned an HTC Dream, a Desire, or an HTC One, this one is for you. Tell us your model in the comments — the archive is being written down there.
📌 SOURCES
Google scoops up HTC's Pixel team for $1.1 billion (The Motley Fool): https://www.fool.com/investing/2017/09/21/google-scoops-up-htcs-pixel-team-for-11-billion.aspx HTC's market capitalization reaches $33.8b, overshadows Nokia and RIM (Engadget): https://www.engadget.com/2011-04-07-htcs-market-capitalization-reaches-33-8b-overshadows-nokia-an.html Remembering the first Android phone, the T-Mobile G1 / HTC Dream (Android Authority): https://www.androidauthority.com/first-android-phone-t-mobile-g1-htc-dream-906362/ Does it matter that HTC's marketing budget is just 20 percent of Samsung's? (GeekWire): https://www.geekwire.com/2014/matter-htcs-marketing-budget-just-20-percent-samsungs/ HTC and Apple Settle Patent Dispute (Apple Newsroom): https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2012/11/11HTC-and-Apple-Settle-Patent-Dispute/
Additional sources: HTC Corporation — Wikipedia; HTC Dream — Wikipedia; HTC surpasses Nokia's market value as smartphones drive profit — Bloomberg; HTC Corp's market value surpasses that of Nokia — Taipei Times; 10 years ago we met the T-Mobile G1 — PCWorld; Factors That Helped The Collapse Of HTC's Market Share — Android Headlines; HTC One (M7) — Wikipedia; Pixel team is now in-house as Google closes $1.1 billion HTC deal — TechCrunch; Samsung's curious overshadowing of HTC — Engadget.
This channel is made by an enthusiast who loves business and technology history — nothing more. All videos are for educational and entertainment purposes only and reflect my personal views and interpretations. I research each story carefully using publicly available sources, but errors or omissions can happen. Nothing here is professional, financial, or legal advice, and this channel is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by any company mentioned.
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCb0ps9eCp0y6yP1Xg4sDDFw?sub_confirmation=1
In 2008, a quirky little phone with a slide-out keyboard went on sale for $179. It was the T-Mobile G1 — the HTC Dream — the first Android phone ever sold. And the Taiwanese company that built it, HTC, would be worth $33.8 billion just three years later, briefly bigger than Nokia and the number-one smartphone seller in the United States. Then it lost almost everything.
This is the full rise and fall of HTC: how a "ghost factory" from Taoyuan that secretly built everyone else's phones became the pioneer of the entire Android world — and how one quiet, disciplined decision handed that future to Samsung. From Cher Wang and Peter Chou, to the "Quietly Brilliant" strategy, the all-metal HTC One, the Apple patent ban, and the final irony of Google buying HTC's Pixel engineers for $1.1 billion, this is the story of the company that built the first Android and lost the war it started.
If you owned an HTC Dream, a Desire, or an HTC One, this one is for you. Tell us your model in the comments — the archive is being written down there.
📌 SOURCES
Google scoops up HTC's Pixel team for $1.1 billion (The Motley Fool): https://www.fool.com/investing/2017/09/21/google-scoops-up-htcs-pixel-team-for-11-billion.aspx HTC's market capitalization reaches $33.8b, overshadows Nokia and RIM (Engadget): https://www.engadget.com/2011-04-07-htcs-market-capitalization-reaches-33-8b-overshadows-nokia-an.html Remembering the first Android phone, the T-Mobile G1 / HTC Dream (Android Authority): https://www.androidauthority.com/first-android-phone-t-mobile-g1-htc-dream-906362/ Does it matter that HTC's marketing budget is just 20 percent of Samsung's? (GeekWire): https://www.geekwire.com/2014/matter-htcs-marketing-budget-just-20-percent-samsungs/ HTC and Apple Settle Patent Dispute (Apple Newsroom): https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2012/11/11HTC-and-Apple-Settle-Patent-Dispute/
Additional sources: HTC Corporation — Wikipedia; HTC Dream — Wikipedia; HTC surpasses Nokia's market value as smartphones drive profit — Bloomberg; HTC Corp's market value surpasses that of Nokia — Taipei Times; 10 years ago we met the T-Mobile G1 — PCWorld; Factors That Helped The Collapse Of HTC's Market Share — Android Headlines; HTC One (M7) — Wikipedia; Pixel team is now in-house as Google closes $1.1 billion HTC deal — TechCrunch; Samsung's curious overshadowing of HTC — Engadget.
This channel is made by an enthusiast who loves business and technology history — nothing more. All videos are for educational and entertainment purposes only and reflect my personal views and interpretations. I research each story carefully using publicly available sources, but errors or omissions can happen. Nothing here is professional, financial, or legal advice, and this channel is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by any company mentioned.
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