HTC’s share price leaves a brand with no value
HTC’s recent trading – which has seen a 60 percent devaluation in the stock price this year – has effectively left the brand with no value, as its market capitalisation of NT$47 billion ($1.5 billion) is less than its cash on hand position (NT$47.2 billion).
HTC in video:
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As a result of this trading, the company’s trading means the only thing valuable to shareholders is HTC’s cash position and effectively means the Taiwanese company’s brand, factories and buildings are worthless. It’s a far cry for the company who was once the best selling brand in the U.S. and as we’ve touched on, its product strategy has played a large part in this decline.
From the failure to build on the heights of the HTC One X+ to the failure of the new HTC One M9 smartphone to ignite thanks to more impressive devices from rivals, the capitulation of HTC has been steadily approaching and given its share price, it’s safe to say it has arrived. Its forecasts for the third quarter are less than inspiring and a 30 percent reduction in One M9 component orders thanks to poor demand has hit its bottom line. Vast competition from Apple and Samsung in the high-end and Huawei and Xiaomi at the mid-range means HTC continue to struggle to sell handsets.
HTC’s Product Strategy – time to change?
To combat this decline, HTC’s plans to focus on the high-end where profits are much higher, with Chief Financial Officer Chang Chialin confirming that cost cutting will begin this quarter and start to show results in the financial statements by the first quarter. However, according to Bloomberg, analysts are predicting that HTC won’t record profits until the end of 2017 with Birdy Lu, an analyst at Deutsche Bank AG, also adding:
“We think these efforts are not enough to turn HTC around in the next two years. HTC has little chance to compete with iPhone and Samsung given limited resources, and might continue to lose shares to Chinese brands in mid/low-end segment.”
Do you think HTC can recover from its perilous current situation? What do you think the company can realistically do to regain its former heights? Let us know your views in the comments below!
Android vulnerability can lead to stolen fingerprints “in a large scale”
Biometric security is on the rise as more manufacturers adopt advanced security systems. The most popular method is the use of fingerprint sensors, a technique that has proven to be among the most secure and accurate. But is it really the safest authentication technique?
According to researchers Tao Wei and Yulong Zhang, from FireEye, there is a significant vulnerability in Android devices with fingerprint sensors, which can lead to mass fingerprint data theft.
This research was to be announced at the Black Hat conference in Las Vegas, and it’s said to include four methods hackers can use for stealing fingerprints. One of them is particularly worrisome. It is named the ‘fingerprint sensor spying attack’, and it can remotely steal fingerprint data “in a large scale”.
The attack has been confirmed on two popular smartphones – the HTC One Max and the Samsung Galaxy S5. This is not an isolated issue, though. It seems this is a problem that affects most Android smartphones with a fingerprint sensor, especially the popular ones from Samsung, HTC and Huawei.
The issue lies on the fact that most of these sensors are not fully protected on both a root and system level. Yulong Zhang goes on to mention that Apple’s iPhone is actually more secure, as it encrypts data from the scanner. Even if a hacker gains access to the reader, he would not be able to obtain a clean fingerprint image.
This news is especially bad right now, as we finally start to get over the Stagefright pandemonium. And an attack on this biometric information would be critical, because fingerprints are something that lasts a lifetime. Hackers would be able to harm you for an indefinite period of time.
It’s said affected manufacturers have patched the vulnerability by now, so you don’t have much to worry about now. But the issue does continue to have relevance for future security concerns. As devices become more secure, we tend to trust them with more personal information and private data. This means that when we do get attacked, the results will be more significant.
Those who want to read all the details can take a look at the presentation slide show and research paper. There’s more than enough details there, so have at it!
What do you think? Should we trust our devices with our biometric data? Should we just dump these systems and stick to our antiquated PINs and passwords?
Here are the videos you don’t want to miss this week – August 8th, 2015
We’re in the midst of wrapping up yet another busy week in the Android world. This week didn’t provide us with as many major product announcements as last week, but that doesn’t mean the news stops there.
If you’ve missed any of our video coverage throughout the past few days, we’re here to help. Below you’ll find our full reviews of the Motorola Moto G 2015, as well as two lesser-known smartphones, the ASUS ZenFone 2E and the Lenovo K3 Note. We’ve also rounded up some of the best Android smartphones, applications and games and put them in video form for your viewing pleasure.
Here are the videos you don’t want to miss:
Reviews
Motorola Moto G 2015 review
Although Motorola just recently announced the budget-friendly Moto G 2015, we’ve already gotten to spend a significant amount of time with the affordable handset. Previous Moto G models have been widely known as the “king of the budget smartphone”, but can Motorola’s newest model keep the crown? Nirave puts the phone to the test in our full review.
ASUS ZenFone 2E review
At just $119.99, the AT&T-exclusive ASUS ZenFone 2E offers users a premium design and a solid user experience at an incredible price point. Take a look at Josh’s full review to find out if this new device is worth your money.
Lenovo K3 Note review
Offering users a great high-resolution display, smooth performance, and impressive battery life, our own Bailey Stein says Lenovo’s K3 Note is one of the best Android smartphones available in the budget market. Check out the full review to see if you agree.
The best smartphones, apps and games
Best Android smartphones (Summer 2015)
With tons of newcomers making their way to the high-end market, our list of best Android smartphones has changed quite a bit over the past few months. Check out the full post and video overview to see which smartphone reigns supreme.
10 best new Android apps and games from July 2015
While summertime is normally a slower time in the technology community, there have been a slew of awesome games making their way to the Google Play Store. Joe rounds up the 10 best new Android apps and games that you don’t want to miss.
How to…
How to install a tablet in your car
Looking for a DIY alternative to those expensive Android Auto head units? Look no further – our own Taylor Martin is here to walk you through how to install an Android tablet in your car.
Android Apps Weekly
Square Enix sale, a new Humble Bundle, a new celebrity shooter game (yes, really) and more – you don’t want to miss Joe’s newest episode of Android Apps Weekly!
Opinions and news
How can HTC turn the ship around?
HTC has just revealed its Q2 financial results, and they aren’t pretty. While Bogdan takes a good look at what’s going wrong for the company in the full post attached below, Jayce does a great job at walking us through HTC’s woes in this video.
Leaked: Galaxy Note 5, Xperia M5 & C5 Ultra, NVIDIA Shield Tablet runs hot
Last but not least, Jayce put together an informative news roundup video that’s filled with stories you don’t want to miss. From Galaxy Note 5 leaks to NVIDIA Shield Tablet overheating issues, this video covers it all.
Is HTC Android’s first falling giant?
HTC has announced “significant cuts” and slashed jobs after posting a $265 million net loss, with more losses promised for the future. Reuters is reporting that the poor performance has been blamed on the company’s One series of flagships that, while accomplished, are losing out to “more fashionable phones” in the market. TechCrunch is saying that HTC is hoping to reverse this trend by turning its attentions to the middle-tier of the market, devices that cost between $300 and $500, parking its tanks squarely on the lawns of Chinese rivals Huawei and Xiaomi.
HTC’s woes are likely to start a round of serious bloodletting in the Android industry, as companies fight off multiple threats to their business. For a start, many established players are feeling the squeeze as newer, younger rivals produce hardware of a similar quality but are happy to make a much smaller profit. Then there’s the fact that the smartphone market has matured to the point where there aren’t millions of people all looking to buy their first device any more. For years, China was thought of as a rich, untapped seam of fresh customers, but a recent IDC report claims that the country is now locked into the same upgrade cycle as everybody else.
HTC is hoping to get ahead of the curve by turning its attentions towards India, which is seen as the next big market for manufacturers looking for a fast buck. Unfortunately, this could be too little, too late, since OnePlus, Xiaomi and even ASUS are now directing efforts to gain a foothold in the country. In addition, established local player Micromax has teamed up with independent Android firm Cyanogen to bolster its software efforts and lure in customers. Google’s not helping either, since its Android One program is ensuring that bargain-basement firms can produce devices with a half-decent experience for very little cash.
At this point you have to hope HTC has a really good plan B. pic.twitter.com/Dv4d58UJKX
— Charles Arthur (@charlesarthur) August 6, 2015
None of this bodes too well for HTC, and this tweet (above) has been circulating, highlighting how long its business has been in a state of decline. Looking at the (rough) numbers since the first “One” flagship, the general trend is clear for anyone to see. Since 2012, the firm’s revenue has gently declined in a fairly regular pattern, with only the launch of each new flagship propping it up. But every new release brings in a little less cash than its predecessor, and these diminishing returns aren’t putting smiles on anyone’s faces.
Of course, HTC isn’t going to collapse overnight, and its VR partnership with Valve might just prove the boost that the company needs. It’s not unfair, however, to say that it’s very hard to pull out of one of these death-spirals when you’re in one. That job is even harder since, unlike deep-pocketed firms like Sony and LG, HTC doesn’t have other profit-making appliance and manufacturing divisions that can prop it up when times are hard. We’ve already seen how this story played out at Nokia and BlackBerry, and this could be the third case of history repeating itself in as many years.
Filed under:
Cellphones, HTC
Tags: Android, Business, China, Financials, htc, India, Sales, VR
Unidentified HTC smartphone passes through the FCC with support for Verizon’s carrier bands
Earlier today, an unannounced HTC-branded smartphone carrying the model number 0PM9310 passed through the United States of America’s official certification authority — the FCC. Information included in the brief filing documentation reveals that we’re looking a mid-range handset with a removable backplate that’s heading to Verizon.
Unfortunately, the paperwork doesn’t disclose anything about the internals of the device, but we do know that the slate is set to pack a variety of different connectivity options, including support for Big Red’s 4G carrier bands (5, 7, 2, 4, and 13), GSM, WCDMA, Bluetooth Class 1 (Version 4.0, LE+EDR), 802.11b/802.11g/802.11n Wi-Fi, NFC and GPS.
That’s pretty much all the information we have about the HTC 0PM9310 at this point.
If you wish to view the full FCC filing – just click the source link below.
Source: FCC
Come comment on this article: Unidentified HTC smartphone passes through the FCC with support for Verizon’s carrier bands
HTC is in trouble and it’s going to cut jobs and products to get back in the black
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The trials and tribulations of Taiwanese smartphone manufacturer, HTC, are well documented by the media, and after their latest poor financial performance – yet another quarter of losses and predictions for another to follow – it looks like HTC has hit rock bottom: HTC is in trouble. As a result, HTC Chief Financial Officer Chialin Chang has told reporters that jobs will be cut: “The cuts will be across the board. They will be significant,” Chang said.
That’s not the only thing that will be cut; HTC is said to cut its product line-up down to a bare minimum, saying it will focus on high-end devices. While that’s what I thought they said 6 months ago, HTC says they have great market share in places like India, where they command a 20% share in the $250-$400 USD segment. Analysts aren’t buying it (and frankly neither are we) – analysts expect HTC to struggle for at least the next four quarters. “We believe HTC will keep losing share in the smartphone market and will keep losing money,” says Calvin Huang, analyst at SinoPac Securities. it really can’t be helped by the perception that HTC has become unoriginal and confused in the market – this year’s HTC One M9 is pretty much the embodiment of that. We’ll see what the next year or so has in store for the “quietly brilliant” manufacturer.
What do you think about HTC’s situation? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
Source: Reuters via Droid-life
The post HTC is in trouble and it’s going to cut jobs and products to get back in the black appeared first on AndroidSPIN.
Researchers can take complete control of Android phones
The wave of security issues with devices, cars and even skateboards continues as Check Point researchers presented a vulnerability at the Black Hat conference that could potentially open millions of Android up to hackers. Dubbed Certifi-gate, the researchers say that vulnerabilities in the OEM (manufacturers of Android devices like Samsung, LG and Sony) implementation of Remote Support allows a third party app’s plugins to access a device’s screens and actions using an OEMs own signed certificates.
That means a nefarious individual could see what you’re doing and control your phone or tablet. And according to the researchers, there’s no reasonable way to revoke the certificates as an end user. Check Point noted that the devices that could suffer from Certifi-gate are from LG, Samsung, HTC and ZTE and that these OEMs have released updates to mitigate the issue. Both Check Point and Google have noted that Nexus devices are not prone to the vulnerability.
Check Point’s Technology Leader of Mobile Threat Detection, Avi Bashan told Engadget that the vulnerability stems from an issue in Android’s security architecture and that OEMs created flawed implementations of the remote support tools to get round the Android issue. The companies jsut didn;t do a very good job at it. Bashan also noted that for many, the vulnerability may not go away any time soon because of the long update time associated with Android devices.
Concerning the vulnerability Samsung issued the following statement: “At Samsung, we understand that our success depends on consumers’ trust in us, and the products and services that we provide. We are aware of Check Point’s alleged claims, and Samsung has addressed this issue. Samsung encourages users not to execute unsecure apps.”
A Google spokesperson told Engadget: “We want to thank the researcher for identifying the issue and flagging it for us. The issue they’ve detailed pertains to customizations OEMs make to Android devices and they are providing updates which resolve the issue.”
Like Samsung, Google urged Android users to get their apps from the trusted sources, “in order for a user to be affected, they’d need to install a potentially harmful application which we continually monitor for with VerifyApps and SafetyNet. We strongly encourage users to install applications from a trusted source, such as Google Play.”
Bashan said that it’s possible for an app that exploits the vulnerability to get through the Google Play verification service because the app can look perfectly legit while its associated plugin could lead to the device being compromised. Either way, until your phone gets the update, it’s probably a good idea to skip side-loading apps.
Check Point has made the full report of their findings available online and has created a free app that scans for apps that use the Certifi-gate vulnerability.
Filed under:
Misc, Internet, Sony, HTC, Google, LG
Source:
Check Point
Tags: Android, BlackHat, CheckPoint, google, htc, lg, Security, sony
HTC is struggling and will continue to struggle
HTC delivered its Q2 2015 financial results, and, as expected, there’s nothing to smile about.
The embattled Taiwanese company announced it’s back in the red, with an operating loss of NT$5.1 billion ($161 million) and a net loss of NT$8.0 billion ($252 million) at a revenue of NT$33.0 billion ($1.04 billion). The difference between the operating loss and the net loss is due to “idled assets” related to the production of the One M9. Basically, HTC had to pay for unused production capacity, to the tune of $92 million, following lower than expected demand for its flagship phone.
HTC provided a couple of graphics that really illustrate how deep the quagmire it found itself in is.
HTC revenues over the past 5 quarters
HTC operating profits over the past 5 quarters
Consider that Q2 2015 was the first full quarter of availability for the One M9. It was the time for the M9 to show its mettle and really help HTC return to growth. Instead, the device actually held back the company.
It’s going to get worse before it gets better. HTC estimates revenue of NT$19 billion to NT$22 billion ($600 million to $695 million). Put on graph, that would look like this:
HTC CFO Chialin Chang outlined the three areas the company will focus over the next months on in order to return to profit:
- HTC intends to implement further “company-wide efficiency measures to reduce operating costs across the organization and ensure resources are appropriately allocated to future growth.” We say “further” because cost-cutting is what allowed HTC to remain profitable (even if barely) in previous quarters. It remains to be seen from where will HTC cut costs next. The company already outsourced parts of its manufacturing, though higher-end models are still made in-house.
- HTC said that new devices that are more “trendy” are coming by the end of the year. These devices will “address premium segments” but they won’t be flagships. This sounds a lot like more Desire phones, which HTC has been billing as “premium mid-range.”
- HTC hopes to capitalize on new segments like VR, where it boasts a “first mover advantage.” But VR is still uncharted water, and we’re skeptical it will provide HTC the deliverance it needs.
See also: The biggest 3 challenges facing major Android OEM’s
HTC is not, by any means, the only Android OEM that’s suffering right now, but its bout of sickness appears to be the result of a chronic disorder. CFO Chiang said that the measures the company is now taking won’t bear fruit until at least early next year. Expect another grim report in Q3.
HTC to cut jobs, discontinue models to revive market share
In a bid to revive its losing market share, HTC has announced to cut jobs and discontinue models as part of its cost reduction strategy. The Taiwanese smartphone company wants to focus on making high-end devices instead, something – it believes – will help it compete against Apple and Samsung.
“The cuts will be across the board. They will be significant,” HTC CFO Chialin Chang told reporters, adding that the cost reductions will be implemented by the first quarter next year.
Chang said HTC was hoping to sell high-end models in growing markets such as India, where the company has a 20 percent market share of mid to high range phones.
Once a major player in the smartphone industry, HTC has been grappling in losses. Just like the past few years, the company reported a second-quarter loss and the trade pundits are expecting the outlook to remain gloomy for the next four quarters as well. So far, HTC shares have fallen 51 percent this year.
“We believe HTC will keep losing share in the smartphone market and will keep losing money,” analyst Calvin Huang with Taiwan’s SinoPac Securities wrote in a recent research note.
The company’s poor state of the affairs has been attributed to its unoriginal and confused ideas as well as increasing competition in the high-end segment from Apple Corp and Samsung Electronics and countless phone makers in the budget segment.
Source: Reuters
Come comment on this article: HTC to cut jobs, discontinue models to revive market share
Android fingerprint readers may be easier to hack than Touch ID
There’s nothing like a Black Hat Security Conference to leave you feeling exposed and vulnerable. Today’s compromise? Fingerprint readers. Security researchers Tao Wei and Yulong Zhang have exposed some pretty significant flaws in the Android fingerprint framework. The duo outlined a couple of different attacks — including malware that can bypass fingerprint-authenticated payment systems and various backdoor attacks — but the biggest offender was a “fingerprint sensor spying attack” that could remotely lift prints from affected phones. Researchers found the attack viable on both the HTC One Max and the Samsung Galaxy S5, but not on iPhone or other Touch ID devices.
The security discrepancy is pretty huge. Affected devices simply don’t do enough to lock down their fingerprint scanners, often leaving them at the mercy of higher level system privileges. Apple’s Touch ID, on the other hand, won’t give up fingerprint data without a crypto key, Zhang told ZDNet — even if an attacker has direct access to the fingerprint sensor.
The exploit is particularly troubling in light of the kind of information at stake: passwords can be changed if your credentials are compromised, but you can’t change your fingerprints. Thankfully, device manufacturers are on the case: notified vendors have already issued patches for the exploit. Keep your device updated and you should be fine.
Filed under:
Misc, Mobile, Samsung, HTC, Google
Tags: android, blackhat, BlackHatConference, fingerprint, google, htc, mobilepostcross, samsung, security, touchid
AIVAnet 