Google[1] late Wednesday announced that it would pay $1.1 billion (roughly Rs. 7,159 crores)[2] for employees from HTC's smartphone unit, prompting waves upon waves of speculation about what might come next from this hookup.
But I have one hope: that Google's clout and HTC's design can give us something to challenge Apple[3] and Samsung[4].
Now, let me be clear. I'm not against either Apple or Samsung - they both make nice phones. I'm also not saying there aren't other smartphone companies out there, because there obviously are. But while there are firms doing interesting things - Essential, LG, even Google's former acquisition Motorola[5] - it definitely feels like this is Apple and Samsung's market and we're all just living in it.
Having more players is also good for innovation. "Two is better than one. But three is better than two," said Patrick Moorhead, principal analyst at Moor Insights.
Yes, it's true that both Apple and Samsung face pressure globally from smartphone makers, particularly in China, where cheaper smartphones from companies such as Huawei are getting better[6]. But it's still hard not to say Apple and Samsung are at the top when, combined, they make up 74 percent of the USÂ smartphone market, according to comScore, as well as 94 percent of the global industry's profits, according to Strategy Analytics.
Many have tried and failed to at least become a viable third player for the smartphone world. Microsoft[7] and Nokia[8] hooked up and, for a time, put out interesting phones that ultimately didn't capture consumers' hearts. Google's acquisition of Motorola was a clear attempt to take on the iPhone and...