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Re:Google Is Close to Buying HTC Assets to Bolster Hardware by drzaiusapelord on Wednesday September 20, 2017 @02:37PM (#15296896)
Considering the recent Pixels were made by HTC, I think Google just wants to cut out the middle man and have its own phone hardware business for the Pixel. This allows them to compete with Apple by having an official flagship and by being able to produce this flagship without the added cost of another company's profits and the whims of cellphone OEMs too focused on their own branded products, and all the inefficiencies that brings.

HTC has everything Google needs for an in-house Pixel from soup to nuts and they're hurting for money. Its a happy coincidence HTC is collapsing right when Google is getting serious about launching its own branded flagship phones.

I also suspect aggressive moves like this mean that Samsung is probably going to pull the trigger on a full Tizen move and eventually stop producing android phones. The Pixel is aimed right at Galaxy buyers. I'm skeptical this is just a coincidence. The agreement that Nexus was kinda, sorta a developer's phone and will always be hobbled by mid-range camera, battery, and storage seems to have ended with the Pixel line.

I just received a Pixel after my 6P died and its about the closest to iPhone quality I've seen on an Android device. Its clearly a serious attempt by Google to have a proper branded flagship.

Re:Google Is Close to Buying HTC Assets to Bolster Hardware by Apocryphon on Wednesday September 20, 2017 @03:54PM (#15297597)
As much as it's entertaining to see Samsung try to prop up Tizen as a deterrent against Google, it hardly seems ready for mass adoption.
Re:Google Is Close to Buying HTC Assets to Bolster Hardware by ocdtrekkie on Wednesday September 20, 2017 @04:50PM (#15298118)
It likely isn't a top priority for Samsung, so resources on it could likely be better. I presume if Samsung decided to actually pull the trigger, they'd release one last Android phone while massively ramping up the scale of their Tizen division to get it ready to ship.
Re:Google Is Close to Buying HTC Assets to Bolster Hardware by bitmapbrother on Wednesday September 20, 2017 @06:30PM (#15298935)
I don't see why Google needs their own phone hardware business anymore than I see Apple acquiring Foxconn because they need their own phone hardware business. Apple or Google does not want to take on the overhead of manufacturing phones. HTC has a very good R&D department and that's likely the crown jewel of what Google is after. I would be surprised if this was more than just a acquihire.
Re:Google Is Close to Buying HTC Assets to Bolster Hardware by throwaway2048 on Wednesday September 20, 2017 @02:41PM (#15296936)
If only they didnt have their own phone hardware divison previously.