Remember when HTC launched a new phone? It all started just a little later than right now yesterday, and when it was all said and done the manufacturer had unveiled their brand new flagship device, the One M8. They outlined why the new device should, or would, be all the rage in the year 2014, as they detailed new sensors, a new Sense, and a physical design that boasts more than 90 percent metal. The One M8 is definitely a worthy upgrade over the previous generation handset, and it does look like HTC might have another hit on their hands.
It's still early goings yet, and HTC has a long road ahead of them before we can make any kind of claim as to the prowess of their new handset. Basically, (less than) one day later, all we have to look at is the phone itself, the features it packs, and the price tag that HTC decided to attach to it. With all of that info, though, the possibility is certainly strong.
The One M8 is a good phone, no doubt about that. It packs all the stuff people want, like a faster processor, a bigger --yet still beautiful-- display, an awesome metallic design, and a big enough battery to get you through the day (probably). You can see it all in our hand's on, which you should definitely do if you want to seal the deal -- one way or another.
With all that, it's probably odd that the thing I'm thinking about most this morning isn't so much the phone itself, but about HTC's release strategy.
Don't get me wrong, the One M8 is a good enough phone to warrant plenty of attention a day after its unveiling, and well into the weeks ahead (when it finally lands in more stores), but that's not the big news as far as I'm concerned. I know, I know, the phone should be the big news, but I honestly think HTC's strategy with the launch of the One M8 here in the United States basically hit it out of the park.
Every manufacturer should be looking to emulate HTC in this regard.
In case you missed it: HTC announced the One M8, talked it up, got everyone excited to wait a few weeks, maybe even a month or two to own it, and then told everyone you could buy it at one PM Eastern. So, essentially, an hour after the announcement ended. For Sprint, AT&T and Verizon, you could just go online and buy the phone, pick next-day shipping, and have a phone today. Bam. Or tomorrow, or some other day other than a month from now. All of those scenarios are a win for the consumer. It gets even better if you're a Verizon customer, because at one PM Eastern you could go into a brick and mortar store and buy one, if you wanted to actually touch the brand new thing before you bought it.
HTC surprised everyone with this launch process, because so far it's been completely unheard of. A few weeks after an announcement? Sure, that's fine. The same day!? Now you're just talking crazy. And yet, here we are, with how ever many people out there just about to get their brand new One M8, when the phone was only announced yesterday.
As far as I'm concerned, this is the best part of the release. The phone's awesome, yes, but the launch itself is the best part of the whole show. I have a question for you, but I feel like it's a pretty easy one this time around: Do you think every manufacturer should aim to release a phone this quickly? Would that make you a happy camper? Let me know!
