With HTC’s current predicament at hand, one would think it very wise for them to acquire company like Palm. With Palm’s lack of sales on its WebOS line up, rumors of a buyout gave Palm’s stock reason to rally. But, as smart as many might think it would be for HTC to buy the beleaguered smartphone maker, they seem to think they don’t need them, and have decided against buying Palm.
It’s long been thought that the only reason Apple did not go after Palm when it included multitouch support in its WebOS operating system was the overwhelming threat of of Palm counter-suing – the company has a vast patent portfolio that spans many years in the tech business. Palm’s intellectual property alone is enough reason to buy the company, and it seems they have been undervalued. But to investors, numbers are the truth, and Palm’s numbers don’t speak so loudly. When I read HTC would not be buying Palm, I was pretty shocked. When it comes to the lawsuit that Apple has slapped on HTC, the Evo 4G-making company seems to need all of the help they can get.
HTC’s custom user interface, Sense UI, has been upgraded to Android 2.1, and you can currently find it on devices like the Droid Incredible, and the HTC Desire. After playing with one of the ROMs running the updated version of Sense on my Nexus One, I can certainly see why Apple has gone after them. Many things that you’d be used to see in the iPhone have a very similar vibe on Sense. The most notable, text selection for copy and paste. While HTC adds some functionality to this feature, it’s undoubtedly reminiscent of the iPhone’s functionality. I’m sure there are more reasons that Apple is going after HTC, but after using the updated Sense UI, that feature in particular jumps out as the most obvious.
So why would HTC say no? There must be something we’ve missed out on, because it just seems like such a saving grace for both companies. HTC needs to beef up their IP, and Palm needs some decent hardware – something HTC has proven they can deliver. It looked like a win-win situation to me.
Whatever the case may be, hopefully this was the right move for HTC. Apple has firmly stated its distaste for Android, and being the king of the Android of the world at the moment, HTC doesn’t really stand much of a chance without patents to possibly counter-sue Apple in hopes of a settlement. Even if HTC has a good, firm grip on the situation, they surely don’t have the money Apple would spit into this lawsuit. Or maybe they are just waiting for Google to get into the game? Oh well, it’s done and over with.
What are your thoughts on the situation? Think it was a good call HTC decided not to buy Palm? Let us know in the comments.
[Via: TechCrunch]