Things may be falling apart for HTC. The company is losing key employees in the wake of production issues with the HTC One and the flop of its Facebook Home phone, the HTC First.
HTC's flagship Android phone, the HTC One, has received rave reviews and even beat the Samsung Galaxy S4 in our own face-off, but that hasn't stopped a wave of executives from exiting. According to The Verge, the company's chief product officer, Kouji Kodera, left the company last week, joining the VP of global communications, the global retail marketing manager, director of digital marketing and HTC Asia CEO.
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Eric Lin, who was HTC's product strategy manager, tweeted the following: To all my friends still at @HTC - just quit. leave now. it’s tough to do, but you’ll be so much happier."
HTC attempted to capture a niche market with the HTC First, a phone that runs Facebook's heavily modified Android skin. But the phone has not been well received, prompting a price drop from $99 to 99 cents in less than a month. Additionally, Facebook Home is available for free in the Google Play store, allowing users to try the experience without committing to an entirely new phone.
Peter Chou, CEO of HTC, reportedly told senior executives that he would step down as chief executive if the HTC One is not a success. But despite strong reviews from critics, the HTC One's manufacturing snafus and accompanying release delays coincided with Samsung's wide release of the Galaxy S4, allowing the already dominant Android phone maker to seize an even stronger hold on the market.
It remains to be seen whether HTC will be able to stand its ground. But with numerous employees fleeing the company, a change at the top could be next.
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