HTC could buy Motorola?

**dannzeman** · #1 (**permalink**) 01-16-2009, 12:40 PM

Quote:

Now usually such a claim would be would sound like pure madness, but when when the Financial Times makes it we tend to take these rumours a bit more seriously.
FT is making the claim that Motorola’s handset division is a sinking ship, which no amount of bailing will salvage, but that their brand and carrier relations in USA may be of value to an ambitious up and comer like HTC. This is unlike to save many Motorola jobs however, as most of that unprofitable part of the company, who last market share from 20% 3 years ago to a low of 6% this year, would still need to be shut down.
HTC may seem an unlikely candidate, with a market cap of $7.1 billion, not far of from the ailing Motorola’s $10 billion, and of course a very profitable business, they may easily be able to buy the devalued handset division. Their president Peter Chou has also not been shy of proclaiming his ambition to become one of the top 3-5 handset vendors in the world.
Read more at FT.com

HTC has really made leaps and bounds over the last couple of years.

http://wmpoweruser.com/?p=2436

BigDiesel07 · #2 (**permalink**) 01-16-2009, 02:15 PM

Would be interesting... But Motorola is so divergent from what HTC does... Motorolla does mostly low to mid-level phones while HTC is basically a WM-only company that does contract work (G1,SE X1)

Rabid_Gypsy · #3 (**permalink**) 01-19-2009, 01:22 AM

It seems like a good fit to me, if HTC is looking to broaden their market share, they get to become a broad spectrum handset manufacturer and don't need to develop an OS for their new basic phones and could 'tweak' phones that are 'in the pipe' for release as well. Although Moto has dropped-off with the rise of ppc style devices, they are still thought of generally as a good brand to a lot of people, the same people that have never heard of HTC.

**gadgetfreak** · #4 (**permalink**) 01-20-2009, 01:51 AM

I don't know about this. I'm not sure it would be that good a match. I know HTC is still not all that well known thanks to carrier branding and such until recently, but the Motorola brand has been pretty well trashed over the last couple of years. I just don't see HTC flushing the money just for a damaged name, right as there on the verge of really kicking it into gear here. And as far as the rest of the world goes, I would have to say that it seems like HTC is much more well known. So, again, no real gains in buying a new name.