Is HTC’s move from blockchain to Metaverse for the next smartphone a good thing? If so, the Hardware and Software could be clunky, but we’ll see in a few years. Here’s what Carrie Tatsu, a metaverse entrepreneur, has to say. HTC’s decision is a bold move, but will it make sense? This article aims to shed some light on this hot topic.
HTC Flip-Flops From Blockchain to Metaverse for Next Smartphone
Despite selling its smartphone business to Google, HTC is not giving up on the mobile market. The company is expected to release a new high-end smartphone at Mobile World Congress in 2022. As for what that phone will be, DigiTimes reported that HTC plans to launch a “metaverse phone” next month. That word means it will include AR and VR features. This phone will likely be a high-end offering, though it could be a flagship.
While HTC is no stranger to virtual reality, its Exodus line of smartphones promised decentralized apps and a built-in cryptocurrency wallet. It also included hardware for running blockchain nodes and mining small amounts of cryptocurrency. Unfortunately, it turned out to be a solution looking for a problem. The company should focus on building phones for the metaverse instead of blockchain. After all, it’s been a leader in the virtual reality space.
If the “metaverse” phone is truly a high-end phone, it will be tightly connected to the company’s virtual reality headsets. But it could also just be a mediocre smartphone with virtual reality applications preloaded. In addition to the high-end smartphone, HTC is planning to launch a VR headset that lets users experience the metaverse. The company has yet to detail what the phone will look like, but it has stated that the device will focus on virtual reality applications.
While the company may have lost its smartphone crown in 2022, it’s still a recognizable name in mobile tech. The Exodus brand of blockchain smartphones was around for years, but failed to take off. But recently, the company introduced the Vive Flow for consumers. It’s a solution in search of a problem. That’s what makes HTC’s newest era so intriguing.
Hardware Could be Clunky
In recent years, HTC has been a major player in the virtual reality space, but its Exodus line of blockchain smartphones has fallen by the wayside. The Exodus promised built-in cryptocurrency wallets and decentralized apps, but was ultimately not successful. The handsets could even run blockchain nodes and mine small amounts of cryptocurrency. The Exodus phone was a solution looking for a problem. However, now HTC is pivoting its focus from blockchain to Metaverse for the next smartphone.
As an investor, you may be wondering whether HTC is dead. In fact, it has been quietly pivoting from blockchain to Metaverse in the past few years. This shift from mobile phone manufacturing to a new business model might make the company’s next smartphone less appealing to consumers. If this is the case, the phone could become a niche product. HTC’s first smartphone could be clunky and expensive, but if it does go live with this strategy, it could prove to be a huge success. HTC’s total revenues for the year 2018 were just $140 million, which is a mere fraction of the company’s peak revenues in 2011.
The new Metaverse smartphone could be a revelation. But based on the company’s history, it’s unlikely to be. HTC was once a major player in the virtual reality space, and its next smartphone could combine blockchain, VR, and XR with 5G and blockchain technology. But will HTC’s metaverse smartphone be a breakthrough for consumers?
Software Could be Clunky
The upcoming HTC One M9, a blockchain-based smartphone, could open a whole new world of digital interaction. Developed in collaboration with MIT’s blockchain laboratory, the phone will run decentralized applications such as BitCoin and Ethereum. It will also feature a Social Key Recovery function that allows you to regain access to your funds if you lose them. The phone will feature a 16MP main camera and an 8MP front camera with 4K video recording and playback. It will come with a six-inch display with quad-HD+ resolution and 6GB of RAM. Its storage space is large enough for a microSD card and has enough room for a few thousand gigabytes of data.
Despite being the first commercially released crypto-only smartphone, the HTC Dream will appeal to the blockchain community. The company invited developers and cryptographers to give feedback on the device. HTC once considered itself a cellphone industry powerhouse, but in recent years, its numbers have slipped. Samsung and Apple have surpassed HTC in market share, while Chinese rivals have risen into the top 10 list of phone vendors. While HTC’s blockchain-based smartphone may be the right choice for the crypto-savvy, it’s hardly easy to predict the future of the technology.
In addition to a decentralized operating system, the company is developing a new virtual reality social platform. The new software will be benchmarked against Meta’s Horizon Worlds. HTC has vaguely glimpsed a comeback after its smartphone failure. The company is betting that the Metaverse explosion will be the biggest commercial track of 2021. As a former smartphone hegemon, the company sees the Metaverse as a “perfect world.”
Carrie Tatsu is a Metaverse Entrepreneur
For 15 years, Tatsu has worked in the virtual world of Second Life as an entrepreneur, marketer and brand creator. She created a virtual business that sold avatars and built a loyal user base. She has since expanded her interests to include NFTs, Crypto and future metaverses. She recently dived into the realm of Generative Art NFTs.
The first step toward this smartphone is to understand how it works. HTC’s Metaverse promises to fuse blockchain technology, 5G, and NFTs. The company is promising to integrate the concept with its own virtual reality headsets, which will tie into the metaverse. It could also be integrated with the HTC VR headsets. Ultimately, the phone could change the way we use a smartphone in a virtual world.
Roblox is a Centralized Virtual World
A centralized virtual world is a game platform controlled by a single company. This kind of game is popular because it allows users to create content and scenarios. It can also generate a flywheel effect, as dedicated users improve the virtual world and attract more people. HTC phones have been around since the early 2000s, but Roblox has become the most popular virtual world on the market. Here’s how Roblox works.
It’s a centralized virtual world, and HTC phones are not the only devices with such capabilities. The platform has been developed using mobile phone technology, and is based on the Facebook software. Facebook has invested in the virtual reality headset, and Nvidia and Unity want to build the metaverse framework. Tencent Holdings Ltd. has registered trademarks related to the metaverse. While it’s not clear how the metaverse will be built, it has the potential to be a huge industry.
