Qtek has become a well-known brand in several countries around Europe, but it will be rebranded to a new brand soon called; HTC smart mobility. It will create a mature brand which shall increase market and brand awareness of new HTC products.
Qtek has been the major brand identity the past few years for HTC. The Taiwanese manufacturer of Windows Mobile PDA's, PocketPC's en smartphones has used Qtek as their market brand to sell their own products such as the Qtek S100, 9100 or Qtek 8020.
Next to this brand there are i-mate and Dopod which had the same system of selling devices around the globe but are not a direct HTC brand identities. The third group is the operator which sells the HTC devices under their own provider brand like the Vodafone VPA IV, Orange SPV M600, O2 XDA Orion or T-mobile MDA Vario.
This complete operator-branded products and OEM partners system that HTC uses will undergo some major changes in the upcoming weeks. Qtek will introduce the Qtek 8500 which is the last product from this brand. The Qtek 9600 is cancelled. A similar device will be available under HTC branding and the name HTC TyTN. However the provider versions of the Qtek 9600/HTC Hermes; the T-mobile MDA Vario II and O2 XDA Trion will still be introduced soon. The HTC TyTN is based on the codename Mercury and will hit the market in the upcoming weeks. The Mercury and Hermes are quite fimiliar but do have some differences on the outside looks and available colours.
The same counts for the HTC Breeze which will be available under the name HTC MTeoR. The Qtek 8600 is also cancelled. The new HTC MTeoR and Qtek 8600 are completely familiar to each other.
At the same time, HTC will provide its new branded products to its existing Qtek channels, distributors, enterprise and operators, who do not carry operator-branded products. Migrating the Qtek brand to the new HTC brand identity will enable HTC to provide better direct support to those customers, increase the maturity of the brand, enhance the market awareness of the new brand and create a system in which HTC acts like a brand fimiliar to Sony Ericsson, Nokia or Samsung. HTC will also continue to support in-life Qtek products to its European channel and distributor partners.
HTC will continue to support its operator-branded products and OEM partners as a key priority. Within this continuation of support to OEM partners it must be emphasized that i-mate will stop all future activities with HTC within several weeks. They will end all activities around Windows Mobile products from HTC. Any information on future steps from i-mate concerning other models, platforms or manufacturers is not known at this stage.
However we can address that HTC has shown major interest in the Symbian operating system and setting up a separate segment of new manufactured devices containing the other major smartphone operating system. No clear view for the future is addressed yet by HTC, but insiders are convinced that there is a real interest.
The new devices mentioned above will be available around Europe in July. Prices are not known at this stage. But we can tell you that the HTC TyTN and HTC MTeoR will be available in several major countries. The Qtek 8500 Pink will not be available in every country. This depends on the existing Qtek channels that will decide if the device is suited for their market.
For more information on the new HTC smart mobility brand visit the new website:
Check out the new HTC TyTN and HTC MTeoR via our the main HTC brand page:
Read for more information on the new changes the press release below:
HTC launches world's first tri-band 3G Windows Mobile PDA and 3G Smartphone
HTC, the world's leading provider of Windows Mobile® devices, today launched the world's first tri-band 3G Windows Mobile Pocket PC [TyTN] and 3G smartphone [MTeoR] under the new HTC brand identity.
HTC will continue to support its operator-branded products and OEM partners as a key priority. At the same time, HTC will provide its new branded products to its existing Qtek channels, distributors, enterprise and operators, who do not carry operator-branded products. Migrating the Qtek brand to the new HTC brand identity will enable HTC to provide better direct support to those customers.
HTC is well known in the industry as the company behind many of the most popular operator-branded devices. It has established unique partnerships with key mobile brands, including the leading operators in Europe, US and Asia, and supplies products to industry leading OEMs. HTC will also continue to support in-life Qtek products to its European channel and distributor partners.
Peter Chou, CEO of HTC Corp. said: "We have a rich heritage of innovation and aim for our products to continue being the devices of choice on the Microsoft Windows Mobile platform. Our operator and OEM strategy remains key to this success, and we are committed to further strengthening our partner relationships by providing customised and differentiated offerings."
Pivotal to HTC's further strengthening of its European presence is the development of a comprehensive, multi-channel support package for retail, distribution and operator partners to help them maximise market opportunities.
The package for partners will include: richer device propositions, dedicated customer support, product training and toolkits, online and marketing support. It has also launched its first range of accessories - including Bluetooth headsets and in-car kits.
Peter Chou commented: "We are known for our relentless dedication to innovation. Smart mobility, the convergence of business applications and consumer functionality, is the future. We aim to continually develop new products to empower users on the go, providing more freedom in the way they live their lives."
The first devices to be offered with HTC brand are the HTC TyTN and the HTC MTeoR. These will be available from late July.
"We're thrilled to see HTC launching the TyTN and MTeoR under the new HTC brand, which further adds to HTC's stellar record of innovation on the Windows Mobile platform," said Pieter Knook, Senior Vice President, Mobile & Embedded Devices Division, Microsoft Corp. "These devices are defining a whole new category of phones with a range of entertainment and productivity options. An HTC brand also brings more choice to Windows Mobile customers in a rapidly growing and increasingly diverse mobile market."
The HTC TyTN is the latest innovation from HTC. It delivers a wealth of rich features, showcasing the ultimate 'Office in your pocket' experience for business users on the move. Business critical functionality, encased in a sleek, stylish form factor, offers the ultimate range of connectivity options including: tri-band UMTS 3G which will allow users to roam across Europe, US and Asia, plus GSM, GPRS, EDGE, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and a mini-USB port, making data transfer simple - anytime, anywhere.
Designed with easy messaging in mind, TyTN features Direct Push email technology available with Windows Mobile 5.0, internet browsing, synchronization with Microsoft Outlook® Calendar, Contacts and email, and the ability to work on applications in the Microsoft Office suite such as Word, Excel®, PowerPoint® and viewing PDF documents. TyTN comes equipped with a slide-out, ergonomic QWERTY keyboard and 2.8" colour display with touch-screen. It also features a jog wheel for easy, one-hand operation.
TyTN is not all work and no play. It's easy to sync-up to a PC to download music, video and pictures, and store them on a micro SD card to play back on the go. It is also a sharp shooter, featuring a 2 Megapixel camera with macro mode, on-screen controls and DSC (Digital Still Camera) functionality plus a second camera for video telephony. Available in Black & Silver, the TyTN doesn't compromise in style. TyTN offers maximum functionality packaged in a sleek form factor, weighing in at 180g but extremely compact in size.
The HTC MTeoR, the world's first 3G Windows Mobile 5.0 Smartphone, is a stylish, slim-line, candy bar device. It may be small, just 112.4 x 49 x 14.8mm and weighing a mere 120g, but this neat device is a powerful and "smart" phone. The HTC MTeoR features Windows Mobile 5.0 Direct Push technology for immediate synchronization of email, calendar and notes plus document viewers for PDF, Word, Excel® and PowerPoint®. It's the ideal choice for busy people on the road who only want to carry one small device.
With superb multimedia functionality it's easy to store and play back music, video and pictures on the move. Coupled with its large 2.2" TFT LCD screen and built-in 1.3 Megapixel camera, the MTeoR truly has smart style.
Both devices will be available across Europe from late July.