back to article HTC sues fans for premature unboxing

HTC is attempting to sue an HTC fansite for unpacking - 'unboxing', as The Kids calls it - the company's forthcoming flagship smartphone, the One X, on camera. The Taiwanese firm is also upset at French site HTC-Hub for giving the Tegra 3-based handset a run through and comparing it to HTC's other unreleased blower, One S. …

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  1. Cameron Colley

    So, HTC hate their fans.

    I assume they treat their less enthusiastic customers with even more contempt, so I'll give them a miss in future and advise others to do the same.

    1. Darryl

      Re: So, HTC hate their fans.

      Since they decided to add "Bzzt Audio" to all their phones, it's not really that big of a loss.

      1. AlexH
        Gimp

        Re: So, HTC hate their fans.

        I honestly don't know where I stand wrt Mr (I'm fairly sure he isn't a real doctor) Dre's 'Beats' product line - on one hand, it's easy to be snobby about those that have forked out a ton of cash that could have been better spent. OTOH most people sporting Beats kit wouldn't have otherwise considered spending proper money on headphones and ordinarily couldn't care less about audio quality - disregarding the bulls*it-factor, they are at least now more open the concept of it perhaps being worth spending a little more to get better quality audio.

        I'm writing this from the perspective of someone brought up to love HiFi and have feared (watched?) its demise for some time.

        Fanboi logo, as that's my natural reaction to spotting a pair of the aforementioned cans...

    2. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      another day

      nother HTC phone, still not worth upgrading from my upgraded ICS sensation.

      Build as many different phones as possible, see which on sticks.

      1. Kyoraki
        Facepalm

        Re: another day

        Have you been asleep for the past few months or so? I though the whole point of the One X/S/V was that they'd be trying to get rid of their 'build as many as possible' stigma from the past year and only release 3 handsets between now and 2013.

      2. Marvin the Martian
        Facepalm

        Re: another day

        That was Nokia's strategy, and see how big they became!

        (/whisper)

        Oh, I see, FIRST Nokia was big, THEN they invented this a-model-a-week strategy, THEN they collapsed and almost went bankrupt. Sorry, move along...

        Anyway, naming your phone "The One" paints yourself a bit into a corner. What then "The disciple", "The disciple's follower", "The disciple's follower's manservant"?

        1. Anonymous Coward
          Anonymous Coward

          Re: another day

          Same problem North Korea has.

          Also akin to the ads for (and reviews of) mid-90s 3d games shrieking gleefully about he photorealistic graphics. 64x64x8bit texture never looked so good.

        2. Field Marshal Von Krakenfart
          Facepalm

          Re: another day

          Anyway, naming your phone "The One" paints yourself a bit into a corner

          What half-witted marketing twat came up with that name? Do they not think about possible connotations of the name?

          The One...

          ...that doesn’t work

          ...that I shouldn't have bought.

          etc. etc.

          It's nearly as good as Plenty's kitchen paper ad "Juan Sheet - one sheet does Plenty". Who the fuck thought that somebody going around introducing themselves as "Juan Sheet" in a mock Spanish accent was a good idea.

  2. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    So many ways..

    Perhaps Apple could sue them , I'm sure they have a patent on suing people...

    1. Captain Save-a-ho
      Thumb Down

      Re: So many ways..

      Really? No balls to say this lame joke as yourself, just AC? Pfft.

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: So many ways..

        Oooh, the Fanboi is strong with this one...

  3. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Who said

    There's no such thing as bad advertising?

  4. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    HTC's slogan is "Quietely brilliant"

    ...and you can be sure they'll enforce that quietely part!

    1. asdf
      Thumb Up

      Re: HTC's slogan is "Quietely brilliant"

      No self respecting nerd (haha like military intelligence) would run a stock rom. The phrase Quietly rooted is the logo on my custom rom.

      1. Crisp

        Re: HTC's slogan is "Quietely brilliant"

        Which rom? That "quietly brilliant" (with the accompanying noise) logo has been driving me nuts since I got my HTC Desire.

        1. Wize

          @Crisp

          They like to contradict the quiet part with their loud boot sound. I think they have let it stay quiet in newer phones.

        2. asdf
          Thumb Up

          Re: HTC's slogan is "Quietely brilliant"

          Lots of custom roms for the Thunderbolt (tried most of them) but my driver is Skyraider Zeus as Sense runs better on the phone and Skyraider is the most stable and one of the best performing Sense based roms because its is mostly Sense 2.1 without most of the 3+ bloat.

  5. Mike Judge
    FAIL

    nda

    Is pretty much a binding contract. At best they won't ever get anything from HTC, at worst the breach of contract will cost them much more than that

    Idiots..

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: nda

      You missed this "The site also claimed it wasn't scheduled to officially receive review units for at least another week and, in any case, it hadn't entered into a non-disclosure agreement (NDA) with HTC"

      FAIL for you sir.

    2. Simon Buttress

      Re: nda

      I thought the article said they HADN'T signed an NDA?

    3. Dan Beshear
      FAIL

      Re: nda

      The REAL Mike Judge would have RTFA'd. Quit using the boss's login, Beavis.

  6. This post has been deleted by its author

    1. Destroy All Monsters Silver badge
      Holmes

      Re: ME NOT GET IT

      Well, HTC should just give it a rest. As much as they would like to, they will never manage the fan-and-turbine-fuelled up-penting and thundering climaxing of a true Apple Unboxing Event!

      sadfrog.jpg

  7. Robert E A Harvey
    Thumb Down

    Ye glods and green things!

    It's only a phone, lads, only a phone.

    Why are the children so excited about filming it coming out of its box?

    And why the blue blistering barnacled blazes are HTC getting so bent out of shape. They make hundreds of phones. If they hadn't said we would not have know n it was not last years!

  8. Will Godfrey Silver badge
    Meh

    Wearing my cynical hat, this could simply be HTCs way of getting mass advertising of a new product for free.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Don't assume malice...

      (or marketing for that matter) for what stupidity can explain.

  9. Frumious Bandersnatch
    Coat

    These hackers got off lightly

    They should have been given a jail cell with Bubba instead of just having their toys taken away from them.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: These hackers got off lightly

      ... Which makes me wonder: When Bubba is accused of a crime, who do the internet blowhards suggest -he- be locked up with? I mean, I just can't see Bubba getting arrested for opossum-buggery, and people commenting, "Just throw him in a cell with a hipster electronics reviewer!".

      1. Destroy All Monsters Silver badge
        Paris Hilton

        Re: These hackers got off lightly

        Wouldn't he be locked up with Tom Hanks?

    2. Unicornpiss
      FAIL

      Re: These hackers got off lightly

      Are you delusional? It's not as though they STOLE the handset, there was no NDA, and you'd think that HTC might actually appreciate some fan support. Hasn't any company not learned the wisdom of not pissing off the people that actually like them, and how much the public at large hate to see an underdog picked on by a Goliath of a company?

      1. Shades

        Re: These hackers got off lightly

        Guys, its Morris (who normally hides behind Anon Coward) DO NOT FEED THE TROLL!

        1. Frumious Bandersnatch

          Re: These hackers got off lightly

          > Guys, its Morris (who normally hides behind Anon Coward) DO NOT FEED THE TROLL!

          Er, no. But top marks for spotting the reference.

          1. Shades

            Re: These hackers got off lightly

            "Er, no. But top marks for spotting the reference."

            Ahh, I should have checked your posts first, my mistake. Sorry.

      2. E_Nigma

        Re: These hackers got off lightly

        If the handset is not freely available (and it's not) and they weren't supposed to get one (and they weren't), then I'm not sure that there was a legal way for them to obtain it. It's clear that the handset was supposed to be somewhere else and the law generally states that you shouldn't take what others shouldn't give you. In other words, whoever gave them the phone probably technically stole it, so they were technically in possession of stolen goods.

        Now, HTC might otherwise be willing to let it slide, as early leaks often add to the hype, but when some site breaks NDA or publishes a leak, it screws the manufacturer's partners who are honoring the NDA and that's why they make it such a no-no.

      3. Frumious Bandersnatch
        Facepalm

        Re: These hackers got off lightly

        No, I'm not delusional. It was a joke. The clue was in calling them "hackers" and also the "I'll get my coat" icon... usually denoting humour, isn't it?

        I'm surprised so many people didn't get it. A classic example of Poe's Law, it seems.

    3. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: These hackers got off lightly

      You have a rather worrying obsession about being locked in a jail cell with Bubba who one assumes is likely to indulge in some light-hearted non-consensual buggery. Can I suggest that it is more than probable that the entire internet doesn't share your sexual fantasies and wishes you would stop going on about it.

  10. Gil Grissum
    Pint

    Another HTC Phone Yawn. At least that bailed on that 3D nonsense that only happened with one handset. Imagine how the idiots who bought into that must feel.

    1. Kyoraki

      Especially considering you can get the things second hand now for under £200. Poor buggers.

      1. a33a

        Even worse. You can get it brand new for £207 (I assume the HTC Evo 3D is the aforementioned phone)

        1. Anonymous Coward
          Anonymous Coward

          Evo 3D @ £207

          wow, my Aging HD2 costs more new an its got a few years under the belt.

          I think that should have been a good lesson to learn for HTC.

          The HD2, cutting edge, simple, open and mod-able and possibly one of the most successful devices they have ever had. HTC you don't need 100 SKUs, you need 3, 4 maybe even 5 max but they need to be good and they need to let the user do whatever the hell they would like to do with them, the HD2 still costs new over £250 to £300 quid, an that's for a 3 year old phone, wake up HTC, your losing it.

  11. Anonymous Coward
    FAIL

    Time to get better marketing personel

    I mean really; if there's one thing the average big IT companies has learned its that you should never "take it out" on fans, because fans are not only potential customers. Better yet; they may even interest other people (outside your "marketing scope") to check up on your products.

    Microsoft? Was weary when it came to Mono but in the end (at least up until now) leaves the project be, even though they're "messing" with an MS flagship called .NET. Ballmer? Even though he is a fruitcake he wasn't too arrogant to sign a kids macbook (iirc). Probably running NT, but who knows. Either way; Ballmer didn't start "omg the competition!". And there are plenty of other examples to be found out there, don't get me started on how lenient Sun has always been towards its fanbase.

    This is an epic fail. The big bad HTC company against the underdog; enthusiastic fans who were only trying to spread the word of the Lord, errr, phone :-) Guess what /that/ will do to your credibility ?

    They should have left this alone. Better yet; during the official presentation should have /congratulated/ these guys for beating them to the punch. You can turn that into a marketing advantage for yourself easily: "Everyone wants this phone, its so bad that people even risk breaking our rules to get their hands on it. See how great it is?".

    THAT is how you do it. Take your "loss" and turn it into a win. You get (positive) attention, you get sympathy and you may attract more people's interest.

    This only gets you disdain, which can easily work against you. Breaking a reputation is much quicker than building one, never forget that!

    1. Tasogare
      Go

      Who says Marketing did it?

      I have this mental image of the Marketing department hiring a hitman to go after the Legal department, for undermining their corporate reputation....

      (naturally the "hitman" is actually a front for the BOFH, who will later hire himself out to both sides and rake in money while depopulating his enemies...)

  12. the-it-slayer
    Unhappy

    Non-Apple phones make me laugh...

    Why are there still too many buttons at the bottom of the phone when there's a big fat LCD screen to do it all for you? The phone looks okay, but again; damn generic at least by HTCs standards.

    Beats Audio? - please... dr.dre needs to get a new hobby.

    1. GregC

      Funny that

      Apple phones make me laugh - what do you mean I can't install third party apps if I want to?

      Seriously, your strength of an all-onscreen setup is a weakness for me - what I really want is a high end smartphone that has a proper, landscape, hard keyboard. Good job we have choices.

      1. Chris 3
        FAIL

        Re: Funny that

        > what do you mean I can't install third party apps if I want to?

        I think you'll find that there are a couple of 100,000 third party apps available.

        1. Anonymous Coward
          Anonymous Coward

          Re: Funny that

          Maybe he meant "4th party"?

  13. b166er

    Hmmm, so HTC have been sidelined recently by Apple, Samsung, Nokia and BlackBerry.

    They're about to launch some new phones, yup, suing a fan site should raise some press...

  14. Paul Hovnanian Silver badge

    HTC Needs to protect itself

    After all, if photos of their new phone slipped out early, Apple might have time to patent the shape.

  15. Shannon Jacobs
    Holmes

    Never a fan, but now an extremely unhappy owner of an HTC smartphone

    Not sure what my data points are worth, but... I bought my HTC partly on their reputation, which I now dismiss. Most of the problem was a HTC-MUST-CONTROL-EVERYTHING support mindset that seems to match with this article. If they were competent in their control, I'd be more forgiving, but it certainly seemed to me that they were just trying to make it more awkward for other people to find out about the problems and their inability to fix any of them. At least I can't remember any case where HTC was helpful, though I've mostly learned to live with the flaws.

    As far as preventing me from telling other people about those problems... Hey, HTC, how's that working out for you? I've long since lost count of the number of negative public comments I've made about the company.

    Another data point is that, as far as I know, NONE of the carriers in this country still offer any HTC phones, though all of them used to. My hypothesis there is that there is actually some kind of political problem going beyond the language problems. Personal evidence for me was that HTC was clearly having plenty of problem just dealing with the English side of things... Impersonal evidence is that the non-English part of the HTC website is STRONGLY separated from the rest of it. If it isn't international politics then it must be some kind of office politics within HTC.

    In conclusion, my carrier now blames HTC for all of the problems I encounter, and I'm mostly inclined to agree with them. However, I still don't forgive my carrier for failing to find solutions, and it has reached the point where I'm just about ready to pay the penalty fee to kill the contract and switch carriers. Needless to say, I will NOT be considering any HTC phones even if my new carrier somehow decided they wanted to give HTC another chance.

    1. andybird123

      what country is this?

      because a quick check of orange in the UK and AT&T in the US show multiple HTC handsets available...

  16. Yautja_Cetanu

    Man... with samsung phones owning like they are now HTC really can't afford to do this. I mainly go with HTC due to their general acceptance of the xda dev community. So its their attitude towards their fans I like (cause it causes the software to become awesome, or did in the win mob days).

    Maybe I'll be going samsung next time...

    Or even better motorola! I loved their phones except for the evil not letting you root them thing,

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