Taiwanese tech company HTC has been struggling over the past year or so, with its core smartphone business failing to keep it profitable while its virtual reality (VR) division shows the most promise. Today HTC has announced it’ll be halting sales of it shares tomorrow, looking like a precursor to a takeover bid which is rumoured to be Google.
As first reported by Bloomberg’s Tim Culpan, this stop in sales is to make way for a ‘major announcement’ which news outlets are reporting could be Google due to the two companies close involvement. HTC manufactured the search giant’s 2016 Pixel and Pixel XL smartphones and rumours suggest HTC would be making the 2017 Pixel reports The Verge.
Then there’s the VR side of things, with Google and HTC teaming up on the standalone headset ‘Vive Focus’ due for release later this year. The head-mounted display (HMD) will use Google’s Daydream platform for its content, using what looks like a similar 3DoF controller to the Daydream View. On the software side Google has released all of its VR apps, Blocks, Tilt Brush and Google Earth VR on HTC Vive first.
HTC has released a response on the news, saying: “HTC does not comment on market rumor or speculation.”
If Google does go through with a purchase of HTC – or a division of – then it would certainly help promote and advance the companies interests in the VR market. As further details are released, VRFocus will keep you updated.
via Mint VR