HTC to launch own brand tablet in 2015

Prior to the Nexus 9, it seemed HTC had all but given up on tablets. We hadn’t seen a tablet from HTC since the Flyer in 2011, so its high profile Nexus partnership with Google was somewhat surprising.

However, according to the latest reports, the company isn’t stopping at the Nexus 9. Focus Taiwan cites CFO Chang Chia-lin as saying the company plans to launch its own-brand tablets next year.

Perhaps more interesting is that it seems HTC won’t be wasting its time in the budget tablet market. Focus goes on to quote HTC’s president of North Asia as saying the company doesn’t see any profit in the entry-level tablet space and that

“There is actually a bit more room for growth and product differentiation in the high-end and mid-tier tablet segments,” Tong said, later adding that the current trend of 5.5-inch phones has blurred the positioning of 7-inch tablets in the market.

The Nexus 9 represents a move away from the entry-level tablet market that Google hit with the Nexus 7. The company last updated the Nexus in the fall of last year and appears to have no plans to introduce a third generation, at least not anytime soon. Perhaps HTC and Google are on the same page on budget tablets.

[source]Focus Taiwan[/source][via]TechRadar[/via]