HTC’s smartphone shifts from blockchain technology to the metaverse

HTC’s slow-motion fall from smartphone grace will continue in 2022, with the company reportedly working on a new “metaverse”-focused phone in April and shifting its focus from blockchain technology. As the remnants of the once-flagship smartphone company desperately cling to whatever they can to stay afloat. HTC’s general manager for the Asia-Pacific region, Charles Huang, reportedly stated at MWC 2022 that the company would be launching a new high-end smartphone with undefined “metaverse” characteristics next month. 

The revelation sounds eerily similar to HTC’s most recent major foray into relevance: its Exodus brand of blockchain phones, which it has marketed for some years. The phones, which promised decentralized apps (“Dapps”) and a built-in cryptocurrency wallet, could run on blockchain technology. They can even mine small amounts of cryptocurrency, but — like so many other applications of blockchain technology — they were a solution in search of a problem that never really took off.

Choose One and Choose Wisely

Explore #VIVERSE : https://t.co/HHgrfZ5qDQ pic.twitter.com/DHhoRXEYAt

— HTC VIVE (@htcvive) March 10, 2022

A metaverse phone would make more sense than a blockchain technology phone, if only because HTC has a long history in the virtual reality field. HTC’s main news at MWC 2022 was the introduction of a vague “Viverse” – the company’s metaverse concept, which claims to bring together VR, XR, 5G, blockchain technology, NFTs, and more into a new, futuristic platform.

Given the availability of projects like Qualcomm’s Snapdragon Spaces or Microsoft Mesh, which aim to help connect standard devices like smartphones into VR and AR experiences, it’s even conceivable to envisage what a metaverse-integrated smartphone maybe.

Also, read – New Apple iPhone feature to enable crypto payments

In that sense, a high-end HTC “metaverse” phone might, in theory, be tightly connected with the company’s VR headsets for a seamless, cross-device experience that fundamentally alters how we think about using smartphones (and other devices) in virtual environments.

However, the metaverse phone may equally be a mediocre smartphone with a few half-baked virtual reality apps preloaded. HTC’s Viverse site states explicitly that “any phone, tablet, PC, or VR headset” will be able to engage with its metaverse concept, complete with an image of a smartphone that appears to be doing so.

HTC isn’t completely devoid of ambition or strong products: the company continues to produce high-end virtual reality headsets for corporations and recently released the Vive Flow headset for more casual users. Looking back at products like the Evo 3D or the Facebook-focused HTC Status and HTC First, likely, HTC’s fate was always doomed to pursue gimmicks on the road to irrelevancy.