To drive more consumers to its handsets in Europe, HTC is turning to exclusive content. Today the company is launching a daily deals service called Best Deals, which is rolling out today in the UK, Italy, Germany, France and Spain. Best Deals will aggregate daily deals on food, travel and more from 12 companies: LivingSocial, Trip Advisor, Qype Deals, iVoucher, Offerum, Lookingo, Lets Bonus, Elgrupazo, Daily Deal, Deal Ticket, Getbazza and Prezzo Felicea. Only users of HTC’s flagship Windows and Android phones — Windows Phone 8X and 8S handsets, which launch in November, and HTC One X+, HTC One X and HTC One S — will be able to get the service, which launches with 1,700 offers in the hopper.
The news comes as HTC has had a disastrous decline in its market share for smartphones. Figures out from IDC today note that its worldwide smartphone share is down by more than 42% on shipments of 7.3 million units in Q3, although HTC still scrapes into the top-five handset makers with a 4% stake. (Nokia didn’t make it into the top five for the first time since IDC started tracking smartphone shipments, in 2004.)
This is one of many content offerings that HTC has loaded into its devices over the years to drive more users. Others have included a deal with Dropbox for storage, and built-in Beats audio technology for improved quality.
Best Deals is available now on the HTC One X+; in November on the new Windows Phone 8 handsets; and on the One X and One S in an upcoming software update, a spokesperson said. HTC says it will be announcing more partners, including carriers, coming up. We are still finding out whether HTC plans to take this concept to other markets and will update as we learn more.
It’s not clear whether Best Deals will be a big deal for the handset maker. We all know about daily deal fatigue — a state of affairs that has driven the leader in this crowded field, Groupon (who is not included in HTC’s list), to diversify into becoming more of a universal platform for local commerce.
One approach perhaps to making daily deals attractive again is to make sure that they are connected with the right people at the right time, so this is what HTC is trying to do. HTC says that users will be able to tailor deal offers by preference and interest, and the service will also use your location to identify deals in your vicinity. Best Deals will also be searchable by popularity, discount, price and expiration date.
“HTC strives to deliver the best web content and services to its customers, Cédric Mangaud, VP of Value-Added Services for HTC, said in a statement. “We’re excited to be launching a service that gives you the very best deals, in line with your own personal interests, wherever you are.”
It will also become a route for HTC to push its own products: in addition to the 1,700 deals on offer from its 12 partners, HTC says that those who use Best Deals “will also benefit from exclusive deals for a range of HTC products and accessories.”
Offering local deals on an aggregated basis seems like a no-brainer for a company that wants to get closer to its users, and get them more accustomed to the idea of using their handsets for commerce. After all, it’s only a short step between using your handset to find a deal, and then using that handset to pay for it and much more. Or so the hope is, at least.
Release below.
HTC LAUNCHES BEST DEALS SERVICE
Customers get access to thousands of discount deals
UK, 26th October — HTC, a global leader in mobile design and innovation, today announced Best Deals, a new service that delivers personalised money-saving deals direct to your HTC smartphone.
Categorized by your preferences and interests, this service uses your location to bring you all of the best discounts in your area. Preferred deals can be reviewed, bookmarked or shared with a single click; they can also be sorted by popularity, discount, price and expiration date.
“HTC strives to deliver the best web content and services to its customers,” says Cédric Mangaud, Vice President of Value-Added Services for HTC. “We’re excited to be launching a service that gives you the very best deals, in line with your own personal interests, wherever you are.”
Partners
HTC has built partnerships with 12 leading deal providers across the five launch markets, UK, Italy, Germany, France and Spain, including LivingSocial, that will provide four of the five markets with deals, Trip Advisor, Qype Deals and Offerum.* Best Deals customers will have access to thousands of local offers and will also benefit from exclusive deals for a range of HTC products and accessories.
“HTC’s dedication to providing personalised experiences fits perfectly with the diversity of our handpicked deals service,” says Peter Briffett, Managing Director for the UK and Ireland at LivingSocial. “Our wide range of location-based offers will allow HTC smartphone owners to take advantage of hundreds of deals in their local area, from Michelin-starred dining and luxury spas to supercar racing days and hot air balloon rides.”
HTC will continue to secure a range of additional deal categories after launch by establishing new partnerships with a number of providers and mobile operators.
Availability
The Best Deals application and widget will be available on the new HTC One X+, and the Windows Phone 8X and 8S which launch in November. It will also be included in the upcoming software update for the acclaimed One series devices, the HTC One X and HTC One S.
A total of 1,700 deals and offers will be available at launch.
About HTC
Founded in 1997, HTC Corp. (HTC) is the creator of many award-winning mobile devices and industry firsts. By putting people at the center of everything it does, HTC pushes the boundaries of design and technology to create innovative and personal experiences for consumers around the globe. HTC’s portfolio includes smartphones and tablets powered by HTC Sense™, a multilayered graphical user interface that vastly improves user experience. HTC is listed on the Taiwan Stock Exchange (TWSE: 2498). For more information, please visit www.htc.com.
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* Deals will be provided from 12 providers that include: LivingSocial, Trip Advisor, Qype Deals, iVoucher, Offerum, Lookingo, Lets Bonus, Elgrupazo, Daily Deal, Deal Ticket, Getbazza and Prezzo Felicea.
The names of companies and products mentioned herein may be the trademarks of their respective owners.
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