HTC targets youth with audio focus

Taiwanese smartphone vendor HTC is focusing on the audio element of the phone to stand out from the rest and target the youth in the region. "Our target is to achieve 10 per cent market share in the Middle East and Africa region and we are confident that we can achieve this with the new Beats Audio headphones by Dr Dre, giving listeners a truer and cleaner sound that is closer to how the artist intended," Vlandir Malugin, executive director, Middle East and Africa region, HTC, told Gulf News. The company has acquired a 51 per cent stake in Beats Audio by investing $300 million (Dh1.1 billion), a move to boost multimedia technology on its handsets. Once plugged in, he said, the phone automatically detects the headset and switches to a custom Beats sound profile that should deliver fuller bass, crisper vocals, and a new level of clarity and range. The company on Wednesday unveiled two new models — 4.3-inch HTC Sensation XE and 4.7-inch HTC Sensation XL with this audio facility. The phones will be available by the end of the month and the Arabic-enabled handsets next month. ‘Crucial part' Both phones are powered by an 1.5GHz processor and have 8 megapixel camera and runs on Android Gingerbread. "Audio is a crucial part of any consumer's mobile experience and we are continually pushing the audio boundaries to encompass not only improved voice but music, movies and games," Malugin said. The headphones also feature a remote control so you can play, pause, and advance through tracks, as well as answer and end calls.