HTC opening up Zoe availability to rival Android devices this week, looks to branch out software business
There’s no question HTC’s software team is a talented group of folks, creating not only one of the most beautifully designed skins for their Android devices, but some of the most useful apps and services as well. As it turns out, a successful future in mobile hardware is only one area the company is gunning for, with the logical move to software being the other.
Kick off the manufacturer’s new interest and creating apps and services for everyone — not just their devices — is HTC Creative Labs, the company’s new software business unit. Headed by Drew Bamford, the 260 man group will open up availability of Zoe to rival Android devices in the Play Store later this week. For those unfamiliar with HTC devices, Zoe is HTC’s custom built video app that captures a short burst of video and images at the same time. This images and videos can later be compiled into a more lengthy 30 second video, complete with a soundtrack and theme to go along with it.
But Zoe isn’t only a tool for creating unique content, it’s also a social hub of sorts where others can help contribute to your videos by adding their own media. It sounds rather complicated, but we’re HTC is planning on making things as user friendly as possible. Because Zoe will launch in beta, expect only a few high-end handsets to be compatible with the app.
It also appears that Zoe is only the beginning. HTC told Re/code they’re have other software projects in the making, but was mum on any sort of details. With HTC’s exclusive software being one of the main selling points to their hardware, it will be interesting to see how this new move plays out. As the underdog in our current smartphone market, it’s definitely nice to see someone making taking risks like this.
We’ll keep you updated on Zoe when it officially launches in the Google Play Store later this week.