Is TCL considering an acquisition of HTC?

A Weibo post from TCL chairman Li Dongsheng, hints at a possible acquisition of HTC. The company previously purchased the ailing handset manufacturing business of Alcatel and helped turn it around. While there is no guarantee that TCL will make a bid for the struggling HTC, Li's post raved about Cher Wang. co-founder and Chairwoman of HTC.

The Weibo post by TCL's chairman also stated that Taiwanese firms like TCL and HTC should come together to take on Apple and Samsung. For its most recent quarter, HTC reported earnings that were higher than last year, but lower on a sequential basis.

HTC is about to hold an event on October 8th at which it is expected to introduce a new action camera. At the same time, it could unveil the HTC Desire EYE, a new "selfie" phone with a 13MP front-facing camera. And there is a possibility that the HTC Nexus 9 tablet could also be introduced.

So what is the problem with HTC? The company can certainly build a top-notch handset, witness the HTC One (M8). But when it comes to marketing, the manufacturer falls way behind Apple and Samsung. Last year, the company paid $12 million to actor Robert Downey Jr. for a failed ad campaign. This year, it was Gary Oldman who pitched the HTC One (M8) in a series of commercials that did nothing to get consumers interested in the device.

Perhaps a purchase by TCL is just the thing that HTC needs to shake up its marketing. CEO Peter Chou was relieved of his marketing duties about a year ago as Chairwoman Wang added that to her list of job duties.

source: Weibo, GSMDome via GSMArena