HDR Microphone disappears from HTC One spec sheet following court ruling

posted by Alan F. / May 02, 2013, 10:21 AM

HDR Microphone disappears from HTC One spec sheet following court ruling

The HTC One

You might remember that late last month, an Amsterdam district court ruled that ST Microelectronics had starting selling a dual membrane microphone 6 months before a 12 month period of exclusivity for Nokia had ended. The parts ended up in the HTC One, but the court never faulted HTC, saving the Taiwan based manufacturer from a possible sales ban. The judge said that HTC had purchased the parts in good faith, unaware of the dealings between ST Microelectronics and Nokia.

The court ruled that ST Microelectronics, for now, can only sell the part to Nokia and has extended the Finnish based firm's period of exclusivity by an additional 6 months. HTC, for its part, is allowed to continue selling the phones it has produced with the STR Microelectronics microphone although the OEM has removed the part from the handset's specs sheet.

In addition, HTC has released a statement confirming that it is being allowed to continue using up the inventory of ST Microelectronic made microphones that it has. As the company puts it, "HTC will transition to improved microphone designs once its inventory of STM microphones is exhausted."

"In light of several misleading stories regarding a recent injunction obtained by Nokia against STM (a supplier of components to HTC in The Netherlands) HTC looks to clarify the following points:

• Nokia has NOT obtained an injunction in The Netherlands, or anywhere else, against the HTC One.

• The Dutch proceedings were brought by Nokia solely against STM. HTC was not sued by Nokia in the Netherlands.

• The Dutch injunction prohibits STM from selling certain microphones to any company other than Nokia for a limited period.

• The judgment against STM states that HTC can continue to use microphones already purchased from STM in its products, because they were purchased in good-faith. Nokia's attempt to obtain a recall of microphones already sold to HTC failed.

• HTC will transition to improved microphone designs once its inventory of STM microphones is exhausted."-HTC

source: HTC via XDA, Engadget

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29 Comments

1. Nathan_ingx

Posts: 4767; Member since: Mar 07, 2012

Lucky for those first batch buyers... But HTC had no choice and it's a good thing Nokia didn't take HTC to battle. A pretty mature move.

posted on May 02, 2013, 10:36 AM 18

3. sharks

Posts: 236; Member since: Feb 16, 2013

Nokia took HTC to court! How is that not prepping for a legal battle? LOL. But the court was able to settle it quickly as the guilty was not HTC, but the manufacturer, ST Microelectronics!

posted on May 02, 2013, 10:38 AM 19

5. xperiaDROID

Posts: 5629; Member since: Mar 08, 2013

Luckily Nokia and HTC didn't start the court battle, and the court was able to settle it quickly and easily! Phew, that was a close one! If it's Apple and Samsung, things will get even worse, and don't forget, the court battle between Apple and Samsung have not ended yet!

posted on May 02, 2013, 10:52 AM 10

6. chocolaking

Posts: 495; Member since: May 22, 2012

Awww... that's too bad for the people who is getting the phones later. lucky I got the first batch version!! :D

posted on May 02, 2013, 11:05 AM 0

14. mafiaprinc3

Posts: 585; Member since: May 07, 2012

am i the only one who tinks the back of the htc one is pretty similar to the back of the sony xperia p,just kidding.good phone from htc,could've been better though

posted on May 02, 2013, 12:15 PM 0

2. sharks

Posts: 236; Member since: Feb 16, 2013

"HTC will transition to improved microphone designs once its inventory of STM microphones is exhausted." Now, that's the part that causes worry. What kind of microphone will HTC use to replace the top-of-the-line one which it has been banned from using? Will it be better or at least as good as the previous one in the initial batch of phones produced? This should be a memo to PhoneArena and any other tech reporters out there - test, review and compare the mic quality of future HTC Ones produced without the Nokia-exclusive mic. Hopefully, HTC can rise up to the challenge or it might lose its precious slight advantage against its nemesis, the S4.

posted on May 02, 2013, 10:36 AM 8

10. Droid_X_Doug

Posts: 5993; Member since: Dec 22, 2010

What HTC will replace the ST Microelectronics microphone with IS the real question. Since HTC has removed the HDR microphone from the One's spec sheet, I am not exactly encouraged about the prospects for the future. It really is unfortunate that HTC got burned by Nokia. ST Microelectronics deserved what it got, but HTC is innocent.

posted on May 02, 2013, 11:40 AM 3

4. best_

Posts: 50; Member since: Apr 08, 2013

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-22263014 WTF Phonearena !

posted on May 02, 2013, 10:40 AM 5

9. chocolaking

Posts: 495; Member since: May 22, 2012

PA hates HTC as always, this is Samsung arena!!!! This website always provide biased and one sideed news. specially to htc, they always provide bad news for the readers.

posted on May 02, 2013, 11:15 AM 11

16. weinerslav

Posts: 126; Member since: Jul 31, 2012

I wonder where do you see in this article any kind of message of hate against HTC... Maybe you should get some reading classes

posted on May 02, 2013, 12:40 PM 6

20. Nathan_ingx

Posts: 4767; Member since: Mar 07, 2012

Actually, if you compare to the link 'Best' posted against PA's article...it would come to conclusion that PA is actually supporting HTC.

posted on May 02, 2013, 2:39 PM 3

7. tombcd

Posts: 25; Member since: Sep 29, 2012

This statement from HTC is OLD. Their PR department is probably sending this same answers to every question. It was released when the whole case surfaced. The fact is: HDR mic is gone from the specs and we want to know what's going on - are current units HDR-enabled or not? What happens when they run out of the HDR mics? How do we know which one we're buying?

posted on May 02, 2013, 11:09 AM 2

8. amats69

Posts: 1527; Member since: Nov 12, 2012

Hopefully the Mic Replacement is as good as the original one or much better that the original One!

posted on May 02, 2013, 11:10 AM 4

15. best_

Posts: 50; Member since: Apr 08, 2013

cant be "original one " because that mic are not from HTC

posted on May 02, 2013, 12:25 PM 2

21. gwuhua1984

Posts: 1237; Member since: Mar 06, 2012

It really depend how "original one" is used in conversation.

posted on May 02, 2013, 3:11 PM 0

26. bayusuputra

Posts: 963; Member since: Feb 12, 2012

originally used.

posted on May 02, 2013, 7:05 PM 0

11. sorcio46

Posts: 435; Member since: Jul 27, 2011

Shame on you Nokia (Windows HW division) -.-

posted on May 02, 2013, 11:42 AM 4

12. amansingal14

Posts: 309; Member since: Sep 08, 2012

why? because they are protecting their rights? If a person sells your house by counterfeiting, won't you sue him and the buyer to get back your right? What an htc fanboy you are.

posted on May 02, 2013, 12:01 PM 12

23. Altair

Posts: 367; Member since: Feb 02, 2012

Ahh a guy who likes thieves. Wondering whats your own hobby?

posted on May 02, 2013, 6:00 PM 0

27. bayusuputra

Posts: 963; Member since: Feb 12, 2012

I'm HTC fan, but I do support Nokia in this one, they have the design, and the agreement. So they HAVE THE RIGHT to do this. It's a pity HTC can't use the HDR mic anymore, but at least Nokia is nice enough not to have injunction against the One, as they are mature enough to know that HTC used them in good faith with STM. HTC has also made a good decision in removing the HDR mic from spec sheet. They respect Nokia. And that's how all these should be done. Kudos to both of them, especially Nokia.

posted on May 02, 2013, 7:08 PM 1

31. joey_sfb

Posts: 6794; Member since: Mar 29, 2012

Nokia did ask for the injunction and got it in the Dutch court.

posted on May 03, 2013, 6:23 AM 0

13. dexter_jdr

Posts: 1163; Member since: Jun 28, 2012

in yo face!

posted on May 02, 2013, 12:07 PM 4

18. lj200

Posts: 3; Member since: Mar 15, 2013

It still shows HDR microphone on their spec sheet under Sound Enhancement.

posted on May 02, 2013, 2:15 PM 0

19. lj200

Posts: 3; Member since: Mar 15, 2013

Nevermind. They must have missed some spots.

posted on May 02, 2013, 2:21 PM 0

22. Altair

Posts: 367; Member since: Feb 02, 2012

Give me a break, who ever believes that HTC didin't know what they bought and who invented it? HTC - Quietly stealing

posted on May 02, 2013, 5:59 PM 0

28. willard12 unregistered

Apparently, ST microelectronics invented it as they sold it to HTC. Only in the world of a troll is paying money for a product "stealing." When this limited exclusivity clause of nokia's contract ends, hopefully stupidity will end with it. So, if this is a Nokia product, why didn't they sue HTC for a patent violation? Why didn't they protect a product that's theirs rather than just ask the inventors not "please don't sell it to anyone else but us for a year." Exclusivity clause is not a patent.

posted on May 02, 2013, 9:21 PM 1

29. willard12 unregistered

Apparently, ST microelectronics invented it as they sold it to HTC. Only in the world of a troll is paying money for a product "stealing." When this limited exclusivity clause of nokia's contract ends, hopefully stupidity will end with it. So, if this is a Nokia product, why didn't they sue HTC for an patent violation? Why didn't they protect a product that's theirs rather than just ask the inventors "please don't sell it to anyone else but us for a year." Exclusivity clause is not a patent and Nokia knows how to patent things almost as good as their owners, Microsoft.

posted on May 02, 2013, 9:25 PM 0

25. Edmund

Posts: 656; Member since: Jul 13, 2012

As I've said before, the HAAC (high amplitude audio capture) technology was developed by Nokia and belongs to them. "HDR" was merely a marketing term used by HTC for the purposes of rebranding technology they had no legal right to use or adverstise. Whether it was done in good faith or not is irrelevant. There is no alternate technology (for use in mobile handsets) so HTC either develops its own or uses what is currently available.