Episode 45: HTC, Google and the Future of Mobile

Acquired is back and live on the scene! After months of speculation, Google announces today their acquisition (err, "Cooperation Agreement”) of a large portion of HTC’s hardware division. What does this mean for the future of mobile? Can Google transform itself into a vertically integrated device company and compete directly with Apple? Most importantly, when will we see more  Beats Android handsets??? (We hope never) Sponsors:WorkOS: https://bit.ly/workos25Sierra: https://bit.ly/acquiredsierraSentry: https://bit.ly/acquiredsentryAnthropic: https://bit.ly/acquiredclaude25More Acquired!Get email updates with hints on next episode and follow-ups from recent episodesJoin the SlackSubscribe to ACQ2Merch Store!© Copyright 2015-2025 ACQ, LLCTopics Covered Include: The origins of HTC as a Taiwanese OEM, dating back to the Compaq iPAQ and Palm Treo 650!HTC’s long history with Google, starting as the manufacturer of the first Android phone, the HTC Dream / T-Mobile G1HTC’s ownership of Beats, for a hot minuteGoogle’s own winding history in hardware, with its Motorola acquisition in 2011 and divestiture in 2014Google & HTC’s joint work on the Pixel smartphones in 2016And much analysis and speculation on what this means for Google, Apple, Samsung, vertical vs horizontal business models and more!  The Carve Out: Ben: Odesza’s new album A Moment ApartDavid:  Bruce Springsteen on Fresh Air