Palm Taps HTC for Future ODM Orders

Posted By: Ryan Kairer Friday, January 18, 2008 8:52:55 AM

Rumor: Digitimes is citing a report from the Chinese-language Commercial Times newspaper that HTC has recently signed Palm back up for unspecified manufacturing orders. Palm has previously utilized HTC in the past to produce the Treo 650 and the 700 series. Reportedly, Palm decided to move away from the company as HTC began to build out their own brand and market directly to consumers. Some of Palm's most recent devices such as the Centro and Treo 680 have been manufactured by Inventec Appliances.

If indeed accurate, the report likely indicates that Palm will utilize HTC to supplement their existing manufacturing capability or has been awarded a new ODM contract for a future device. Palm has recently announced a new ODM strategy for its Windows Mobile business as its aims to streamline development and work closer with its ODM partners. Palm has also recently had a change in its Engineering leadership.

Thanks to IntoMobile for the tip.

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Unspecified mfg orders?

Poopie @ 1/18/2008 3:57:33 PM #

HTC has recently signed Palm back up for unspecified manufacturing orders

One can only hope the unspecified part is for a Palm-branded HTC Kaiser that will run Linux.

That just might be enough to bring me back -- especially if I could buy one without needing a cellular contract and use it like a "mini laptop" via 802.11g or 802.11n.

That might get people around here commenting about things other than product code names!

warranty issues

freakout @ 1/18/2008 7:52:56 PM #

Perhaps this is something to do with the recently reported higher-than-usual repair costs Colligan was talking about? While I love my (Inventec) Treo 680, build quality is a definite step back from the (HTC) 650. Maybe Inventec are more of a 'bargain-basement' manufacturer, with correspondingly higher rates of device failure.

RE: warranty issues

LiveFaith @ 1/19/2008 10:56:44 AM #

i don't know what rates of failure you're talking about, but my 680 has been battle hardened over the last year and still feels and works like a champ. The SD door has always been a little suspect, but it's still better than the one on the 650. For a phone $200 less than the 650, that does all it does, I'm pretty high on it. I'm actually quite impressed that it's still together after what she;s been thru.
:-) Just me.

Pat Horne

RE: warranty issues

robin24k @ 1/19/2008 12:20:56 PM #

The Centro is also manufactured by Inventec. There are inconsistencies in the devices and plenty of keyboard problems.

I would much rather spend more money on a expensive, well built device than a cheap unreliable one. My 755p feels solid and seems to be of better build quality than my 650.

RE: warranty issues

LiveFaith @ 1/19/2008 3:27:14 PM #

robin,

I don't know who ODMs the 755, but my bro-in-law's 755 feels almost identical to my 680, save the superior rubber coat. His is new and mine is 1 yr old, but mine still works quite well. I'm with you on quality, but the Centro I tinkered with yesterday felt solid as a rock. Actually tighter than my 680, and a heck of a lot quicker BTW. The keyboard problem on the Centro is that my 9yr old daughter is the only one with fingers the right size to type on it. That was Palm's decision, not the ODM.
Is there a report somewhere that defines device failures at Inventec vs HTC? Or is it just "a feeling" gathered from people on forums who rarely post when a device is working right?

Pat Horne

RE: warranty issues

freakout @ 1/19/2008 5:27:29 PM #

^^ Just a feeling for me, Pat. My 680 creaks in more places and the buttons feel cheaper - they rattle around in their housings a bit. Not to mention, of course, the headphone jack that died on me barely a month after I'd bought it. Still love it, though.

RE: warranty issues

robin24k @ 1/19/2008 10:19:50 PM #

HTC ODMs the 755p.

Sorry, I wasn't too clear on the keyboard problems. I saw some forum posts on keys that had stopped responding due to a hardware problem. The inconsistencies were that some Centros had quiet keys while others made a clicking sound.

freakout, my 755p does not creak at all and the buttons don't rattle...