HTC is planning to separate its virtual reality business from its smartphone arm, according to a report, causing shares in the beleaguered company to sharply rise.
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Having initially shown off the Vive VR headset at MWC past year in Barcelona, HTC has taken its time to develop and improve the VR kit so that it’s ready for consumers. However, the actual reason behind HTC’s reported plans was not disclosed. The report had claimed that HTC Chairwoman Cher Wang was in the process of creating a new VR company wholly owned by her and HTC.
While Oculus has been taking pre-sale orders for its Oculus Rift since January 7, the vendor has yet to announce the availability of the VR device, said the sources. They now have the Vive headset in the works for an April 2016 release and an independent company could help to steer things without the need for oversight from the parent body.
HTC remained tight-lipped on the pricing of the HTC Vive, while the market has anticipated the new device could carry a price tag of US$1,500, more expensive than similar gadgets launched by its competitors.
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Despite of ups and downs with the company, HTC hopes to come up with two Nexus handsets this year, which was the manufacturer of first product in the series, the Nexus One, back in 2010. That said, the company hasn’t issued an official statement on the matter, at least not yet. It’s expected that we’ll finally see it hit the market with a slightly different design towards the end of February, when pre-orders are due to go live for the futuristic headset.
