HTC made a name for itself by heavily customizing mobile platforms like Windows Mobile and Google Android. Though Microsoft won’t allow companies to do much tinkering with the Windows 7 UI, and Google is working on making Android 3.0 so good no company will want to, HTC shows no signs of curbing its desire to improve its Sense UI.
In an interview with Forbes, HTC design lead Drew Bamford revealed that he doubts the expected UI changes coming to Android 3.0 will affect the way his team operates. “Google may focus more on improving the user interface on the stock Android [software], but I don’t think they’ll preclude manufacturer customization,” he told Forbes.
Bamford even goes a step further by revealing that HTC actually hopes to expand its customization by enhancing existing features, adding new social networks to FriendStream, and include cloud services to access various forms of media content. It’s pretty much a confirmation of what I argued previously: regardless of how good Google makes the stock Android experience, manufacturers will continue with their proprietary OS tweaks.
Expect to see a new version of Sense in upcoming handsets released by HTC in the next six to nine months.
via [HTC Source]