Uplinq 2011: HTC opens Sense framework to third-party developers

SAN DIEGO — Fourth-generation networks and the smartphones and devices that take advantage of that new technology are going to “supercharge” consumers’ experience with mobility, Peter Chou, CEO of HTC Corp., said in his keynote at Uplinq.
Smartphones will increasingly become digital wallets for consumers and 4G networks will turn smartphones into cloud-powered entertainment centers, he continued.
The Taiwan-based manufacturer shipped more than 25 million smartphones in 2010 and sales for Q1 of 2011 are up 300% over the year-ago period, he said. That growth has propelled HTC among the top five smartphone brands in the world, Chou said, adding that HTC is already No. 2 or No. 3 in some markets.
HTC’s rise has mostly followed the phenomenal trajectory of Google Inc.’s (GOOG) Android operating system. HTC was the first major manufacturer to build a product running on Android in 2008.
“In less than 3 years there has been more than 100 million Android phone activations,” Chou said.
“HTC is the largest Android developer outside of Google,” Chou added. “HTC is the No. 1 Android brand and supplier in the world. We are shipping Android phones almost everywhere in the world.”
At Uplinq, Chou announced a new developer program that opens HTC’s Sense framework to outside developers and enables them to integrate Sense features directly into their apps. OpenSense, the first part of HTC Dev, will include an API for Sense and a library of best practices, documentation and support for the developer community.