HTC Reportedly Mulling Sale Of Its Successful Vive VR Business

HTC was once one of the top smartphone manufacturers in the world, but is now having a hard time competing against the likes of Samsung and Apple. HTC has seen its market value decline a whopping 75 percent over the last half decade, leaving it valued at around $1.8 billion. The smartphone maker currently holds less than 2 percent of the global smartphone market.

Not all is doom and gloom though; the company is doing well with its Vive VR business and a rumor floating around claims that HTC is considering selling or spinning off this business. A person claiming to be familiar with discussions has stated that HTC is working with an adviser and is considering a strategic investor. The source did say that a sell off of the Vive business is less likely, as one of the potential partners does not have an obvious fit for Vive. As of now, there aren't any finalized plans and the source claims that HTC could choose to do nothing.

HTC has a storied past, and was the premiere maker of early Windows Phone devices. HTC was the first smartphone maker to bet big on Android, making the very first Android smartphone in 2008. More recently, HTC has been working hard to make the Vive as popular as possible, cutting its price by $200 to a more palatable $599. The catch is that you have to shell out for a stout PC to pair with the headset, making the investment still too high for many mainstream gamers out there.

HTC is hoping some of its enterprise partners like VW, Google, Apple, Intel and others will help drive VR adoption. Even with its price cut, the Vive is still much more expensive than the Oculus Rift, which is priced at $399 including the Touch controllers.