Ads may be coming to HTCBlinkFeed

HTC recently reported its worst financial results for April since 2009, so it might not be surprising hear that the company is looking for additional ways to monetize its mobile business. According to regular HTCleaker @Upleaks, HTCmay be looking to implement advertising directly into its BlinkFeed home screen to help raise additional revenue. See the leaked slide below.

Apparently, the advertisements could range from typical Play Store downloads, to promoting strategic partnerships and offers for other HTCproducts. Furthermore, @Upleaks suggests that version 7.1 of HTC’s Sense Home, which was released on May 6^th, already has the ad framework built in and that it could be switched on as soon as HTCis ready.

Remember, this is still just a rumor for now. Will have no confirmation from HTCon the matter and it’s not entirely clear how the company would go about implementing advertisements, if at all. How regularly advertisements would be displayed, on which devices they would be shown, and whether there’s an opt-in/out or premium option, are all currently unknown.

HTC has already begun rolling out some of its software, such as its Zoe camera app, to non-HTC Android devices and it’s possible that Sense Home could be set to follow suite. Perhaps HTCis planning an ad supported free version of Sense which could be made available to a range of Android handsets. We know that HTCis keen to reach new customers through new hardware and software channels.

While advertising is deemed quite acceptable to subsidise free or low cost services, HTCalready charges a premium price for its smartphones, including its new flagship One M9. It doesn’t sound like good business sense to try to milk more money from its limited hardware consumer base and I’d be surprised if HTCwas going down this route.

HTC’s long running financial issues are clearly causing trouble for the company, but do you think that BlinkFeed advertising would help?