HTC BlinkFeed

BARCELONA, Spain-- Last year at Mobile World Congress I wrote that smartphone and table vendors "need to offer truly differentiated services and not just me-too hardware." A year later I can report that OEMs have made progress but I think there is much more work to be done.

HTC can break out of its sales slump and rank behind Samsung Electronics and Apple as No. 3 in terms of smartphone sales if it executes on an aggressive new marketing strategy for its flagship HTC One smartphone, according to a senior HTC executive.

HTC unveiled its long-rumored new flagship Android smartphone, the HTC One, as it mounts a comeback based on a new user interface, a news hub for the home screen and enhanced camera and sound capabilities. AT&T Mobility, Sprint Nextel and T-Mobile USA will be among the company's U.S. carrier partners, but Verizon Wireless is noticeably absent.