HTC has said it is currently considering buying its own mobile operating system. And HP’s webOS is rumored to be the one it’s flirting with the most. The news comes from a report based on comments made by HTC Chairwoman, Cher Wang:
“We have given it thought and we have discussed it internally, but we will not do it on impulse,” she told the Economic Observer of China.
The idea of a lifeline for webOS is surely to come as great news for its many fans. When HP took over many people raved about the fantastic mobile operating system being used by the world’s biggest computer manufacturer. It all seemed very exciting indeed. However, HP recently announced that it plans to discontinue devices that use webOS, but also said it will continue to explore their options to optimize the value of webOS going forward. Basically, the hardware has been kicked to the sidelines, but the software could feasibly live on. And could it be HTC that gives it the kiss of life?
So far it’s hard to be certain. There are many equivocal words being kicked around. HTC “may” be looking at buying its own OS. HP will “consider” the options available to webOS and HTC doesn’t want to act on impulse. Tentative stuff indeed.
HTC has had itchy feet in the past. A pillar of Window’s Mobile then getting deeply involved with Android, HTC has danced around a fair bit.
Analysts have said that HTC could benefit by owning its own mobile operating system while, at the same time, relying on Android or Windows phone versions used by other manufacturers. Considering Apple made a legal move against HTC for patent infringement, acquiring its own mobile OS could be seen as the next natural step for the company. Arguably, webOS is the way forward for them.
It’ll be fantastic for webOS, which deserved so much more than it received of course. Announced in January 2009 to major excitement, the Palm Pre running webOS took until June that year to hit American shelves. During that time the new iPhone and Android phones were launched and took the shine out of the webOS handset. Six months to get to the American market and ten before it hit the UK? Bad form. HP didn’t take over until May of the next year and even then it took until October for the Pre 2 to be announced. Which, arguably, was slightly behind the times, whereas the Pre was, on announcement at least, slightly ahead, which now brings us to the Pre 3 and Touchpad: fantastic devices sporting an exceptional mobile operating system that just didn’t sell, that didn’t have the backing, that didn’t have the resources thrown at it that it deserved.
So if a company can come along, taking hold of webOS, it could mean great things for the acquiring body and the devices they shoe-horn it into. Could that be HTC?
… Probably.
Article and Photo Credit: Macworld
