DailyTech - Quick Note: No HP Smartphone in 2013

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Gadgets Quick Note: No HP Smartphone in 2013
Brandon Hill (Blog) - October 4, 2012 12:06 PM

10 comment(s) - last by drycrust3.. on Oct 5 at 3:09 PM

HP will fall further behind in the smartphone game

Remember HP CEO Meg Whitman's comments last month stating that her company needed to get [back] into the smartphone market in order to be successful on the global stage? While Whitman is certainly open to the idea of releasing another HP-branded smartphone, it's not coming any time soon.

"We don't have any plans to introduce a smartphone in 2013, but we've got to start thinking about what is our unique play, how do we capture this element of the personal computing market," said Whitman yesterday during a briefing on the company’s 2013 outlook.

^{The defunct HP Palm Pre 3}

The fact that Whitman and HP are still trying to wrap their heads around what makes a successful smartphone is quite troubling. Apple and Google already have the market cornered with iOS and Android respectively in the smartphone game.

RIM is increasingly becoming a non-factor in the smartphone business, but it hopes to turn its fortunes around with BB10. And Microsoft has gone from being a frontrunner with its Windows Mobile operating system has become an also-ran with the Windows Phone platform.

Whitman went on to add, "I believe that five years from now, if we don't have a smartphone or whatever the next generation of that device is, we'll be locked out of a huge segment of the population in many countries of the world."

Source: ComputerWorld UK

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True

By Motoman on 10/4/2012 12:47:39 PM , Rating: 2

I think she's right...smartphones and tablets *are* PCs. HP will be hosed if they don't move into that market. Sooner better than later.

I think it would be interesting to see them try to leverage WebOS. As many will attest, it was/is a highly compelling mobile platform.

The bigger question though is whether or not the better bet is to go with Android or Windows on their mobile devices.

Is it better to jump into what will immediately be a much larger ecosystem...but potentially appear as "just another Android/Windows product," or do you stick with WebOS which immediately differentiates you but starts you out with an ecosystem the size of a mud puddle?

RE: True

By retrospooty on 10/4/2012 6:36:27 PM , Rating: 2

"I think it would be interesting to see them try to leverage WebOS. As many will attest, it was/is a highly compelling mobile platform."

I wish... Web OS, polished up like "project butter"ish on modern hardware would be my dream OS... Or, just Android with WebOS's UI and multitasking.

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RE: True

By iamkyle on 10/4/2012 6:52:53 PM , Rating: 2

They will need to do it sooner or later, especially considering BB10 is going to capture a lot of the 'on the fence' mobile users.

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RE: True

By Motoman on 10/5/12, Rating: 0

RE: True

By theapparition on 10/5/2012 9:57:54 AM , Rating: 3

My personal opinion is not many are "waiting" for BB10. Besides the tech universe and a few IT managers, not many even know about BB10.

BB10 might have been a force if released in Jan 2012. But with so little knowledge about it, many potential customers have moved on.

I think it still has a chance, but must completely blow away the competition, much as Apple did with the first iPhone. I don't see that happening.

But that's just my opinion.

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