Yesterday I posted an entry explaining my thoughts on the Google buy out of phone manufacturer Motorola and explained why, personally, I don't think Google are going to run solo with Android. In the past few weeks we've heard the other big story in mobile industry, the HP news. For those who haven't heard (are you living under a rock?) HP are discontinuing webOS, one of the rivals to Android, iOS, Windows Mobile 7 and Blackberry. This has seen HP cut the prices on HP Touchpads (Tablets) significantly, in fact if you can still find one anywhere snap it up, it's a complete bargain, and announce a cut on the price of Pre 3, the newest webOS phone. In fact the phone, which was going for £30 a month on 24 month contract (or just shy of £500 on a Sim only deal) is expected to be sold at £50 as stores try to clear their stock.
Where HP went wrong with the webOS is difficult to really break down, though their is a number of clear reasons. Despite actually being a good rival, software wise, to Android HP did a number of things "wrong". Firstly they took on Apple head to head, they were the only company making webOS phones this was foolish. If you're the only company making devices with the operating system you will get pounded out of the market no matter how good the OS is. I'm sorry to tell you, but at the moment you cannot take on Apple directly, and Google know this that's why they license Android for free, HP went directly against Apple with their own handsets and tablets
As well as going solo against Apple they also charged like Apple. £500 for the Pre 3, no matter how mind blowing it might have been, was simply too much. Lets be honest it is a wonderful piece of kit. The processor is either a 1.4ghz or a 1.2ghz dual core (sources seem to contradict each other, though both would be swift), the screen is 3.58" as well as having a qwerty keyboard (so a huge screen for a qwerty phone), a huge 8GB of internal storage, a very solid 5MP camera on the back and the wonderful webOS 2.0 operating system. Despite how good it is (and was, if you prefer) it was simply over priced and as a result went directly against Apple's iPhone's rather things like Androids and Blackberry's.
There is currently a "bounty" put up online for people to find a method of putting Android on both the Pre 3 and the HP Touchpad meaning that if you are one of the lucky ones who do snap a bargain (and trust me at the prices they've been cut to, you have got a considerable bargain) you will end up being able to run Android on it in the near future.
The HP road won't be one Google wish to follow, Google have seen what happens when you attempt to take on Apple head to head and will almost certainly continue to license out the Android operating system rather than try to take on Apple. HP's white flag perhaps came too early for some though it should act as a warning, you can have a great handset and a great operating system, but take on Apple directly at your own peril. We might see "Googorola" phones by the end of 2012 but don't expect them to be high priced, that's simply not the Google way. Don't lose sight of the fact Google are an advertising company, they want everyone to have an Android even if it costs them to begin with, HP were never an advertiser.
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