"It goes on and on and on and on, …
Don't stop believing",
Hold on to the feelin',
Streetlights, people!"
-- "Don't Stop Believing," by Journey
If only this song was playing in the background at Hewlett-Packard
Cue speculation now!
In an interview with the Economic Observer of China, Cher Wang, chairwoman of booming Taiwanese smartphone maker HTC, indicated that her company is thinking about buying a mobile operating system. Wang told reporters that management has had internal discussions but also expressed that the company wouldn't make any impulsive decisions.
The company finds itself increasingly paying royalties from Google
Not all of those shipments would be carrying Android, but I think it's safe to say that the majority do . Buying an OS to call its own would allow it to diversify its offerings away from these pricey payments and also from Google's alleged favoritism.
While stopping short of naming webOS specifically, it's an obvious candidate in the current climate. Wang continued that one of her company's strengths is its distinctiveness and ability to shape the experience on top of the underlying OS. The company's well-recognized Sense UI could easily be applied to another operating system.
More smartphone manufacturers are opting to mimic Apple's
webOS has failed not only once, but twice. I doubt that the third time would be the charm for the beleaguered OS. It's clear that webOS needs a new home, but will it find one in Taiwan?
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