HTC 'continues to assess' developing its own smartphone OS, Palm says 'hey, assess this'
By Chris Ziegler 
posted April 13th 2010 1:52PM
posted April 13th 2010 1:52PM
Failing a Palm acquisition, there might still be justification for HTC to build out its own software platform for many of the same reasons that buying Palm would make sense -- the company's getting bigger and more important to the market by the day, after all, and being left at the mercy of Google and Microsoft to produce cohesive platforms of their own might not sit well with Chou's team ad infinitum. The HTC Smart could be regarded as its first baby step toward that goal, though the handset -- based on Qualcomm's Brew MP platform -- is actually a featurephone that won't fly with the same kinds of consumers that are cross-shopping Android and Windows Phone products. To that end, Bloomberg says that HTC's CFO revealed in an interview that his company continues "to assess [developing its own smartphone operating system], but that requires a few conditions to justify." Naturally, he went on to clam up when nudged about the Palm sitch -- and he never got around to laying out what those "few conditions" were that would spur HTC to pull the trigger on any of this -- but it's starting to seem inevitable that this is all going to go down one way or another.
HTC DO NOT make your own OS!!!!
There are enough great platforms out there, and we don't need another disaster like Bada to further fragment the market.
Buy Palm PLEASE. It's a great company with a huge patent portfolio.
An HD2 running WebOS would be the best thing in the world.
@ScienceProUSAcom
buy palm, htc, DO EEEET
@ScienceProUSAcom
I'm in complete agreement with you. If they do that, then they will just accidentally one of the best mobile phone OSes out there.
My worry is that HTC will try to snazz it up, like it does with Android and Windows Mobile, and in the process, will make webOS slightly worse than before. That is my only concern.
@mr waffles
Sorry, I completely misread your post. A bit of a brain fail. You can downrank me for not taking a few seconds to try and understand your post clearly.
But yes, HTC shouldn't make thier own OS. But then again, would they even bother attempting it?
@ScienceProUSAcom
Buying palm would easily make them the most powerful Smartphone producer on the planet. They will be able to offer very similar form factor phones with the consumer's choice of an OS. Span this across every major carrier on the planet, and they probably can't help but make money.
The options of Win-Mo, Windows Phone 7, Android, & WebOS would give the consumer endless options.
HTC: Choices (new slogan / anti-apple rip)
@ScienceProUSAcom
I would prefer a merger of webOS capabilities + Sense UI, running on top of user's choice of android or wp7 inside HTC hardware.
This would be the greatest thing to happen....ever!
@ScienceProUSAcom
In the last thread I kept saying that there was no way that HTC would buy Palm... I have to say though, developing a new OS vs. buying WebOS... seems like WebOS would be the way to go. As others have stated, the market simply doesn't need another OS.
I suppose none of us know what the cost of acquiring Palm would be? Maybe it's just cost-prohibitive?
@ScienceProUSAcom
Right on. Couldn't have said it better!
@MichaelF Yeah we know the cost, basically. They're valued at something like 1.1 billion dollars.
@ScienceProUSAcom
I think you mean EVO 4G and HD3 with a choice of WEB OS/WP7/Android/WinMo6.x would be the best thing in the world.
Now THAT is a major way for companies to differentiate their products, make a hardware and offer any OS they want on it.
HTC will surpass Apple at that point. Noway Apple can compete against a company that can offer up 4 out of the 5 major smartphone OS.
@exstrat I think Sense would muddle up the clean webOS interface. Maybe webOS could benefit from a few Sense features, like a couple homescreen widgets, but overall, I like webOS as it is.
Palm's problem is lag and terrible quality hardware, both of which could be cured by tossing webOS (which I might add, is easily scalable) into an EVO form factor. Palm would instantly have a fast and powerful device, and they could even benefit from HTC's onscreen keyboard, which from what I've experienced playing with the Eris, is much better than most soft keyboard (ignoring the beauty of the iPhone keyboard, of course).
It's a veritable match made in heaven, and the best situation for both HTC and Palm. HTC gets a well developed OS that in many respects is light years ahead of the rest of the market. Palm gets very reliable and well built hardware and much more money to develop their software. Please let this happen.
@statelypenguin They're having a 15% off sale today, only $850M :). However, they have a billion in liabilities, not really what you call "value", a lot of Palm would be written off to "Goodwill" meaning you can't fully integrate their overvalued assets; you are investing in a name, WebOS, a patent portfolio and possibly engineers more than anything else.
@mr waffles This is what I'm concerned about. webOS is already pretty great looking. It doesn't need Sense to improve it. I don't get why people keep saying that's what they should do.
@ScienceProUSAcom Completely agree. Palm's patent library more than makes up for the deb they have, and how'd you like to have any HTC device charged via a touchstone?
@ScienceProUSAcom
What if HTC made their own OS and it is actually good? You never know, it could be better than the current ones, Yeah, there's a lot of them already, but more choices isn't a bad thing, it would just be hard to market and pull off.
@exstrat agreed...I often fantasize about WebOS + Android marriage...their design scheme would meld well with each other.
PS. I don't really fantasize.
Oh yes, now that would be an interesting development. Droping WinMo and Android as well to concentrate on their own OS is the best possibility I've read about
@futurerheza
HTC FTW
PALM WILL FACE SEGA DREAMCAST FATE!.... :(
I once dreamt that HTC acquired Palm, and then put the webOS on their device without modifying it.
It was the best sleep I ever had in my life.
@mr waffles
I had a dream in which I had a WebOS tablet built by HTC. And I could plug it into my HTC built car. Okay, I've never dreamt this... 'Least not while asleep.
@mr waffles
Even better dream I had: Sense UI homescreens + widgets, then a slide gesture up pulls up webOS cards instead of app shelf.
I think that if they don't look into buying Palm, that could be a huge loss.
Or at least have Google buy them.
@JoshuaNJ
I think they are capable of assessing that for the benefit of their corporation far better than any of us.
@Almo ...so they will not buy it.
If they do, they should do it with palm.
I feel like I'm watching some cheesy romantic comedy where the audience just wants the two main characters to cut through the BS and just get hitched already.
Come on HTC, you know you want it.
How about HTC just uses Android...It seems to be working
evo 4g + webos =best phone ever
@elitist Touch Pro 3 + WebOS = Best Phone EVAR!!!111111!!1!11!! :D
@Pookiewood
Pretty sure Evo 4G + WebOS would be the best... I should say WebOS 2.0. It needs a little to be polished a bit.
@captaind172 Well EVO 4G TWO with a Keyboard! :p I need my Keyboard! LOL!
@elitist
HTC Wizard + WebOs = Bestestest phone EVAAARRRRR!!!! + 1 x infinity - "The Nanny" + 2xCorn Nuts!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
...
@elitist Instant buy.
@captaind172
Pray tell, what exactly needs polishing in Web OS?
Ok maybe htc forgot that the only reason they boomed is because of android. they would be shooting themselves in the foot by making thwir own os
@victorstuber Yeah Yeah I know Don't trust everything on Wikipedia but I think your comment is mostly wrong as MS was a huge selling point for HTC phones.
Corporate information
"The company's growth has accelerated dramatically after being chosen by Microsoft as a hardware platform development partner for the Windows Mobile operating system (based on Windows CE). HTC is also currently working with Google to build the mobile phones offered by Google running its Android mobile OS. HTC's sales revenue totalled $2.2 billion for 2005, a 102% increase from the previous year. It was listed as the fastest growing tech company in BusinessWeek's Info Tech 100.[3]"
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HTC_Corporation
@victorstuber HTC boomed because of WinMo, and exclusive contracts to make carrier branded phones aka T-Mobile MDA and Dash before they came out and started selling devices under their own HTC branding. Though Android is not hurting it them any, go take a look at HTC's website. 4 Android based phones, VS 19 WinMo based phones.
http://www.htc.com/us/products
@d0ug Well HTC wouldnt be where its at with out WinMo but the company became a superstar because of Android. WinMo phones hit the toilet since android phones came out.
Am I the only one who'd rather see Google buy Palm than HTC? It seems better to combine the more robust android app development framework with UI of WebOS than for HTC to have to switch to yet another OS. Not to mention Google is inherently a software company and could probably do some amazing things using that old IPhone team which defected to Palm. HTC will continue making amazing handsets regardless
@billobob I think you are the only one, I hope. I can't stand Google. I don't want any part of Google in WebOS. Bad enough you are locked into Google Search. I don't want them putting ads in everything I do on my phone. Yeah I know Android doesn't do that.......yet. :)
@Pookiewood
I second this... I like google, and their products, but it doesn't mean I will like them in a year. I want choice.
@billobob You are alone, but the Android UI does need some love. It seems a little techie-friendly to me, I likes the eye candies.
@Pookiewood Apple does though! LMAO
@d0ug iAds LOL! Way to go Apple! I can't believe they are actually doing that.
Seconded. We really don't need any more platform fragmentation that will result in yet another pie chart of mobile browser use. HTC really needs to buy palm, so they have a solid, beautiful UI of their own to pair with their own solid, beautiful devices.
Seriously...
Has there ever been a more suitable match than HTC and Palm WebOS, especially now?
Just Do It Already!
@DaHarder YOU TWO HAVE SEX SOON OR DIE!!!!!!!
@futurerheza
lol engadget is sooo into this,
if HTC & Palm hook up, will Engadget get to be best man at the wedding?
Kudos, guys, for sneaking the word "asses" so many times into the headline. Got my attention right away. Oh, and the other keywords, Palm and HTC garnered some interest, too.