HP Turns Its Back on Windows Phone 7

HP has confirmed that it will not be making phones with Microsoft Windows Phone 7, but will instead develop handsets exclusively with webOS, the mobile OS it acquired when it bought Palm earlier this year.

In an interview with CNBC, HP’s Todd Bradley, the executive vice president of the company’s Personal Systems Group, stated in no uncertain terms that “we won’t do a Microsoft phone.” This confirms recent reports that HP won’t be making Windows Phone 7 devices.


Here’s the quote in question from Bradley’s interview with CNBC’s Jon Fortt:

“As we continue to be Microsoft’s largest customer, and as we continue to believe that we will drive innovation with Microsoft, at the same time, I think it’s clear to say that we’re very focused on the customer and giving the customer the experience that’s important to them. We will not do a Linux/Android phone. We won’t do a Microsoft phone.”

Before its acquisition of Palm, HP said it would be a key partner for Microsoft’s renewed mobile ambitions. After all, HP is Microsoft’s biggest customer. After HP snagged Palm for $1.2 billion though, that tune quickly changed to “we’ve got to work with [Microsoft] to figure out exactly what the roadmap looks like.”
While it’s somewhat dangerous for HP to put all of its eggs in one basket, it’s a move the company simply had to make. It put too much money into Palm and webOS not to focus all of its resources into making webOS a contender against the likes of Apple and Google.

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