HP has announced today that they will discontinue all development and production of webOS related smartphones and tablets. Featured on the Pre and TouchPad, webOS is
was a pretty unique operating system that was favored by homebrew enthusiasts and those who wanted a fresh UX. The demand for Android and iOS devices is likely the cause of webOS’s death, since the Pre family of devices flew pretty far under the radar for most average users.
In addition, HP reported that it plans to announce that it will discontinue operations for webOS devices, specifically the TouchPad and webOS phones. HP will continue to explore options to optimize the value of webOS software going forward.
It’s sad to see webOS go, but there is a slim possibility that the operating system will live on in some incarnation if acquired by the competition.
Update: If various tweets by HP executives (most notably Richard Kerris, head of Developer Relations for webOS) are to be believed, only the physical products HP produces that run webOS will be eliminated. WebOS, as a platform, will live on, and it seems like the licensing idea is going to become a reality.
