HTC Considering webOS Purchase

Now that Hewlett-Packard has all but abandoned it webOS portfolio, it seems that others are looking to get a piece of the beleaguered mobile operating system. According to a company chairwoman, mobile manufacturer HTC may be one of those suitors.

In a recent interview with China's Economic Observer, HTC chairwoman Cher Wang said her company is weighing its options, and it is considering taking webOS off HP's hands or possibly purchasing another mobile OS entirely.

"We have given it thought, and we have discussed it internally, but we will not do it on impulse," Wang told the news provider, according to Computerworld.

This could be a sticky situation for HTC, which has had significant success in recent years with its line of Android-based handsets. According to research firm IDC, HTC's smartphone vendor market share increased 229 percent year-over-year in the first quarter of 2011. Given this success, HTC may be inclined to leave well-enough alone.

However, the phone maker could also benefit from having its own operating system, a strategy with which rival Apple has had considerable success, but one with which others, including HP, have struggled.