Samsung interested in buying webOS ?

Following HP's decision to halt its webOS projects and potentially exit the PC market Samsung quickly emerged as the most likely candidate for a buyout. Though HP didn't exactly confirm it was going to exit the PC market yet, the Korean company already put all speculation to rest, claiming it has no interest in making such a move. But now new rumors suggest that it's the ill-fated smartphone and tablet platform that Samsung has its eye on.
"Sources noted that the acquisition of HP's PC business, which has a rather low gross margin, may turn out to hurt Samsung's panel and DRAM businesses that have rather high gross margins, therefore HP's webOS may be the target that Samsung has the most interest in," a report on DigiTimes reads.
Despite plans to stop making smartphones and tablet devices itself, HP has said it is not killing off webOS and that it is seeking "the best hardware partner for it." Apparently their intention is licensing it to others but at this point that seems like a tough sell considering the Pre/TouchPad failure and lack of developer support.
For Samsung, acquiring or licensing webOS could help it stand out from the hordes of Android-running phones and tablets. It could also help the company move away from all the Android lawsuits flying around lately and protect itself against Google potentially "second-tiering" its Android partners now that it has taken Motorola into the fold.
It's worth noting that Samsung has already gained some ground with low-end phones based on its Bada software while also dabbling in Windows Phone 7 devices, so the company is clearly keeping its options open when it comes to the mobile platforms it supports.

Read more »

Amazon could sell five million tablets next quarter

Amazon could be looking to sell as many as five million tablets by the end of the year. Such sales would be contingent upon a sub-$300 price point and enough supply to meet demand, says Forrester analyst Sarah Rotman Epps. Others seem to think that Amazon could come in as low as $249, a price that would significantly undercut Apple’s iPad.
Earlier this year it was rumored that Amazon was manufacturing two different tablets. The first would be an entry-level device codenamed Coyote (based on the dual-core Nvidia Tegra 2 platform) and the second slate would be codenamed Hollywood (based on the quad-core Nvidia codename Kal-El platform, which is likely to be called Tegra 3).
Later rumors hinted that Quanta Computer would assemble processors developed by Texas Instruments, Taiwan-based Wintek's touch panels, and ILI Technology's LCD driver ICs.
It’s hard to fathom a Tegra 3 tablet with a sub $300 price tag, but if anyone could pull it off, it’s Amazon. Regardless of what hardware Amazon eventually brings to market, a $300 price point would likely mean the company is selling the tablet at a loss. Amazon could still make a hefty profit from the device from digital books, music, videos and apps sold to users.
This could be the first serious competitor to the iPad, as Apple primarily makes money from hardware sales on the iPad. It would be a long time before Amazon could steal the crown from Cupertino, but healthy competition is good for everyone, especially the consumer.
Amazon hasn’t said anything official about their tablet plans, nor would we expect them to ahead of launch. The most recent rumor for a launch window is sometime before October.

Read more »