A rumor from 9to5 Google suggests HP is working on a cheap Android phone for the prepaid and emerging markets. The phone has been under development for over a year and a half under the guidance of HP SVP Mobility Alberto Torres, who was the former MeeGo executive at Nokia. Sources claim the device will resemble a scaled downed version of the Galaxy Note 3, with a 5.5-inch display with 720P resolution. Cost cutting on the materials in the device could lower the price to as low as $200.
This isn’t the first time we’ve heard HP talk about smartphones. Last year, HP CEO Meg Whitman confirmed that the company was working on a smartphone.
“So a smartphone is not if, but when, for Hewlett-Packard?” – Whitman replied: ”[HP has] to ultimately offer a smartphone, because in many countries in the world that is your first computing device. You know, there will be countries around the world where people may never own a tablet or a PC or desktop. They will do everything on the smartphone. We’re a computing company, we have to take advantage of that form factor.”
9to5 Google’s source claims the HP smartphone could be announced as soon as next week, though unexpected delays could push that target date off by an unknown duration.
