Rumor surfaced last week that Samsung, the largest manufacturer of Android devices, may be looking into buying webOS from Hewlett-Packard after the computer company announced it would no longer manufacturer mobile devices. Samsung CEO Choi Gee Sung told reporters that Samsung would “never” buy webOS. This week, new rumors suggest that Samsung is considering throwing development resources into near-defunct mobile operating system MeeGo, a week after Intel dropped support of the platform.
It would make sense for Samsung to consider its options, especially in the wake of the Motorola/Google deal and the potential effects on the Android ecosystem. Yet, these rumors are also a classic case of the anatomy of how rumors circle the world of technology on a daily basis.
This does not mean that the MeeGo community to worry about the continued existence of this operating system need to worry, because apparently Samsung will step into the breach and continues to lead the future development. ~ Translation from German site Netbooknews.de
Anatomy Of A Mobile OS Rumor
Why does every mobile OS that goes by the wayside become associated with Samsung? Let’s take a look at the factors:
- Samsung is the largest provider of Android smartphones across the globe and owns nearly 20% of the mobile market period.
- Nobody expects Google’s Android partners to be happy with the Motorola deal and are waiting for the other shoe to drop.
- Samsung has a lot of development resources and licenses other mobile technology outside of Android, specifically Windows Phone 7.
- Mobile OSes like webOS and MeeGo are available and need a home.
The rumor equation is clear in the case of Samsung: large OEM plus homeless operating systems plus Google/Motorola. Every time a mobile OS starts circling the drain, reporters are going to wonder who might pick it up. As the big dog, Samsung will get the first run of rumors.
Why Is Samsung Being Tied To webOS and MeeGo?
Part of the webOS/Samsung rumor was that Samsung reportedly recruited HP ex-VP of marketing Raymond Wah to handle Samsung’s PC sales. It may be a bit of a stretch to say that because Samsung went fishing for talent that at HP that it is also looking to acquire webOS.
The MeeGo rumors derive from a German wesbite called Netbooknew.de and reported by MeeGoExperts.com. Here is the pertinent quote from Netbooknews translated from German using Google Translate:
This does not mean that the MeeGo community to worry about the continued existence of this operating system need to worry, because apparently Samsung will step into the breach and continues to lead the future development.
This may all come down to hopeful thinking by wistful niche tech bloggers and enthusiasts who want to see a new home for MeeGo. Samsung already has a second-tier mobile operating system in Bada that outsells both webOS and Windows Phone globally. Yet, it is understandable for Samsung to keep its hedge it bets against Android and keep an eye on a potential replacement in MeeGo.
