Thinking About an HP Windows Phone

There are persistent rumors about PC giant HP re-entering the smart phone market with a Windows 10 Mobile-based device. If this happens, I would imagine HP will announce the phone(s) next week at CES or perhaps at Mobile World Congress.

On that note, I have a few thoughts.

First, and most obviously, HP should not even consider making such a device. In doing so, HP would face the same issue that dogged Nokia, in trying to be a major player in a very small market (Windows phones) vs. being one of many small players in a very big market (Android). I understand why HP feels like it needs to be in phones. But this is a losing strategy.

That said, HP has some incredible PC designs that it could bring to the smart phone market. And the possibilities here are staggering, from low-end but wonderful HP Stream Phones—possibly in Magenta and Horizon Blue colors—to high-end Spectre Phones with all-aluminum bodies. Seriously, think about that.

But HP’s designs can’t overcome the problems with this platform, which leads me back to my first point. And if HP is serious about phones, which is still unclear, it should consider a two-pronged strategy where it makes phones with a choice of Android or Windows 10 Mobile and let God—er, the market—sort ’em out.

Of course, my opinions here don’t necessarily line up with the rumors, let alone reality. Supposedly, the HP phone—codenamed Falcon—is a premium device with a 5.8-inch 2560 x 1440 WQHD display, a Snapdragon 820 processor, 2 or 3 GB of RAM, 32 or 64 GB of in-built storage and 20 and 12 MP cameras.

I guess we’ll see what happens.