HP May Have Nuked its Android Tablet Plans

HP may be shelving its Android tablet project to focus on its webOS tablet.

Various reports are indicating that Hewlett Packard (HP) has delayed its plans to bring an Android-based tablet to the market during Q4 2010. Sources close to the matter said that the company has "shelved" the project for now with no indication that it will be resumed in the immediate future. So far the reasons behind the delay are unknown.

It's possible that HP is currently focused on its Windows 7 tablet. It was previously believed that HP had also shelved those tablet plans as well, but after its logo was listed during Microsoft chief executive Steve Ballmer's Worldwide Partners Conference keynote earlier this week, it's now believed that the HP tablet isn't dead, and that the company is pushing to get the device ready for a Q4 2010 launch.

It's also speculated that HP has turned its attention to the future webOS slate PC currently in development at its just-assimilated Palm. The latest rumor surrounding that particular device is that it has a planned launch date of Q3 2010--meaning just around the corner. HP also previously stated that it was "doubling down" on webOS, increasing its research and development spending for the platform.

If that is indeed the case, then HP may not be working on Windows 7 and Android tablets at all, focusing entirely on webOS products. That would make sense given its recent purchase of Palm, and would also explain why HP was virtually non-existent during Ballmer's keynote save for a simple logo.