Skip to main content

Report: HP looking into selling off webOS division

HP touchpad webOSIt seems as though we have a new HP and webOS rumor every month,  this month’s rumor has a slightly different spin than past rumors. Rueters is reporting that HP is seriously looking into selling the mobile operating system, but for quite a bit less than it originally paid for it.

Usually we hear about a rumor of a company that might want to buy webOS from HP instead of HP trying to unload webOS. This is actually the first time that we have heard that HP might be taking steps to sell webOS. Sources are saying that HP is being advised by Bank of America Merrill Lynch on the matter of selling off its 2010 purchase.

Recommended Videos

Sources close to the subject say that several companies have expressed interest in buying the webOS division. The only company named in this latest report is Oracle, which is said to be interested in the webOS patents. If webOS was to be sold it would only fetch a few hundred million dollars instead of the original $1.2 billion 2010 purchase price of Palm.

For a quick timeline of the history of webOS and HP it all starts in 2010 when HP bought Palm for $1.2 billion. After releasing only one webOS phone and tablet HP decided to discontinue webOS development on August 18. In September HP laid off a large amount of webOS employees.

Sadly if webOS is purchased just for the patents that would mean that we might not see any new webOS devices or laid off employees getting their jobs back. Much like the rumors of Samsung buying webOS nothing in this report is set in stone, so stay tuned for more updates.

Mike Dunn
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Mike graduated from University of Arizona with a degree in poetry, and made his big break by writing love sonnets to the…
Your next smartwatch could be more powerful than you were expecting
An exploded view of a Qualcomm smartwatch

Qualcomm is tipped to be creating a new, dedicated smartwatch chip to create more powerful and longer lasting wearables, codenamed SW6100 or ‘Aspena’, highlighting a renewed interest in the space.

The chips will reportedly use a 1x Arm Cortex-A78 + 4x Arm Cortex-A55 CPU configuration for the CPU, a huge increase in power from previous versions.Why this matters: The news, revealed by Android Authority, means we’re set to get faster and longer-lasting user experience as smartwatches pack in more sensors and greater ability to be used independently from your phone.

Read more
World’s first Qi2.2 wireless power bank unlocks 25W magnetic charging speeds
UNGREEN QI2.2 Power Bank

Why it matters: As smartphones like the iPhone 16 and Galaxy S25 push charging speeds higher, Qi2's evolution to 2.2 promises up to 50W wireless power—cutting charge times and heat— but adoption has been sluggish, leaving users stuck with slower 15W Qi2 tech. This new power bank could kickstart the upgrade wave for on-the-go charging.

The news: UGREEN has come out with the world's first Qi 2.2-certified wireless power bank, the MagFlow Magnetic Power Bank. This 10,000mAh beast delivers 25W magnetic wireless charging, a built-in USB-C cable for wired options, an extra USB-C port for multi-device juicing, and a slick side display for battery status. It's backward-compatible with current Qi2 devices but shines with stronger magnets and efficiency tweaks for future-proofing.

Read more
See if the new Nothing Phone 3 bends or breaks in this durability test
The Nothing Phone 3 being bent in a durability test.

Marketed by Nothing as its first true flagship (though some beg to differ on this point), the Nothing Phone 3 garnered a lot of interest when it officially launched at the start of this month.

Of course, it wasn’t long before the new $799 handset fell into the hands of popular tech YouTuber Zack Nelson (he of JerryRigEverything), who took no time at all in putting it through its paces in his carefully designed and very unscientific durability test.

Read more