Hewlett-Packard CEO Léo Apotheker says licensing webOS to third-party handset manufacturers is something the company would certainly entertain.

But should it? And under what conditions?

In a client note this week, Global Equities Research analyst Trip Chowdhry makes the case that it should, and comes up with some interesting scenarios to support that argument. He says that Sony, Motorola and Samsung are growing disillusioned with Googles Android OS. They feel theres too much fragmentation and too little differentiation among Android devices and that companies producing low-end handsets are collapsing the premium market theyd most like to play in.

Theyre starting to realize that their Android devices [are no different] in the eyes of the customer [than a] $20 Android Phone from Huawei, Chowdhry says. Theyre worried that Android may dilute their global brand as customers put them in the same bucket with Acer, Asus, ZTE, Huawei, and MediaTek.

And if thats the case, Sony, Motorola and Samsung might be interested in another mobile OS, one that would preserve their premium brand.

Which is where HPs webOS comes in.

Its a widely acclaimed platform and its not fragmented at all. If the company were to license it to a few select partners, under the right conditions it could extend the operating systems reach and bolster HPs revenues. HP could also define a handful of well-conceived reference designs to which OEM partners must adhere and charge them $50 to $75 per device.

By doing that, HP could keep hardware quality high and position webOS as a premium alternative to Android. Which may be just what companies like Sony, Motorola and Samsung are looking for.

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