Background
Palm launched WebOS in January 2009 as the successor to Palm OS. The first WebOS device was the original Palm Pre, released by Sprint in June 2009. The Palm Pixi followed. Upgraded "Plus" versions of both Pre and Pixi were released on Verizon and AT&T.
In April 2010, HP acquired Palm; WebOS was described as a key asset and motivation for the purchase. The $1.2 billion acquisition finalized in June. HP indicated its intention to develop the WebOS platform for use in multiple new products, including smartphones, tablet computers, and printers.
In February 2011, HP announced that it would use WebOS as the universal platform for all its devices. However, HP also made the decision that the Palm Pre, Palm Pixi, and the "Plus" revisions would not receive over-the-air updates to WebOS 2.0, despite a previous commitment to an upgrade "in coming months". HP announced several new WebOS devices, including the HP Veer and HP Pre 3 smartphones, running WebOS 2.2, and the HP TouchPad, a tablet computer released in July 2011 that runs WebOS 3.0.
In March 2011, HP announced plans for a version of WebOS by the end of 2011 to run within Windows, and to be installed on all HP desktop and notebook computers in 2012. Neither ever materialized, although work had begun on an x86 port around this time involving a team in Fort Collins, Colorado. Work was scrapped later in the year.
In August 2011, HP announced that it was interested in selling its Personal Systems Group, responsible for all of its consumer PC products, including WebOS, and that WebOS device development and production lines would be halted. It was unclear whether HP would consider licensing of WebOS software to other manufacturers. When HP reduced the price of the Touchpad to $99, the existing inventory quickly sold out.
The HP Pre 3 was launched in select areas of Europe, and US-based units were available only through unofficial channels as both AT&T and Verizon canceled their orders just prior to delivery after Apotheker's announcement. Notably, these U.S. Pre 3 units, having been released through unofficial channels, lacked both warranties and carried no support obligation from HP; as a result parts are nearly impossible to come by. HP announced that it would continue to issue updates for the HP Veer and HP TouchPad, but these updates have failed to materialize for the former, and the latter saw a final, unofficial release called WebOS CE that contained only open-sourced components of WebOS meant for what remained of the developer community rather than a conventional, user-centric update to the operating system.
In December 2011, HP announced it would release WebOS source code in the near future under an open-source license. In August 2012, HP renamed its WebOS unit as "Gram".
As of February 25, 2013 it was announced that HP is selling WebOS to LG Electronics for use on its web-enabled Smart TVs. LG Electronics shall be allowed access to the documentation, source code, developers and related websites.
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