HP Joining The Android Army?

A week or so ago some news started floating around the web that HP was planning to release an Android powered smartphone codenamed Bender.  Today we’re getting confirmation that, at the very least, HP is rejoining the smartphone/tablet race.

Here’s a statement from Jefferies analyst Peter Misek:

After failing with its acquisition of Palm and subsequent goodwill and inventory write-offs totaling $3.3B, recent comments from HP management point to a retargeting of tablets and smartphones. While the move makes sense strategically, we see it as a high risk move. On top of adding costs and working capital burdens to an already stressed balance sheet, there could be additional write-offs. We note that to date almost all PC OEMs have failed to gain significant traction in consumer tablets/smartphones.

So if you put one and one together, it seems that HP will indeed be joining the Android army for the smartphone and tablet markets.  But until we get something more substantial this is still speculation.  What do you guys think?  Would you buy an HP built Android device?

[Zdnet]