Hewlett-Packard To Launch iPhone Competitor In 2013 (HPQ)

Hewlett-Packard HPQ is getting ready to launch its first iPhone competitor since 2011. According to DigiTimes, the company is working with Taiwan-based supply chain makers to create a new smartphone. Hewlett-Packard hopes to release the device before the end of 2013. If the company follows through with this plan, it could prove to be the most crowded year since BlackBerry BBRY created the smartphone industry more than a decade ago. Related: Can Amazon Improve Upon HTC's Awful 3D Smartphone? Google GOOG began to promote its highly anticipated Moto X handset this week, the company's first official smartphone developed since it acquired Motorola. The product has been well received by the press but is typically regarded as a device that will not take market share away from Apple AAPL. Nonetheless, Google is expected to spend as much as $500 million to promote the new handset, which comes in a variety of colors and is being assembled in the United States. Amazon AMZN is rumored to be developing its first smartphone, which could be a large, Galaxy Note-sized device that contains a new kind of 3D display. BlackBerry BBRY has already released a few devices this year and is expected to release a new, unconfirmed handset later this year. Nokia NOK may be reluctant to release a large smartphone, but the company is expected to release a Galaxy Note competitor before the year's end. Other Lumia-branded devices may also be released in 2013. Samsung SSNLF has already shipped several new handsets to retail, but more are expected to follow. Apple has not confirmed when the next iPhone will ship, but many expect it to be released within the September/October timeframe. Additionally, Ubuntu and Firefox OS are expanding the market (or perhaps overcrowding it) with their own selection of devices. Louis Bedigian is the Senior Tech Analyst and Features Writer of Benzinga. You can reach him at 248-636-1322 or louis(at)benzingapro(dot)com. Follow him @LouisBedigianBZ