Is HP hounding Android for new Tegra 4 tablet?

Hewlett Packard is reportedly working on a new bid for the mobile marketplace, and is barking up the Android tree to do it.

ReadWrite reported Wednesday that HP has been developing a new Android-powered tablet since before last Thanksgiving (Nov. 22, 2012), and is preparing to unveil the device before long, citing two unnamed sources familiar with the plans.

HP is reportedly going all-out with its Android tablet, aiming for a high-end device of unspecified size that will make use of NVIDIA's impressive Tegra 4 chip.

While last year HP released the Envy x2 tablet/notebook hybrid with Windows 8, the company mostly shied away from pure tablets since the fall of webOS and its own TouchPad line.

Tablets first, smartphones later

The Verge also claims to have confirmation that HP has chosen Android to power some slates from its own anonymous source.

HP on board with an Android tablet could be a big win for Google, after last year looked like the 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 maker.