Whitman the Fox Business Network in September that HP would need to offer a smartphone because phones have become the primary computing device for people in many countries. "We are working on this," she said at the time.

Asked about the smartphone plans at HP's Wednesday, Whitman acknowledged she had made "quite a stir" with her earlier remarks.

"We don't have any plans to introduce a smartphone in 2013, but we've got to start thinking about what is our unique play, how do we capture this element of the personal computing market?" Whitman said.

HP has to offer every kind of device, from workstations through all-in-one PCs, laptops, hybrid PCs, tablets "and, ultimately, smartphones," she said.

"I believe that five years from now, if we don't have a smartphone or whatever the next generation of that device is, we'll be locked out of a huge segment of the population in many countries of the world," she said.