Acer, ASUS, and Dell abandoning Android tablet manufacturing – giving up or shifting to Windows 8?
According to Digitimes’ source from Android component suppliers, Acer, ASUS, and Dell have cut down on order for tablet components this 2012. This suggests that Android tablet manufacturers are unable to compete with the dominant Apple iPad 2 and the new Amazon Kindle Fire tablet. It looks like these manufacturers are cutting their losses rather than compete with the top of the food chain. They may have given up on trying to make a profit with their tablets similarly priced to the iPad 2. The iPad 2 is just too dominant, and the Amazon Kindle Fire tablet is just too cheap.
It may seem that these manufacturers may be abandoning Android tablets to cut their losses. However, it is also possible that they are getting ready to adapt a new platform. This is Windows 8, which will be launching by 2012.
Back in October, founder and CEO of Dell, Michael Dell said that his company is “very aligned with Microsoft around Windows 8”. This suggests that Dell is planning to launch a tablet running the Windows 8 platform. He also said that the Android OS “has not developed to [Dell's] expectations.”
Although other Android tablets such as the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 are still managing to stay afloat in the market, it looks like a few are biting the dust. The question is, who else will fall?
Do you think manufacturers are starting to feel Android tablets are not profitable? Do you think they will shift to creating Windows 8 tablets? Give us your thoughts.
