Acer says it’s sticking with tablets and smartphones

Persistent rumors that Acer was considering abandoning the tablet and smartphone market were refuted yesterday at the highest level, as Acer founder Stan Shih explicitly stated that Acer would be sticking with mobile devices, despite the poor performance of Acer’s mobile division to date.

Shih attributed the rumors to the reorganization taking place within Acer to streamline its mobile product development. Shih said they have no plans to downsize their workforce or abandon the market, but instead are planning to concentrate their energy on fewer devices, with an emphasis on profitability.

Shih also indicated that Acer will also be consolidating its smartphone and tablet divisions into a single mobile division, citing the similarity in development of tablets and smartphones. Shih likened Acer’s struggles to those it faced when Acer entered the laptop market, and feels that Acer can ultimately find similar success with mobile devices. Acer spokesmen clarified that if the reorganization meets with success, they will expand their mobile offerings further.

Acer’s smartphone efforts have centered on Android and WP7, but have met with limited success. Their Iconia line of Android tablets has met with mixed reviews, but sales have stagnated in the saturated and under performing market for Android tablets.

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source: DigiTimes via VentureBeat