Acer hasn’t done well in the Android world this year. Their hardware is solid enough, and their no-nonsense approach to software is refreshing, but they’ve been beaten pretty soundly by the likes of Samsung, HTC and Asus at just about every junction. They’re not shy about admitting it, either: To clarify the company’s ongoing position, founder Stan Shih told DigiTimes that it wouldn’t be going anywhere in 2012. He likened the rocky road it’s faced in the mobile spectrum so far to its early years in the laptop market, where it currently holds a commanding position.
That said, the company may be releasing fewer products overall in the coming year. Amid the corporate speak Shih noted that the company would be simplifying operations between its PC and mobile divisions. That may lead to fewer models overall between laptops, tablets and smartphones. Though the company’s expansive laptop line could do with a little trimming, it’s only released three tablets this year, the Iconia Tab A500, A100 and A200 – there’s not a lot of space to go down.
Shih also mentioned that Acer will be focusing on high-end products, an area in which it has not succeeded historically. A high-end tablet is certainly in the works: The Iconia Tab A700 (I think they’ve only got one guy working in the branding department) is rumored to have a quad-core Tegra 3 processor and an eye-popping 1920 x 1200 10-inch display, putting it in line with offerings from Lenovo and Samsung due in mid-2012. Acer’s smartphones haven’t done well in the west so far, but there’s no reason that they couldn’t push for greater presence among carriers in the coming year.
