Dell has stopped selling Android devices as it steps away from slate-style tablets to focus on Windows 2-in-1 devices.
The company isn’t refreshing the Venue line of Android tablets, and will no longer offer the Android-based Wyse Cloud Connect, a thumb-size computer that can turn a display into a PC. Other Android devices were discontinued some time ago.
“The slate tablet market is over-saturated and is experiencing declining demand from consumers, so we’ve decided to discontinue the Android-based Venue tablet line,” a Dell spokesman said in an email.
Though Dell has killed its Android devices, it made interesting products with the OS. One was the Venue 8 7000 tablet, which had an OLED screen and a 3D RealSense camera. Meanwhile, 2-in-1s can serve as both tablets and laptops.
“We are seeing 2-in-1s rising in popularity since they provide a more optimal blend of PC capabilities with tablet mobility. This is especially true in the commercial space,” the Dell spokesman said.
Dell won’t be offering OS upgrades to Android-based Venue tablets already being used by customers.
“For customers who own Android-based Venue products, Dell will continue to support currently active warranty and service contracts until they expire, but we will not be pushing out future OS upgrades,” the spokesman said.
With Android devices discontinued, Dell now mostly has laptops and 2-in-1s with Windows on its roster, and some Chromebooks as well. Dell’s Chromebook 11 3120 and Chromebook 13 7310—which run Chrome OS—will be able to run Android apps through access to the Google Play Store. The Chromebooks won’t run the Android OS, however.
Dell also sells XPS and Precision laptops with Ubuntu to developers, and thin clients with Linux, Windows Embedded and Wyse’s ThinOS operating systems.
Dell has a knack for discontinuing Venue products. Dell stopped selling Venue smartphones in 2012, but reintroduced the brand through the tablets. Dell also sells Venue tablets with Windows, though that product hasn’t been upgraded in a while and could be on its way out.
To be sure, Dell made it clear that it is not closing the door entirely and remains open to supporting Android on devices in the future. But Dell’s move away from slate-style tablets is no surprise, said Bob O’Donnell, principal analyst at Technalysis Research.
Source: PC World
