By HTC was working on tablets running both Android and Chrome OS but has just announced they’ll shelve the projects in favor of a continued focus on Android Smartphones. A tablet would be a deviation from HTC’s usual strengths with the obvious goal of growing volume through product differentiation.
What’s the REAL reason they’ve given up their tablet efforts? I’m guessing that the company just doesn’t see the ROI an Android or Chrome OS tablet can deliver. At this point, the American public has yet to embrace the concept of a tablet, unless you’re talking specifically about the Kindle or other eReaders. Obviously an Android/ChromeOS tablet could act as an eReader and more… but it just isn’t a proven product category at this time.
Apple is about to announce their iSlate/iPad/iTablet/whatever this upcoming week and I think HTC is taking a “wait and see” approach. It will be difficult if not impossible to evaluate the tablet industry as a whole based on the success/failure of the Apple tablet because the Apple tablet won’t fail. People will buy it JUST because it is a new Apple product and the new cool toy for gadget geeks.
I think “garbage can” was a bit severe… HTC is probably just putting it on the shelf with the possibility of reviving it – maybe even for the upcoming holiday season. There are already a handful of Android tablets out there, including the Archos 5 which can be purchased in Best Buy stores – but they have yet to catch on. With Apple announcing their product, it will introduce the form factor to a MUCH wider audience and it may finally get the general acceptance that manufacturers need to see before putting resources towards their own device.
I’m just not convinced that tablets are ready to become popular quiet yet. The ONE form factor that I REALLY love is the detachable tablet pc which we’ve seen as early as 2005. Some recent models are about to hit the market, most notably the Lenovo IdeaPad U1 which looks absolutely BAD ASS.
But then you get into the discussion we all have with smartphones… do you need a hardware keyboard or not? If you do it’ll likely add to the price of the device. If not, will banging out E-Mails and documents take longer than need be?
There are a lot of questions about not only where tablets will fit in for the tech buying public, but also where Android and Chrome OS will fit into the devices themselves. I’m just happy to see that HTC is first and foremost dedicated to maintaining a leadership position with Android as they’ve done an amazing job raising the bar thus far.
For some reason a tablet or slate doesn’t excite me like a great new phone, Android & NexusOne, WM7 Zune and IPhone 4 excite me and nachos excite me..tablet PCs been around for a while, so now they’r gonna get thinner now big deal..i want everything on my phone..
Hey Phandroid, let me introduce you to my lawyer.. Yeah that’s right, I have a lawyer.. She’s helping put together a purchase offer on some real estate.. She uses a phone, I thought she might be interested in reading your site,,. I don’t think you need misleading tabloid type headlines..
IMO, the problem isn’t the market for tablet. Its the lack of imagination and software/hardware waizardry required to make a successful tablet. Retrofitting Android into a tablet is a hard nut which HTC can’t bite. And not just HTC, probably none, except Apple has the kind of imagination to create an awesome tablet. As much as I dislike Apple, it will be once again Apple that will show the industry how it’s done, and then everyone will jump onboard the tablet game.
Netbooks with touchscreens > Tablets.
HTC should stick to phones, but other companies should definitely explore the netbook/tablet hybrid market.
what a let down i was looking forward to this so much damn you htc
Yeah I totally like agree with Owen on this the vhtc tablet looked really cool and dandy…..it looked kind of like a ufo…if its the one I’m thinking it is. I mean it looked good enough that I may have bought it…..yo
Honestly, I think HTC should stick to what they do best. The problem with a lot of companies is that they try to do more than what they’re good at, fail (or at least dont achieve the success they expected) and end up losing ground over time. Just look at Microsoft.
Also, I like how you said the iPad WONT fail. I was just thinking the same thing earlier. People will buy an Apple product, JUST BECAUSE its an Apple product. Its disgusting how buy something just because of the brand name, though I’m not saying that Apple will make a terrible device (I love their devices, just not the OS’s running on them).
I think they should offer a multimedia device.. a la Ipod touch …
@Jerry
IMO I feel that the Android experience is only complete with a constant possibility of internet connection. So a “gPod” would be pretty useless to me.
I would buy a g-pod with or without internet its android and the consumers and fans of android should do the same I love android and I am anti apple but pc’s lack and have too many problems so I would jump on an android tablet boo windows and emu devices never ag ain. Lol
they are giving up smartly because there are many, many other tablets being released in the first quarter of 2010. it’s going to be almost impossible for anyone to set themselves apart from the pack.
it would be just one more android tablet trying to sell into a market that hasn’t proved that it’s actually interested in buying tablets. let me take that back. the market has shown that it’s *not* interested in tablets. tablets have been around for a long, long time. they’ve never been more than a niche device and never caught on mainstream.
A tablet including good camera and mobile phoe will benaccepted by most people
Apple has introduced i pad without camera and mobile phone,Now people is interested to get a single gadget at which all the function will work at the same time USB port is must otherwise the product will be never user friendly
What are people talking about? The Motorola ROI is NOT A TABLET!!!! It is the same size as the milestone/droid which you can see by the scale of the ear mic and hdmi port in comparison to the overall thickness and length of the phone. They would not make a tablet the size of a smartphone! Approx 5-6 Motorola ROI smartphones could fit within the lines of 1 apple ipad. The ROI is about to be in use in Korea and will make it’s way to other areas fairly soon afterward.
Tables’s are human race future. :) Half joke, half seriously.
I have iPad and it’s so big. I can’t take it outside with me. My Phone is HTC Desire and i like it. It’s almost always with me.
But, when HTC make a good tablet with the screen size 6-8 inch. I take it almost always.