Texas-based computer giant Dell has this week decided to call quits on their smartphone offerings in the US. While many of you would be forgiven for being unaware that Dell offered smartphones at all, the company actually entered the market in 2010 with the Aero and Streak 5, a combined tablet/smartphone and a concept that Samsung is currently finding success with the Galaxy Note. 2011 seen the release of the Venue and the Venue Pro, offering Android 2.2 Froyo and Windows 7 operating systems respectively.
Calling time on sales of the Venue’s will bring an end to Dell association with smartphones in the US, having already discontinued the Aero and Streak, although sales will continue overseas. A Dell spokesperson said of the decision: “Mobility products typically have shorter lifecycles than laptops and desktops, and we have decided to no longer offer those two on Dell.com in the United States.”
In an interview with PC World, principal analyst at J.Gold Associates, Jack Gold felt that the move was a well-judged one, “It’s ready to push the reset button on its tablet and smartphone business after many missteps.”
“Dell wasn’t putting much force behind its mobility business and was sending mixed messages around products and operating systems.”
Gold also added a telling statement, “”If you’re not a Motorola, RIM or Apple, people won’t take you seriously.”
Competition
Dell found competition from the smartphone giants too much, and while the Venue and Venue Pro received fair reviews, they were dated in terms of specifications before they even hit shelves. The US smartphone market is currently led by Android with a 48 percent share, followed by Apple with 32 percent and Blackberry with 11.6. The Dell Venue was never going to compete with HTC and Samsung on the Android platform, while the Venue Pro was never going to compete, period.
It is likely the Dell will focus on the bread and butter of desktop and laptop PC’s, although any fans of the company’s smartphone will be encouraged by this closing statement, “ “We’re looking forward to offering new products and concentrating on expanding our growing mobility solutions portfolio in the future.”