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Topic: Tablets

Acer hoping to ship 5-10M tablets in 2013

Summary: Low cost Android and new Windows tablets are expected to help bolster the Taiwanese PC maker's business, after its preliminary 2012 financial results showed a 9.6 percent on-year drop.

Kevin Kwang

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Acer is looking to its variety of tablets running on Android and Windows 8 to help boost its business, and it hopes to ship at least five million units at the end of the year.

According to a report by Focus Taiwan Tuesday, the Taiwanese PC maker is expecting its low-cost tablets such as the Iconia B1 to account for 70 percent to 75 percent of its total tablet shipments in the quarter ending March 31, 2013. Acer President Jim Wong added in his investor conference call that the company has set an initial tablet shipment target of 5 million but aims to push it up to 10 million in the course of the year.

"We will have not only Android, but also Windows, tablets. There are a lot of things about them that we consider as innovations," Wong said.

tablets-workers-byod
Acer wants to entice consumers with its wide range of Android- and Windows-based tablet devices.

Acer CEO J.T. Wang also pointed out it will introduce a full range of new tablets by the second half of this year. These include devices with 8- and 10-inch screens by the third quarter of this year, and are likely to cost between NT$6,000 (US$202) and NT$7,000 (US$229.50), respectively.

By contrast, the PC maker estimates the shipment of desktops, notebooks and netbooks will be flat compared with 2012 shipment figures. A more positive outlook would be single-digit growth on the back of improved demand during back-to-school seasons.

IDC released its monthly global PC shipment outlook last week, which expected February shipment figures to fall between 2 percent and 7.7 percent year-on-year due to weak demand from China.

Acer does expect adoption of its touch-enabled Windows 8 notebooks to grow though. It hopes to see these devices make up 15 percent of the total notebook shipments in the first quarter of 2013, and contribute up to 35 percent by the end of the year.

These projections come after the Taiwanese company announced its 2012 preliminary financial results on Tuesday, which showed consolidated revenue fell 9.6 percent year-on-year to NT$429.5 billion (US$14.7 billion).

Topics: Tablets, PCs

About

Kevin made the move from custom publishing focusing on travel and lifestyle to the ever-changing, jargon-filled world of IT and biz tech reporting, and considered this somewhat a leap of faith. Good news is, he has landed on his feet. Since then, he has covered a myriad of beats from security and hardware to mobile communications, software and cloud computing, and is looking to write more on apps, analytics, Apple and Android.

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14 comments
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  • Hopefully Android Will Boost Its Profit Margins

    Acer and Lenovo both reported net margins of less than 1.8% in their last quarters, while Asus enjoyed 5%. I think the big difference is that Asus has a bigger Android business than the other two. Hopefully Acer can obtain similar benefits from focusing more on Android.
    ldo17
    Reply 1 Vote

    • Errr.....

      Acer will focus on anything where they can make a quick buck.They were the ones who sold Vista computers [that were originally XP computers] as is. Try running Vista or Windows 7 with 1GB of RAM.
      Gisabun
      Reply Vote

      • I hate Acer

        I completely hate Acer! My bank debited 3 times this week. My computer still not fixed. Transferred around to seven people to be on hold over an hour. No one letting you speak to supervisor, manager. When I finally got hold of manager, they also not call me back. When wanting to speak to CEO, its not possible. Tech and Billing department trying to pass the buck on each other. Not one Acer employee taking in account the customer. Each one has lack of training and just gives out incorrect information. Usually I would be the one stating that if an individual posted the message I just posted, I would recommend a more positive route. But I'm honestly that belligerent pissed and crazy from the unprofessionalism and lack of support that these Acer people have given me. Never again will I purchase anything from Acer.
        destinywc7@gmail.com
        ccrrowland
        Reply Vote

    • I hate Acer

      I completely hate Acer! My bank debited 3 times this week. My computer still not fixed. Transferred around to seven people to be on hold over an hour. No one letting you speak to supervisor, manager. When I finally got hold of manager, they also not call me back. When wanting to speak to CEO, its not possible. Tech and Billing department trying to pass the buck on each other. Not one Acer employee taking in account the customer. Each one has lack of training and just gives out incorrect information. Usually I would be the one stating that if an individual posted the message I just posted, I would recommend a more positive route. But I'm honestly that belligerent pissed and crazy from the unprofessionalism and lack of support that these Acer people have given me. Never again will I purchase anything from Acer.
      destinywc7@gmail.com
      ccrrowland
      Reply Vote

  • Perhaps

    With Google subsidizing the Nexus7 through Asus it should have bigger android market than Lenovo and Acer. The Transformer line is pretty good, but last I read they are not even selling over 1 million units per quarter.

    On the flip side Asus has the most popular ultrabook line, entry level notebook, windows8 tablet and so on. Their windows line of devices is very strong. I think they make the best tablet hardware on the market, especially for the price. They are an example of a company doing things right (windows and android) so it isn't shocking that they are doing well.


    Acer has been reporting losses and declines for years now, because they make low quality poorly designed products. Last month they were talking about Chromebooks being a salvation and now they are talking about Android/Windows tablets in the second half of this year leading some sort of turnaround?
    Emacho
    Reply Vote

    • Re: Their windows line of devices is very strong.

      But profits from Windows are a pittance: Acer reported less than 1.8% in its last quarter, similar to Lenovo. And of course HP and Dell are even worse.

      Companies with a bigger Android business, like Asus, seem done doing better.
      ldo17
      Reply Vote

      • You mean Android business like: HTC, Sony, Barnes & Nobles, Motorola, LG?

        All big Android OEMs, all losing money.

        Are there some other big Android OEMs "doing better" as you are suggesting?


        Asus and Acer both make similar windows/android devices at similar price ranges, but Acer makes low quality products and Asus makes high quality products. Seems rather self explanitory as to why things are going the way they are between those two companies.
        Emacho
        Reply Vote

        • Re: All big Android OEMs, all losing money.

          Samsung: making money hand over fist from Android.

          Asus: doing rather well (5% net profit last quarter).

          Sony: amid all its woes, its mobile division is doing well out of Android.

          LG: last quarter looking up, thanks to Android.

          So you see, lots of OEMs are making money out of Android.
          ldo17
          Reply Vote

  • I won't be buying another Acer Tablet...

    Bought the Acer Iconia A500 in summer of 2011 with Android 3.0 on it. Got the FINAL OS update to Android 4.0 in May of 2012 . ICS on this tablet is O.K. but JellyBean would have likely improved user interface, smoothness, rounded out the rough edges of the overall performance of the table. Sadly Acer chose not to provide the JellyBean upgrade for those of us who bought that initial A500 model. As a result they won't be getting my repeat business.
    jkohut
    Reply Vote

    • Typical Acer

      They sell you their junk but good luck in support.
      I contacted them when Vista SP1 came out [for a friend]. ask if any issues. Got back a response that they will not support ANOTHER INSTALLED OS. I explained again that I'm installing a SP, not a different OS. Came back again about not supporting another OS. Went back and fordward again before I gave up.
      Their support site also sucks.
      Seems that if you buy a product of theirs that just came out today, they will barely support it after a year.
      Gisabun
      Reply Vote

  • Ya right....

    Wang was the same id?ot who said Acer would be the #1 PC maker by now. In fact, they slid to forth and could drop to 5th.
    Gisabun
    Reply Vote

  • I completely hate Acer!

    I completely hate Acer! My bank debited 3 times this week. My computer still not fixed. Transferred around to seven people to be on hold over an hour. No one letting you speak to supervisor, manager. When I finally got hold of manager, they so not call me back. When wanting to speak to CEO, its not possible. Tech and Billing department trying to pass the buck on each other. Not one Acer employee taking in account the customer. Each one has lack of traing and just gives out incorrect information. Usually I would be the one stating that if an individual posted the message I just posted,I would recommend a more positive route. But I'm honestly that belligerent pissed and crazy from the unprofessionalism and lack of support that these Acer people have given me. Never again will I purchase anything from Acer.
    destinywc7@gmail.com
    ccrrowland
    Reply Vote

  • I hate Acer

    I completely hate Acer! My bank debited 3 times this week. My computer still not fixed. Transferred around to seven people to be on hold over an hour. No one letting you speak to supervisor, manager. When I finally got hold of manager, they also not call me back. When wanting to speak to CEO, its not possible. Tech and Billing department trying to pass the buck on each other. Not one Acer employee taking in account the customer. Each one has lack of training and just gives out incorrect information. Usually I would be the one stating that if an individual posted the message I just posted, I would recommend a more positive route. But I'm honestly that belligerent pissed and crazy from the unprofessionalism and lack of support that these Acer people have given me. Never again will I purchase anything from Acer.
    destinywc7@gmail.com
    ccrrowland
    Reply Vote

  • I hate Acer

    I completely hate Acer! My bank debited 3 times this week. My computer still not fixed. Transferred around to seven people to be on hold over an hour. No one letting you speak to supervisor, manager. When I finally got hold of manager, they also not call me back. When wanting to speak to CEO, its not possible. Tech and Billing department trying to pass the buck on each other. Not one Acer employee taking in account the customer. Each one has lack of training and just gives out incorrect information. Usually I would be the one stating that if an individual posted the message I just posted, I would recommend a more positive route. But I'm honestly that belligerent pissed and crazy from the unprofessionalism and lack of support that these Acer people have given me. Never again will I purchase anything from Acer.
    destinywc7@gmail.com
    ccrrowland
    Reply Vote
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