Acer plans strategic assault on tablet and smartphone markets

Acer is embarking on a long-term strategy to establish itself as a major player in the smartphone and tablet markets by strengthening its portfolio of devices, according to analyst firm IDC.

The Taiwanese manufacturer announced three tablets, a smartphone and the Iconia dual-screen laptop at a conference in New York on Tuesday.

Acer has created a portfolio of products since entering the mobile market two years ago, releasing surprisingly good devices at different price points and with operating systems.

"Acer has taken the opposite approach to a firm like Toshiba, which produced a couple of good mobile devices but has not succeeded in this market because it didn't commit to producing a strong portfolio," Francisco Jeronimo, research manager for European mobile devices at IDC, told V3.co.uk.

"Western Europe is a tough region for Acer and it is producing multiple devices to show that it is here to stay in the smartphone and tablet markets and win over support from operators."

Acer could see shipments increase after two years as consumer and operator confidence in its products grows, Jeronimo added.

The tablet most likely to attract business users is Acer's 7in Android device, which is expected to be available in April. The device will feature a 1,280 x 800 resolution 16:10 aspect touch screen, front-facing HD camera and a dual-core processor.

Support for Flash 10.1 and HDMI output will be included, as will Wi-Fi, 3G and DLNA connectivity, which is likely to attract business users.

Jeronimo believes that the 7in form factor will be increasingly popular with enterprises that need such devices to be lightweight and portable.