Dell abandons smartphone market globally

Dell has abandoned its smartphone business in order to go after the lucrative Windows 8 tablet department. In an interview with Forbes at the Dell World Conference, Jeff Clarke, Head of Consumer Business, confirmed that Dell will pull the plug on the smartphone department globally.

No more smartphones for Dell

The new plan of action for Dell is to go with the Windows 8 tablet fashion. The XPS10, XPS12 and Latitude 10 are all set to be flagship Dell products now. The tablets running Windows 8 or Windows RT seem to be paving the way forward for Dell right now.

So, is Android completely out of the picture for Dell? No, says Clarke, “It doesn’t mean we’re not looking at Android. You should come and see what’s in our labs.” Dell had been running Android on most of its mobile devices including Streak, Aero and Thunder, but it seems now it is ready to take the leap into tablets entirely.

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“It’s a content play with Android. Amazon is selling books and Google is making it up with search. So far we couldn’t find a way to build a business on Android,” said Clarke.

Dell unveiled the Ultrabook back in October, alongside the Latitude 10 tablet, Latitude 6430u Ultrabook, Optiplex 9010 All-in-One and the S2340T multi-touch monitor. As per an official statement by Dell, this product range comes equipped with enterprise-ready features that will help in enabling companies to give employees devices they want to use while maintaining the IT security and manageability necessary for enterprise-class deployments.

The Dell XPS 12 convertible Ultrabook has a flip-hinge touchscreen display designed to make good use of Windows 8's touch-friendly UI. The result is two products in one, providing the full functionality of an ultra-portable laptop with keyboard plus the convenience of a tablet. The flip hinge design makes the transition from laptop to tablet and back. It features a Full HD screen. The Dell XPS 12 convertible is crafted from premium materials such as machined aluminium and carbon fibre, as well as Corning Gorilla Glass for durability.

The 10-inch Latitude 10 tablet fits into existing IT environments and offers multimedia features, accessory compatibility and full compatibility with current Windows applications that take advantage of the latest advances in touch-enabled applications. The Latitude 10 plugs into existing management consoles, features a swappable battery and security options such as Dell Data Protection | Encryption, which encrypts all data from the hard drive to the USB port.

The Latitude 6430u is a 14-inch Ultrabook. Dell claims that the new design is 33 percent slimmer and 16 percent lighter than Dell’s current 14-inch Latitude notebook. It also features all-day productivity with a single battery change.