Rumor Mill: Acer shifting attention to Android

Acer, which jumped into the smartphone market in February touting its Windows Mobile offerings, is shifting its development focus toward Google's Android platform, according to a DigiTimes report. The report, citing unnamed industry sources, said that at least half of Acer's new handsets in 2010 will be using Android.

The company will continue to work with its production partners into 2010, the report said, outsourcing some work on Windows Mobile and Android phones to Compal Communications and additional Windows Mobile work to Inventec Appliances. Both of those companies are based in Taiwan, along with Acer.

Acer, better known as a netbook and laptop computer maker, said in June that it plans to release multiple Android smartphones in the fourth quarter of this year. Acer's first Android phone, the A1, is widely rumored to be released sometime this fall. Acer's previously announced handsets have all run Windows Mobile 6.1.

An Acer spokeswoman did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

For more:
- see this DigiTimes article [1]

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