Google has removed the tablet section from the Android website, prompting speculation it has finally given up on the format.
More about the change:
This change wholly removed the tablet landing page. Accessing the tablet page’s URL- http://www.android.com/tablets/now redirects users to the main Android website. With this change, it’s unclear if OEMs that still make Android tablets will continue doing so.
The tablet section was still up on Thursday. Before it was removed, the section presented information on certain tablets like the Shield, the Galaxy Tab S2 and the Sony Xperia tablet.
Although Google has not confirmed anything, the outlet believes it’s time to say, “RIP Android tablets.” This is because the Android website only recognizes Android on Phones, Wear, TV, Auto and Enterprise. The fact that the word “tablet” is left out of the picture says something about Google’s lack of interest in tablet devices.
Why this change?
The last time we saw an Android tablet from Google was back in 2015 where they launched the Pixel C Tablet. The company did not launch anymore tablets after that. Google also hasn’t really bothered updating the Pixel C Tablet since it was first launched and with Google keeping mum on Android on tablets, it almost feels like they’ve given up.
Now, its quite evident that the company is done with tablets. And that shouldn’t be surprising as users have been losing interest in tablets. According to a recent report, the tablets market touched a new low last quarter, with only only 33 million units shipped. That’s a 28.2% fall on quarterly basis and 14.9% YoY.
Google has been hard at work making Android apps work on Chrome OS. Its because Chrome OS now works in the tablet form factor, just like Acer Chromebook Tab 10. So don’t worry, you will still be able to see in a larger screen size.