14 DAY TRIAL // After British retailers such as Argos and Tesco rolled out their own brand of tablets, Carphone Warehouse decided it didn't want to be left out in the cold and soon joined the bandwagon.
The launch of its budget slate, the Avoca managed to create waves around the web when it was announced that the device was going to be priced only at £49 / $79 / €57. The slate didn't bring much in terms of hardware, but those looking for a basic couch companion were thrilled.
Now it seems that the slate is being pulled from sale due to some software licensing issues, reports Mobile Magazine, citing industry sources. It appears that the Avoca manufacturer STB Developments has pre-loaded the slates with apps like Google Maps or the Google Play Store, without permission from the search giant.
Even if Google is open source, Google Mobile Services and Google Play access is granted via a license. Bottom line, the Carphone Avoca has been pulled from sale, because it is not licensed by Google.
The slate is no longer available on the retailer’s website and customers looking for it are redirected to a page informing them the Avoca is no longer available and another slate will be offered as a replacement.