7 ms·

Looks like even Google is afraid to directly take on the 800lb. gorilla that is the 10" iPad at the $500 price point. Xoom, Touchpad, Playbook(7") and countless

Looks like even Google is afraid to directly take on the 800lb. gorilla that is the 10" iPad at the $500 price point. Xoom, Touchpad, Playbook(7") and countless others seem to have bit the dust trying. HTC and LG have even temporarily quit the tablet market to stem the bleeding. Wonder if ASUS is seeing volume on its Transformer line. Also, does anyone know how the Galaxy Tab is doing? Even Kindle Fire's sales are slowing, so lets see how the market reacts to this. Unlike phones, which are must-haves, people have a lot of discretion when it comes to owning a tablet or not. Sadly, the only real competition to take the iPad head on this year seems to be the Surface and we'll have to wait and see what the price is.

bergie 14y ago
HTC quitting the game is actually a bit of a shame. The 7" HTC Flyer has been the best home browsing device I've had. This new Nexus 7 sort of fills the same gap, but without the tap the screen with the stylus to take a screenshot, doodle on it, and send it onwards aspect that is so handy for web/mobile developers.
keltex 14y ago
"Even Kindle Fire's sales are slowing" You have any evidence to back this up? Seems like just the opposite is happening: http://tech.fortune.cnn.com/2012/06/26/kindle-fire/ http://tech.fortune.cnn.com/2012/06/26/kindle-fire/
- scubaguy 14y ago
  The article says "According to a recent report from Pacific Crest Securities, a Portland, Oregon-based investment bank, orders for components used in Amazon's standard e-readers have fallen 75% from the bank's previous expectations."
  - AncientPC 14y ago
    - Kindle Fire: Android Tablet - Kindle Everything Else: E-reader > But while Kindle sales may be falling, demand for the Kindle Fire is climbing, with requests for components up nearly 60%. The article is about how Kindle Fire may be cannibalizing sales from the e-readers.
- recoiledsnake 14y ago
  I was referring to this news. http://www.zdnet.com/blog/computers/cheaper-ipad-2-may-be-extinguishing-kindle-fire-sales/8026 http://www.zdnet.com/blog/computers/cheaper-ipad-2-may-be-ex...
- trotsky 14y ago
  FWIW, this is from recent Morgan Stanley coverage entitled "Tablet Landscape Evolution Window(s) of Opportunity": Amazon.com was not in our Blue Paper a year ago. After a rapid Kindle Fire ramp in 4Q11, its long-term share looks uncertain. The company gained 17 points of tablet market share in 4Q11 after launching the Kindle Fire in mid- November. Just as quickly, the product lost steam and fell to 4% share in 1Q12. While the company looks to be committed to the tablet market long-term, it is not a preferred way to play tablet proliferation given the current uncertainty in our view. [...] Amazon.com’s Kindle Fire is also seeing less interest— with only 4% of the current tablet installed base and with only 3% of prospective tablet owners planning to purchase an Amazon.com tablet. However, we believe Amazon.com may refresh the Kindle Fire in Q3, with an update to the current 7-inch product and potentially a new 10-inch Kindle Fire. Amazon.com has been elusive about any upcoming product releases and consumers have not seen any prototype, so potential demand for a refreshed 7-inch Fire and a new 10- inch Fire tablet are likely not fully captured in this survey. It was mostly about other topics, but I think their sales research is accurate.
earl 14y ago
I don't think google can compete with the ipad. The ipad is priced competitively, and the question every similar tablet has to answer is why on earth would I pay as much for this as I would for an ipad? There doesn't appear to be any good answers. The android tablet manufacturers don't appear to able to compete on price with a similar hardware quality. edit: I meant compete directly. Obviously they can make something nowhere near as nice but a lot cheaper. But is there much profit in that? The answer so far from android phones seems to be there isn't much profit and it's hard to walk up the value chain.
- MartinCron 14y ago
  The Google tablet is half the price of an iPad. If that's not competing on price, I don't know what is.
  - dagw 14y ago
    It's half the price, but also smaller and lower specced. So it's not going after the iPad head to head.
    - whiskers 14y ago
      I actually think they are putting this up head to head by making people ask the question about whether they should bother spending the extra £200 on an iPad. Tablets are very much a luxury item, no one really needs two of them. Essentially they're after people who are on the fence by making it too attractive price-wise to pass up on.
      - jsz0 14y ago
        I think you're right that tablets are a luxury item but that might also be part of the iPad's success too. People aren't really looking for the cheapest option it seems. I remember reading somewhere that the average iPad sale price ends up being above $650 since a good number of people opt for the larger capacity or cellular models.
  - 14y ago
CraigRood 14y ago
I fail to see how a 10" iPad is a compelling device. Theres one sitting here in my household and it barely gets used. It's far too locked down to be of any use at that size. Far too close to an actual laptop than a phone in reality. Where these new range of devices excel is their ability to be used single handed. Physically and Psychologically it becomes a small device similarly to your phone. Y'know, maybe Google is afraid to take on the iPad at $500, but thats such a waste of money and such a big risk. The market has proven theres a demand for cheap and small tablets.

bergie 14y ago

HTC quitting the game is actually a bit of a shame. The 7" HTC Flyer has been the best home browsing device I've had. This new Nexus 7 sort of fills the same gap, but without the tap the screen with the stylus to take a screenshot, doodle on it, and send it onwards aspect that is so handy for web/mobile developers.

keltex 14y ago

"Even Kindle Fire's sales are slowing" You have any evidence to back this up? Seems like just the opposite is happening: http://tech.fortune.cnn.com/2012/06/26/kindle-fire/ http://tech.fortune.cnn.com/2012/06/26/kindle-fire/

scubaguy 14y ago
The article says "According to a recent report from Pacific Crest Securities, a Portland, Oregon-based investment bank, orders for components used in Amazon's standard e-readers have fallen 75% from the bank's previous expectations."
- AncientPC 14y ago
  - Kindle Fire: Android Tablet - Kindle Everything Else: E-reader > But while Kindle sales may be falling, demand for the Kindle Fire is climbing, with requests for components up nearly 60%. The article is about how Kindle Fire may be cannibalizing sales from the e-readers.
recoiledsnake 14y ago
I was referring to this news. http://www.zdnet.com/blog/computers/cheaper-ipad-2-may-be-extinguishing-kindle-fire-sales/8026 http://www.zdnet.com/blog/computers/cheaper-ipad-2-may-be-ex...
trotsky 14y ago
FWIW, this is from recent Morgan Stanley coverage entitled "Tablet Landscape Evolution Window(s) of Opportunity": Amazon.com was not in our Blue Paper a year ago. After a rapid Kindle Fire ramp in 4Q11, its long-term share looks uncertain. The company gained 17 points of tablet market share in 4Q11 after launching the Kindle Fire in mid- November. Just as quickly, the product lost steam and fell to 4% share in 1Q12. While the company looks to be committed to the tablet market long-term, it is not a preferred way to play tablet proliferation given the current uncertainty in our view. [...] Amazon.com’s Kindle Fire is also seeing less interest— with only 4% of the current tablet installed base and with only 3% of prospective tablet owners planning to purchase an Amazon.com tablet. However, we believe Amazon.com may refresh the Kindle Fire in Q3, with an update to the current 7-inch product and potentially a new 10-inch Kindle Fire. Amazon.com has been elusive about any upcoming product releases and consumers have not seen any prototype, so potential demand for a refreshed 7-inch Fire and a new 10- inch Fire tablet are likely not fully captured in this survey. It was mostly about other topics, but I think their sales research is accurate.

earl 14y ago

I don't think google can compete with the ipad. The ipad is priced competitively, and the question every similar tablet has to answer is why on earth would I pay as much for this as I would for an ipad? There doesn't appear to be any good answers. The android tablet manufacturers don't appear to able to compete on price with a similar hardware quality. edit: I meant compete directly. Obviously they can make something nowhere near as nice but a lot cheaper. But is there much profit in that? The answer so far from android phones seems to be there isn't much profit and it's hard to walk up the value chain.

MartinCron 14y ago
The Google tablet is half the price of an iPad. If that's not competing on price, I don't know what is.
- dagw 14y ago
  It's half the price, but also smaller and lower specced. So it's not going after the iPad head to head.
  - whiskers 14y ago
    I actually think they are putting this up head to head by making people ask the question about whether they should bother spending the extra £200 on an iPad. Tablets are very much a luxury item, no one really needs two of them. Essentially they're after people who are on the fence by making it too attractive price-wise to pass up on.
    - jsz0 14y ago
      I think you're right that tablets are a luxury item but that might also be part of the iPad's success too. People aren't really looking for the cheapest option it seems. I remember reading somewhere that the average iPad sale price ends up being above $650 since a good number of people opt for the larger capacity or cellular models.
- 14y ago

CraigRood 14y ago

I fail to see how a 10" iPad is a compelling device. Theres one sitting here in my household and it barely gets used. It's far too locked down to be of any use at that size. Far too close to an actual laptop than a phone in reality. Where these new range of devices excel is their ability to be used single handed. Physically and Psychologically it becomes a small device similarly to your phone. Y'know, maybe Google is afraid to take on the iPad at $500, but thats such a waste of money and such a big risk. The market has proven theres a demand for cheap and small tablets.