After resounding success of Kindle Fire tablet in US and other vendors like RIM, Motorola and Sony deciding to reduce the price of its tablets and others to follow suit, Apple Inc. has probably started feeling the heat.
Apple is planning to bring about two versions of the new iPad, one targeting the high end segment and the other the mid-range. New iPad models will both be equipped with A6 processor with high-end model coming with a high resolution panel (2048×1536) and the mid-tier model featuring the same grade of panel as iPad 2 (1024×768).
With the existing iPad 2, the Apple tablet series may cover all price segments – from entry level to high end. Apple’s pricing strategy for its iPad series is crucial to the tablet market. It remains to be seen at what price level Apple will set its entry-level iPad. For Wi-Fi only models, US $299, US $349 or US $399 may all be possible.
At present, other vendors are selling their tablets in the price range of $199 to $399 range and of late, some of the vendors like RIM, Sony and Motorola, have reduced the prices of its tablets.
As written by me in my previous blogs, now the time has come for all the vendors to drastically cut the prices of their tablets as the customers especially in India want tablets in the range of 13k to 15 k maximum and this is the reason that RIM sold its 12,000 half priced PlayBook just in 96 hours. Aakash has booked online 14 lakh low priced tablet just in 14 days. It is another matter when these tablets will be delivered and how it will perform.
Whether it is iPad or any other tablet, all the suppliers will have to reduce the prices of their tablets to remain in the market. Days of expensive tablets are numbered now.
