Apple iPad is Kindle ‘Fire-Proof’ [Survey]

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Source: SodaHead.com
Source: SodaHead.com

Usually, where there’s smoke, there’s fire — except in the case of the iPad. Wealthy consumers are overwhelmingly opting for the Apple tablet, despite Amazon’s recent introduction of the Kindle Fire, a $199 alternative to the pricier iPad, indicates a survey of preferences based on income levels. More than 9 out of 10 tablet buyers with incomes above $100,000 prefer the Apple device, according to the figures.

The survey, appearing on the “opinion-based community” SodaHead.com, asked consumers’ tablet preference based on their income level. Apple’s iPad had a 73 percent preference over the Fire’s 27 percent in the $25,000 per year income bracket. The iPad held an even more dominant position when U.S. incomes were above $100,000: the Apple tablet was preferred by 94 percent of users surveyed versus just 6 percent for the new Kindle tablet. (Too bad this economic category comprises few tablet sales.)

However, the Kindle Fire appears to have its best chance of competing with the iPad in the middle-income bracket earning between $25,000 and $100,000. There, the Apple device was preferred by 54 percent of those surveyed, versus 46 percent for the Amazon device.

It’s also worth noting that our own investigation found that despite what SodaHead.com’s statistics say, the Kindle Fire is on track to be the best selling tablet launch in history, beating the iPad and iPad 2’s numbers.

Even so, the survey findings seem to indicate Apple maintains its status among wealthy U.S. consumers and its attractiveness for younger consumers, likely to just be starting their working life. It is the middle-class where Amazon should find its ripest audience, the segment that cares most about cost.

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