It’s the first day of fall in the U.S. and already the forecast is turning gloomy on whether the current batch of Android tablets can overcome Apple’s lead. Amazon, perhaps with the best chance to rival the iPad, may have already stumbled by putting up a 7-inch device against Apple’s larger alternative, industry experts warned Friday.
“Amazon may run a risk by releasing a 7-inch tablet when 10-inch models have mostly outperformed 7-inch competition over the past six months,” industry publication DigiTimes reports, citing unnamed suppliers. The online bookseller is expected to unveil a Kindle Tablet during the fourth quarter of 2011. The Seattle-based company reportedly wants to ship 4 million tablets this year, however suppliers “remain skeptical” whether that goal can be met.
Although any tablet from the company will likely benefit from the brand recognition and distribution infrastructure Amazon already has in place, the company may not be able to replicate its success in the e-book market. The device will need to compete with lower-priced devices, such as the $249 Nook Kindle and the $199 IdeaPad A1, according to the publication.
Greater concerns surround the general market for Android-based tablets. Industry insiders are “turning pessimistic” about the chances of the current crop of Android devices chipping away at Apple’s lead. Hardware sources tell DigiTimes that non-Apple tablets may have to wait until after the version of the Google software codenamed “Ice Cream Sandwich” or Microsoft’s Windows 8 appears.
Meanwhile, other industry sources predict tablet demand will fall “much like the bottom fell out on the netbook market.” In a bit of wistful nostalgia, the unnamed experts believe traditional notebook sales will return as consumers tire of tablets.
32 responses to “Can A 7-Inch Android Kindle Tablet Give iPad A Run For Its Money?”
The answer to the headline is simple — no.
Not if it looks like that
Looking at that design is like comparing a Crackberry to an iPhone. Â There might be some utility to the Amazonian but gimme the Apple product any day.
Amazon tablet will be a HOT item this holiday season. I’m thinking they will offer it for 50-100 bucks off on Black Friday.Â
Someone just Photoshopped that design as a representative color Kindle. It definitely won’t look like that. I doubt that the color Kindle is meant to give the iPad a run for its money just as the iPad was never meant to give the eReader Kindle a run for its money. They’re designed with different purposes in mind. I’ll need to see the quality of this coming Amazon tablet to judge whether or not consumers are going to take to it. I don’t have a clue as to what consumer segment will buy this color Kindle. Surely not current Kindle users that prefer eInk devices.
Yes, compared to any of the competition it’s a no brainer but the real question is what kind of market stake will it take in the first year? Â iPad has a near 100% market share both in terms of units on the ground and mindshare. Â Amazon has a big challenge on its hands BUT it’s real competition in the short term – the other android tabs – are a rotten, motley bunch of poorly judged technological white elephants already on their last legs. It will become the defacto Android tab first, build a base and then become a tangible competitor to the iPad. I can’t wait to see how they approach it.
Why is it Kindle can offer 3g for free but all other tablet makers charge for the svc?????? Â
7″ tablets are inherently a niche product. too big to be used as a smartphone (tho usually running smartphone apps to avoid the “sandpaper fingers” problem Steve Jobs cited), and too small to be used with ease as a general purpose tablet. it’s hard to think of a situation where it would be the best tool for a given purpose.
shopping, maybe. to scan bar codes and check prices, specs, etc. a 10″ tablet is unwieldy to carry up and down store aisles and use for scanning, and smartphone screens make you squint at any details in small print. and 7″ is a good size for carrying in a purse/handbag.
Amazon might really capitalize on shopping with its tablet, one would think, except – ooops – they’re reportedly leaving the camera out to save on the cost and keep the price at $250. oh well.
Otherwise, so far, every 7″ tablet has flopped. you can still buy the 7″ Galaxy tab that Samsung shipped 2 million of almost a year ago. plenty of stock left! it was $600 then, it’s $280 now (at least it has a camera).
Probably not, but mostly because of preconceived notions. Â Most buyers will view it as an ebook reader that also does Internet, while the iPad is a tablet computer. Â Even if it proves to be a capable tablet, it’s still just a 7-inch screen. Â Even if it’s the best tablet on the market, unless they can figure out a way to convince a lot of people that they want an ereader that also does the web, it’s a lose-lose for Amazon.
NetBooks aren’t dead because they never had any LIFE!! You have to really justify buying a PC that has NO optical-drive, NO burner, with very low storage capacity + a really tiny screen. iPhone 4’s are better than netbooks. Plus, they’re really overpriced for their lack of functions.
All 7″ tablets should be priced at no more than $199. 7-inch screens aren’t even half the size of an iPad’s screen! They’re a total rip-off for $299 or higher.
If Amazon is successful with a “7 inch tablet” (and they may be) it will be because it is not “an Android tablet” or an iPad want-to-be. Â What only Amazon may pull off is a unique device and a new eco-system. If it runs on Android under the skin it will probably more accurate to say it runs linux with some Android stuff add in.Â
And pricing may be subsided in many ways with key customers able to buy it for free or $99 as part of a subscription model with Amazon Prime and or Amazon Music etc.
It will be good fro the market to have some who owns the hard are, software and eco-system competing with Apple in the tablet market to keep things interesting.Â
Even though I have an iPad 2 I would probably buy a 10 inch Amazon tablet but am unlikley to buy a 7 inch.
The thing this article ignored is that the Amazon tablet is not a general purpose tablet like the iPad but is designed solely to serve up Amazon content. So even Amazon isn’t planning it to be an iPad competitor.
But then they wouldn’t get the page link whore headline for the article.
Nobody ever made any money form Netbooks and few were satisfied with them. Â They were simpler a cheaper scaled down laptop with many compromises rather than a brand new category.
It’s only 3G for downloading books but nothing else. Â So its very minimal. Â I think its through Sprint.
One word – Ugly