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Google set to blow open the tablet market later this year with $99 Nexus tablet

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Re: Google set to blow open the tablet market later this year with $99 Nexus tablet

#31
post #2

It will be interesting to see what kind of tradeoffs are required to go that low on the price - 2GB RAM, weaker GPU?

The screen is by far the biggest component of the BOM in the Nexus 7. Compromising that is the only way to substantially reduce the price. To hit $99 everything will be on the table, but RAM is cheap, and so are capable ARM SOC's. It won't be Tegra 3, but it will be good enough.

Re: Google set to blow open the tablet market later this year with $99 Nexus tablet

#32

I don't think Apple will be unhappy to see this at all . The most recent figures I've seen have the iPad at around 70% market share. There's no chance that will survive after this kind of device appears, but I would guess Apple would be very happy to own, say, the top 40% of the market while the Android OEMs bleed each other dry at tiny margins. Witness Apple's killer execution in the laptop market - and there they'v…

pardon me, I don't understand your reasoning. Why would apple be less happy with 70% of the market than with 40%? Do you mean that you expect the total size of the market to double, and then expect apple to own 40% of it (so they have a total number of customers which is slightly more than what they had initially) ?

I think he means, in layman's terms, Apple wants to sell Mercedes...

Someone else can sell Kia's.

Edit: Not sure how that will work out in the tablet market, but it certainly works with cars and laptops.

Re: Google set to blow open the tablet market later this year with $99 Nexus tablet

#33

I don't think Apple will be unhappy to see this at all . The most recent figures I've seen have the iPad at around 70% market share. There's no chance that will survive after this kind of device appears, but I would guess Apple would be very happy to own, say, the top 40% of the market while the Android OEMs bleed each other dry at tiny margins. Witness Apple's killer execution in the laptop market - and there they'v…

pardon me, I don't understand your reasoning. Why would apple be less happy with 70% of the market than with 40%? Do you mean that you expect the total size of the market to double, and then expect apple to own 40% of it (so they have a total number of customers which is slightly more than what they had initially) ?

Why would apple be less happy with 70% of the market than with 40%?

I think the point is that Apple would lose a segment of the market that generates very low margins (or zero, if > $99 is a barrier to them).

Re: Google set to blow open the tablet market later this year with $99 Nexus tablet

#34
post #16
post #5

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Remember tablets are still not a mass market phenomenon, despite record sales of iPads. Sub $100 pricing might just be what the doctor ordered. I'm rooting for either Google's new Nexus or Apple's new iPad mini to saturate the low end.

look up on ebay. Many tablets under 100 are available with decent specs. Availability of low priced tablets is not what is keeping the market from exploding. It's the utility.

I don't see most consumers being interested in buying their electronics from eBay.

Re: Google set to blow open the tablet market later this year with $99 Nexus tablet

#35
post #16
post #5

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Remember tablets are still not a mass market phenomenon, despite record sales of iPads. Sub $100 pricing might just be what the doctor ordered. I'm rooting for either Google's new Nexus or Apple's new iPad mini to saturate the low end.

look up on ebay. Many tablets under 100 are available with decent specs. Availability of low priced tablets is not what is keeping the market from exploding. It's the utility.

look up on ebay. Many tablets under 100 are available with decent specs. Availability of low priced tablets is not what is keeping the market from exploding. It's the utility.

There's plenty of utility in a tablet. The problem with the current low cost ones is they suck as devices. The N7 is the first relatively low cost device to change that (plus having JB). A $99 N7 would basically take off.

Re: Google set to blow open the tablet market later this year with $99 Nexus tablet

#36

I know this is purely anecdotal, but everyone I've seen recently who has bought a tablet, bought a laptop within 6 months or switched back to their old laptop and got rid of it. I'm still not convinced by the tablet hype. The star trek wow factor wears off pretty quick for most people. A $99 tablet may change that (temporarily as it's almost impulse buy pricing), but I'm not sure something of that price will have any…

I've found a tablet to be handy for maintaining work-life balance.

My laptop is the "work device", and I do not open it at home except if I actually need to do work. The tablet (currently Nexus 7) in the other hand is the "browsing device" that I use for reading stuff, social networking, etc. while at home or travelling.

I've been using internet tablets ever since the early Maemo days of 2006, and that has probably given me time to get used to the idea and integrate it in my daily routines.

Re: Google set to blow open the tablet market later this year with $99 Nexus tablet

#37
post #16
post #5

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Remember tablets are still not a mass market phenomenon, despite record sales of iPads. Sub $100 pricing might just be what the doctor ordered. I'm rooting for either Google's new Nexus or Apple's new iPad mini to saturate the low end.

look up on ebay. Many tablets under 100 are available with decent specs. Availability of low priced tablets is not what is keeping the market from exploding. It's the utility.

True, but 'the average buyer' is wary of buying these tablets - some might be good, but there are also a lot of bad ones, with batteries that only last 2 to 4 hours tops and drop off over weeks of use, and and no simple way to return one for repair or replacement without forking out to send back to China etc.

If it's from a well known brands I am SURE they would do a lot better - heck even Binatone (and low rate cordless phone manufacturer) was able to shift a good number of their android 'ebook reader' (I got one for £30 from ebay, OK for reading books on the tube, not for much else).

So once someone like Google, Asus or Samsung sell a well made unit that stands up to the test of daily family use, then these things ae going to fly.

99% of what I do at home with a laptop (or ipod touch) is basic consumption. These will be a welcome replacement for many users.

Re: Google set to blow open the tablet market later this year with $99 Nexus tablet

#39
post #21
post #19

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Not because a cheaper one is coming, that is always the case, but because pretty soon you will find out that there is not much utility to it... IMO

I'm curious as to what you mean by lack of utility? Could you explain please

iLock just doesn't like tablets. Most geeks are going to want more from any device they own (including a typical computer). The average consumer thinks otherwise though. Consuming and posting little blurbs is the majority of what consumer do, and tablets are great for that use case. The N7 is the first non-Apple tablet that I think really challenges the iPad for that average consumer. The N7 at $99 could change the tablet landscape.

Re: Google set to blow open the tablet market later this year with $99 Nexus tablet

#40
post #32

Earlier quoted context omitted.

pardon me, I don't understand your reasoning. Why would apple be less happy with 70% of the market than with 40%? Do you mean that you expect the total size of the market to double, and then expect apple to own 40% of it (so they have a total number of customers which is slightly more than what they had initially) ?

I think he means, in layman's terms, Apple wants to sell Mercedes... Someone else can sell Kia's. Edit: Not sure how that will work out in the tablet market, but it certainly works with cars and laptops.

Newer Kia's are the best value money can buy. They are solid and very reliable automobiles. And, they cost 10 times less than a Mercedes. Smart buyers buy them.
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