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Study says people are waiting on a cheap tablet from Amazon

By Michael Heller

Updated: Jul 27, 2011, 9:01 PM

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Android Tablets

Study says people are waiting on a cheap tablet from Amazon

Android could be getting a huge boost in a few months, if Amazon can hit the market as aggressively as many want. A study from Retrevo is showing that consumers are looking for cheaper tablet options and would seriously consider Amazon if in the market for an iPad competitor.

The study was done with a pretty small group of just 1,000 people, but the results are pretty interesting, if they can be trusted. The results show that, unsurprisingly, cost is the biggest barrier to entry in the tablet world. As far as the "most important factor" in buying a tablet 48% cited cost, with 28% wanting a better screen, and 20% looking for better text input options. A whopping 79% of respondents would consider buying a tablet if it were $250 or less, and that seems to be the sweet spot. At just $50 more, the number drops sharply to just 48% saying they would buy a tablet for $300 or less. And, of course the big spenders are just 31% saying they would buy a tablet for $400.

As far as manufacturer interest, the numbers are heavily in favor of Amazon. 55% of respondents said they would "seriously consider" buying an Amazon tablet, followed by Samsung and Dell at 38%, Motorola and HP at 31%, RIM at 24%, and Barnes & Noble rounding it out at 21%. Given the overwhelming popularity of Kindles, it's not surprising to see Amazon get the vote, even if it is name recognition alone. What's surprising about the numbers are the responses for HP and RIM which have received very little public support for their current tablets.

It is hard to take a survey of 1,000 people with too much weight, but for the most part the numbers make sense. If you're in the market for an iPad alternative, price is most likely the reason, and Amazon has the name recognition and the history with the Kindle. We just hope that anyone purchasing an Amazon tablet understands that it will not be the Google Experience that you might expect from an Android device.

source: Retrevo

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Michael Heller is known for his clear and informative articles on mobile technology. He explores important topics such as the rollouts of 5G networks and the advancements in mobile payments, offering readers insights into the evolving tech landscape.