$149 Asus Memo Pad pushes Android tablet prices to new low, Acer Iconia B1-A71 $149 7-inch Android tablet

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  scrimshaw on 16/01/2013 - 13:53

  +1

  ASUS memo pad:
  Memo Pad is powered by a single core Via WM8950

  Slow pad is slow.

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  ProspectiveDarkness on 16/01/2013 - 14:08

  +1

  It seems like the Nexus 7 had the opposite effect it was intended to have… It was supposed to show the OEM's they could do a great tablet at budget prices. Not we're just seeing average tablets at budget prices. sigh

  I really wish the OEM's would stop the race to the bottom and start to focus on mid to high end tablets (at reasonable prices). The Nexus program is trying to set a benchmark for price vs performance, and yet the OEM's just try to undercut it in both aspects.

  • 

    sk3iron on 16/01/2013 - 20:43

    i could not agree more with this post, at the end of the day we all want high end spec tablets at lower prices and only more competition and production will assure this

  • 

    fchis on 16/01/2013 - 22:01

    +1

    Yes, we all like this idea BUT Google makes their big bucks by selling their ads and apps so they can afford to sell high end specs android devices with little or no profit ( even at a loss). The OEMs do not have choices other than cutting their throat by releasing low profit margin android devices and make money by selling them in large volumes. What else can those hardwares coys do to survive in a such competitive market?

    • 

      tonyjzx on 16/01/2013 - 22:16

      and yet the tablets all lack an SD slot and are all made of plastic

      yeah, go google

    • 

      ProspectiveDarkness on 17/01/2013 - 00:03

      True, but at the very least, it would up the competition for 'bang-for-buck'.

      The OEM's never had it right from day one - if they wanted to catch up to the iPad's lead, they had to either reduce the price and market their products as being cost effective, or release with high end specs… they did neither. Low profit margins for mid-range devices wouldn't be such a bad idea, when Android tablets are being outsold by the iPad at virtually every turn.

      Hopefully increased competition with Apple and Nexus devices will encourage better tactics. I'm not necessarily advocating a 'cut-throat' only approach, merely a better balance. It's not as if their profits margins couldn't take a hit, and still be realistic.

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        fchis on 17/01/2013 - 08:15

        3-4% profit margin is what these oem get these days. That's why they come up with their own brand such as Asus and Acer. Still they have better than 3-4% when they were doing oem for big coys but not enough to compete with non branded ones with specs due to various cost. I think Chinese Hauwei or Levono can offer what we are looking for as China has much larger population than Taiwan to start with.

      • 

        ProspectiveDarkness on 17/01/2013 - 14:40

        3-4% profit margin is what these oem get these days.

        Source?

        As for alternatives to the more traditional brands, I thought Vizio's tech at CES was quite nice… Hopefully they release internationally (reasonable priced, of course)

      • 

        fchis on 17/01/2013 - 16:19

        Source: http://www.taiwaninsights.com/2010/08/16/taiwans-oems-shake-…
        http://www.taiwaninsights.com/tag/oem/

        And various sources written in Chinese. i.e. BusinessWeekly Taiwan.

        Vizio is also a Taiwanese backed brand for US market. They are offering good value for the money.
        Taiwan is a well known place for most of OEM tech products. Though many of them build factories in China a while back.

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  tonyjzx on 16/01/2013 - 21:26

  i hate to say this but so far, it seems Ainol is the answer.

  $149 shipped for an Ainol Fire/Flame.

  Ainol beats the scheisse out of this Asus.

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  auna on 17/01/2013 - 22:28

  It also pushes the groan factor. Terrible…