For the budget conscious tech consumer looking to buy a tablet, the new Apple iPad mini might not be your cup of tea. Why, you ask? Well, for starters, it’ll set you back 329 USD. That being said, the pre-orders for the iPad mini sold out in a matter of hours, which proves one thing- the Apple fans have no issues shelling out that kind of cash.
Buy the Kindle Fire HD starting at $199!
Given the aggressive marketing and competitive strategy that Apple employs, analysts had earlier predicted that the release of the iPad mini would lead to a reduction in sales for other tablets like the Google Nexus 7 and the Amazon Kindle HD. However, Google has remained mum as to whether the iPad mini’s release has affected its sales. However, the spokesperson for Amazon, Drew Herdener, has stated that Kindle Fire HD sales have actually tripled week over week since the release of the iPad mini.
In fact, the iPad mini announcement also coincided with the largest quantities of the Kindle Fire HD sold in a day since the launch of Amazon’s flagship tablet. Now, since Amazon does not reveal its actual sales data, it is hard to estimate exactly how many Kindle Fire HD tablets have been sold recently. Still, it comes as surprising news to most people who would have assumed that the Kindle Fire HD sales would have taken a hit after the arrival of the iPad mini.
Analysts, however, suggest that this trend is quite logical. Most consumers had expected that the iPad mini would be priced in the moderate range of around 249 USD. However, it turns out that the Kindle Fire HD is 130 USD cheaper than its Apple counterpart. Also, the slightly smaller and more portable Kindle Fire HD comes with a high-definition display, while the iPad mini has only a standard definition one.
Where its Android competitors offer HD resolution in a 7 inch form factor, Apple has decided to go with inferior resolution at an even bigger size: 7.9 inches. With most budget Android tablets moving into the HD category when it comes to resolution, the Kindle Fire HD is managing to make merry at the iPad mini’s expense because of the greater value proposition at a much lower entry point. Buy the Kindle Fire HD starting at only $199!
