Kindle Fire usage soars after strong Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales

[Shawn Knight]

New data from online ad network Chitika indicates that Amazon’s Kindle Fire is one of the hottest tablets around this holiday season. Earlier reports suggested that the tablet might be slowing down a bit but the latest stats paint quite a different picture.

Following strong Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales, usage of the Kindle Fire on Chitika’s network soared at the end of November and continued to climb through December 6, the last day that Chitika reported.

Market research firm eDataSource believes that Amazon may have sold upwards of 850,000 tablets from the initial launch to December 1. HIS iSuppli anticipates Amazon will ship nearly 4 million Fires during the fourth quarter. If correct, this would give Amazon a 13.8 percent tablet market share. Apple currently holds 65.6 percent of the market while Samsung maintains a 4.8 percent share.

Despite a somewhat limited set of features, the Kindle Fire has been a hit with consumers based on its low price point of $199. In contrast, Apple’s iPad 2 starts at $499.

BlackBerry maker RIM has struggled to move excess inventory of PlayBook tablets since its introduction earlier this year. The company recently slashed prices on the tablet to $199 for the holidays which boosted sales at several retailers. Best Buy sold out of PlayBooks on the first weekend of lower prices and stock at Newegg suffered the same fate.

It seems the latest method to battle Apple in the tablet war is to significantly undercut their pricing model.

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https://www.techspot.com/news/46611-kindle-fire-usage-soars-after-strong-black-friday-and-cyber-monday-sales.html

 

[Vrmithrax]

It seems the latest method to battle Apple in the tablet war is to significantly undercut their pricing model.

I'd say it's more about pricing a tablet (which is usually more toy than tool) at a reasonable and realistic price. Apple always tends to sit towards the top of the pricing hill - It's no different than being able to buy much more computer for the same price as a Mac, Macbook, etc. Not everyone wants to pay for a Ferrari if they just need a Hyundai to commute to work.

 

[oranuro]

Vrmithrax said:

It seems the latest method to battle Apple in the tablet war is to significantly undercut their pricing model.

I'd say it's more about pricing a tablet (which is usually more toy than tool) at a reasonable and realistic price. Apple always tends to sit towards the top of the pricing hill - It's no different than being able to buy much more computer for the same price as a Mac, Macbook, etc. Not everyone wants to pay for a Ferrari if they just need a Hyundai to commute to work.

Well said.

The wordplay on these things has even gotten my wife's attention. Everyone is getting kindles now!

 

[Guest]

"I'd say it's more about pricing a tablet (which is usually more toy than tool) at a reasonable and realistic price. Apple always tends to sit towards the top of the pricing hill - It's no different than being able to buy much more computer for the same price as a Mac, Macbook, etc. Not everyone wants to pay for a Ferrari if they just need a Hyundai to commute to work."


Ferrari at least gives you an incredibly built car that soars above the quality of a Hyunday, something I would not say in Apple's case.

 

[RH00D]

The problem with tablet designers/manufacturers is that they just don't "get it". People don't want half-assed, unfinished tablets. (see: HP Touchpad, RIM's Playbook), they want products that make sense, work, and are of "final product" quality. This is why the Kindle Fire and iPad are both hugely successful.

I think WebOS has the potential to really rival Apple's ecosystem, but bad business decisions just put in down the tubes. RIM was also in a position to have a great ecosystem with their cell phones and tablets but I feel like they just let it slip out of their hands with bad business decisions and lack of passion, motivation, or what ever. Apple is really just so successful because they genuinely care about the products they are making. At least, it seems that way. That company looks full of passion.

 

[Julio Franco]

The #1 reason the Kindle Fire became an instant success is price, no doubt about that. I got one because at $200 it was hard to go wrong with it. We also knew hardware was going to be unexciting but software was meant to be polished enough (it's just OK). So far it's been worth the price for me, and would be a perfect small tablet if the UI and touch response wasn't so sluggish.

 

[Sarcasm]

Most tablet users I know only do a few things with them, 1. Watch videos 2. Surf the Internet 3. Read a book or 4. Play a few games.

Average folks don't see spending $500+ on a tablet just to do those things.

But for $200, why not. I don't get why manufacturers didn't get this. If the HP Tablet fire sale and Kindle Fire sales don't cause other companies to see this then I don't know what will.

 

[Guest]

My $99 HP Touchpad is the bomb. Its better than the fire and does what I want..I can surf the web with flash..Play internet music... view documents and pdf's. Would I pay more to do that..Nope.

 

[fwilliams]

"It seems the latest method to battle Apple in the tablet war is to significantly undercut their pricing model."

Just the way Microsoft did it to Apple for PC's.

When will Apple ever learn, not to let their competitors beat them at price.

Instead of $499 for an ipad, they should be charging $250. I would much rather get an ipad, but am not going to pay $300 dollars more.

Oh, well. Too bad for Apple.

 

[Guest]

LOL. Yeah, Apple (currently the most valuable technology company in the world) CERTAINLY needs to learn not to let other (less valuable) companies undercut their prices, because it hurt them so badly. Because Microsoft sold its computers so cheaply... no, wait, MSFT didn't sell PCs. And it's done so well, anyway, with AAPL at $393BN value and MSFT at $217BN. Maybe it was DELL that undercut them... and their market cap is all of $30Bn, less than 1/10th AAPLs. Even Big Blue is at just two-thirds of AAPL ($229Bn). So obviously low price isn't everything, eh?

It wasn't price that put Apple on the skids, it was a series of CEOs with no vision. Jobs' return to the company brought passion and vision back, and it paid off - without getting into price wars with beige box builders.

 

[Guest]

I am a teacher who carries a lot of books and has a house cluttered with them. I wanted a backlit e-reader I could easily fit in a regular-sized ladies' purse and adjust font size and have some other capabilities. I do most of my online shopping on Amazon already, since I can buy from my favorite stores through Amazon and get the guarantee and single point of access. The iPad is way too big and expensive and still quite limited compared to a PC; and I preferred the reader quality of the Kindle over the Nook. It's better than a book for bedtime reading, and I immediately purchased the USB to PC and USB car charger attachments, a protective case, and a stylus, as well as a high-end non-reflective screen cover, which I would want for any device. I'm very satisfied. This would obviously not be the appliance desired by someone whose main focus is lots of apps and movies, but it's a great product for me at a very reasonable price. JW in DC