It’s hard not to appreciate the Nexus 7 for setting the Android tablets bar pretty high despite its sub-$200 pricing. Since then, we’ve seen more major manufacturers trying to appeal to customers who care more about price than specs.
A recent study by CLSA Asia-Pacific Markets reveals that shipments of non-branded tablets will reach 100 million units in 2013. Trying to sway customers to choose the branded ones instead are Asus and Acer – two names that are looking to grab a bigger piece of the budget Android tablet market.
According to reports, we’ll see more 7-inch slates being released by the Nexus 7 maker before the end of the first quarter this year, with prices ranging from $120 to $300. One of its latest budget offerings is the 7-inch MemoPad, which is now available in select markets for roughly $170.
As for Acer, it looks like the Iconia B1, the 7-inch Jelly Bean tablet that’s offered for $160, has been selling well enough that the Taiwanese is planning to release more Iconia models later this year. Acer’s senior VP Scott Lin said that the 8-inch and 10-inch variants are expected to hit stores in Q3 2013 for approximately NT$6,000 ($200) and NT$7,000 ($230).
As for their goals this year, Asus is aiming to ship 12 million units of tablets in 2013, while Acer is hoping to double last year’s sales of 1.8 million units. |