Subscribe free to our newsletters via your
. 24/7 Space News .




INTERNET SPACE
Amazon in new gadget offensive, led by $50 tablet
By Rob Lever
Washington (AFP) Sept 17, 2015


Amazon unveiled a major home electronics push Thursday, led by a $50 tablet computer and other devices aimed at budget-conscious, gadget-hungry consumers.

The low-cost, seven-inch (18-centimeter) Fire tablet is part of an upgraded line being launched by the online retail giant, along with updated Fire TV streaming media devices and a new game controller box.

Amazon, which appeared to stop sales of its Fire Phone earlier this month after a lackluster response, is making an aggressive push into the living room at the low end of the electronics market as rival Apple launches its high-end tablets and phones.

"Today, we're taking another step in our mission to deliver premium products at non-premium prices," Amazon founder and chief executive Jeff Bezos said in unveiling the new tablet.

The low-cost tablet, which will operate on the newest version of the Fire OS operating system based on Android, "sets a new bar for what customers should expect from a low cost tablet."

Amazon has built a reputation for selling at low profit margins to build customer loyalty, and getting consumers into its ecosystem for shopping, music, online video and other services.

The new budget tablet will be available starting September 30, with an option to buy a "six pack" of the devices at $250, with one free.

Amazon is also launching a new 8.1-inch Fire HD tablet at $149 and a 10-inch device at $229 -- less than half the price of Apple's latest comparably sized iPads.

- Loss leader -

Analysts said Amazon is unlikely to make a profit on the $50 tablet, and may even lose money on the device, but will use it to lure more consumers into the Amazon orbit.

"It does appear this falls into the philosophy of getting people onto the Amazon platform to make money selling them music and movies and books," said Avi Greengart, analyst at the research firm Current Analysis.

Greengart said Amazon, which has never been among the leaders in hardware, still has a gap in its lineup now that the Fire phone appears to be dead. Amazon made no formal announcement about the phone, but it has been out of stock, with no indication it will be available again.

"The phone is the one object that everyone needs," he said. "Everything else is less of a necessity and more of an amenity."

Still, Greengart added that he liked the new tablets.

"They have a low price point and could get people to be more likely to use Amazon services," he said.

Tim Bajarin at the consulting firm Creative Strategies said in a blog post that "these three models can drive a lot of sales of tablets for Amazon and, if the $50 model has strong demand, it could even drive the overall market for tablets up by as much as 10 to 15 percent from where it is today."

Bob O'Donnell at the research firm Technalysis was more cautious.

He said the new tablets "are fine, but they are not going to change the world."

Global tablet sales are sputtering because many markets are saturated and low prices may not spark a turnaround, O'Donnell told AFP.

"There have been low-cost tablets from other players for a couple of years and it hasn't dramatically changed the arc of the tablet market," he said.

- 'Every unit is advertising' -

Roger Kay of Endpoint Technologies Associates said the product push is part of the longtime strategy by Bezos of building a customer base.

"He just wants to get the tablet in your hands," Kay said.

"Every unit is a bit of advertising, another way to enhance the brand, it can help in a number of ways."

But Kay said Amazon has yet to prove it can leverage its customer base to deliver the kind of profit that Apple has.

"They get a lot of points for being innovative," he said, but noted that "the strategy only works if they can turn all that revenue into some kind of profit, and they haven't done it consistently."

Amazon meanwhile cut the price of its upgraded Fire tablet for kids to $100. The device links to age-appropriate websites and YouTube videos.

Amazon unveiled an upgraded Fire TV media box for $100 and a new Fire TV Stick with voice remote for $50.

The devices, which compete with products from Apple as well as Roku and Google, allow users to stream in high-definition 4K from Amazon, as well as other online services such as Netflix, HBO and Showtime.

A Fire TV gaming edition media system with a controller is being launched for $140, along with a separate new game controller for Fire TV devices at $50.

rl/vlk

Amazon


Thanks for being here;
We need your help. The SpaceDaily news network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain.

With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords.

Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year.

If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution.
SpaceDaily Contributor
$5 Billed Once


credit card or paypal
SpaceDaily Monthly Supporter
$5 Billed Monthly


paypal only


.


Related Links
Satellite-based Internet technologies






Comment on this article via your Facebook, Yahoo, AOL, Hotmail login.

Share this article via these popular social media networks
del.icio.usdel.icio.us DiggDigg RedditReddit GoogleGoogle




Memory Foam Mattress Review
Newsletters :: SpaceDaily :: SpaceWar :: TerraDaily :: Energy Daily
XML Feeds :: Space News :: Earth News :: War News :: Solar Energy News





INTERNET SPACE
Amazon unveils $50 tablet in new gadget offensive
Washington (AFP) Sept 17, 2015
Amazon unveiled a $50 tablet computer Thursday amid a slew of other electronic gadgets aimed at clicking with consumers in the upcoming holiday shopping season. The seven-inch (18-centimeter) Fire tablet is part of new family of tablets being launched by the online giant, along with upgraded Fire TV streaming media devices and a game controller box. The online retail firm, which has appe ... read more


INTERNET SPACE
NASA's LRO discovers Earth's pull is 'massaging' our moon

Moon's crust as fractured as can be

China aims to land Chang'e-4 probe on far side of moon

China Plans Lunar Rover For Far Side of Moon

INTERNET SPACE
Supervising two rovers from space

Team Continues to Operate Rover in RAM Mode

Ridley Scott's 'The Martian' takes off in Toronto

Mars Panorama from Curiosity Shows Petrified Sand Dunes

INTERNET SPACE
NASA, Harmonic Launch First Non-Commercial UHD Channel in NAmerica

Russian cosmonaut back after record 879 days in space

New Life for Old Buddy: Russia Tests Renewed Soyuz-MS Spacecraft

Opportunity found in lack of diversity in US tech sector

INTERNET SPACE
Long March-2D carrier rocket blasts off in NW China

Progress for Tiangong 2

China rocket parts hit villager's home: police, media

China's "sky eyes" help protect world heritage Angkor Wat

INTERNET SPACE
Andreas Mogensen lands after a busy mission on Space Station

ISS Crew Enjoy Kharcho Soup, Mare's Milk in Orbit

Slam dunk for Andreas in space controlling rover on ground

Russian ISS Crew's Next Spacewalk Planned for February 2016

INTERNET SPACE
Russia successfully launches satellite with Proton rocket

ILS announces one ILS Proton launch for HISPASAT in 2017

First Ever Launch Vehicle to Be Sent to Russia's New Spaceport in Siberia

US Navy to Launch Folding-Fin Ground Attack Rocket on Scientific Mission

INTERNET SPACE
Nearby Red Dwarfs Could Reveal Planet Secrets

Astronomers peer into the 'amniotic sac' of a planet-hosting star

Rocky planets may be habitable depending on their 'air conditioning system'

Earth observations show how nitrogen may be detected on exoplanets, aiding search for life

INTERNET SPACE
First new cache-coherence mechanism in 30 years

One step closer to a new kind of computer

Researchers develop 'instruction manual' for futuristic metallic glass

Physicists defy conventional wisdom to identify ferroelectric material




The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2014 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. Privacy Statement All images and articles appearing on Space Media Network have been edited or digitally altered in some way. Any requests to remove copyright material will be acted upon in a timely and appropriate manner. Any attempt to extort money from Space Media Network will be ignored and reported to Australian Law Enforcement Agencies as a potential case of financial fraud involving the use of a telephonic carriage device or postal service.