Less that two weeks after it began offering a $50 “rebate” on its flagship webOS Touchpad tablet, HP has now permanently slashed the price even further.
At the beginning of the month, HP tried to drum up more interest for the device by cutting the price from $500-$600 to $450-$550. It called the deal an “instant rebate” rather than a price cut.
Apparently it didn’t do as much as HP wanted because the company has just announced a permanent drop in price, bringing the tablet down to $100 less than its original price.
The 16 GB version is now $400 while the 32 GB one is $500.
The early price drop signifies the troubles manufacturers have been having with non iOS-powered tablets.
Against expectations, OEMs and their Android tablets have not really been able to take on the iPad as strongly as Android phones have competed against the iPhone.
The issue is that unlike with smartphones, consumers prefer to have a tablet experience that is streamlined. There are so many different Android tablets available now, each with different specs and apps, making it confusing for consumers.
The iPad, meanwhile, is a known quantity and is a much more appealing platform for mobile developers. The number of tablet-exclusive Android apps is woefully small, while the iPad’s library is so large now, it seems almost silly to download an iPhone-designed app for the tablet device.
Beyond all that, no non-iOS tablet has really managed to wow anyone. The Galaxy Tab, the Xoom, the Touchpad, etc, have all received warm reviews, but no one is going crazy over any of them.
Unlike phones, tablets are a luxury item, and manufacturers are finding it is a very different market. Although Android is starting to make inroads, especially in countries outside the US, the battle against the iPad is a very tough one.
