If you read the Philadelphia Inquirer or the Philadelphia Daily News, here’s some good news of your own.
The Philadelphia Media Network, which owns both outlets, has announced it will offer discounts on Android tablets to those who sign up for a new subscription.
And we’re not just talking a measly discount either. In fact, the Media Network wants to give you a tablet for half price. That’s right – 50% off an Android tablet.
With the special offer, the tablet will come pre-loaded with the app versions of the two newspapers, but it isn’t yet clear which devices will be offered.
Android tablets vary widely in price, from just a couple hundred dollars to some that are more expensive than an iPad and approach the dangerous $1,000 price point.
“We want to gain significant market share in this area, and we want to learn about consumer behavior,” said the paper publisher’s CEO Greg Osberg in an Adweek article.
Android tablets have gained some very favorable reviews and a few have gained significant traction, but on the whole they haven’t spread like wildfire in the way Android smartphones did. Apple’s iPad remains far and away the clear leader in the tablet space.
This move could be a win-win as it helps keep newspaper media relevant and also helps get Android tablets in the hands of more people.
For the time being, it’s a pilot program. The media group will run the offer until it sells out of 2,000 tablets and decide where to go from there. The deal will begin in August.
