Amazon could compete with Apple in global tablet market if it sells its version for less than US$300, analyst says; hike in tablet sales this year could reach 60 million from 17.4 million in 2010, report forecasts

Lorena Madrigal

LOS ANGELES , September 2, 2011 (Industry Intelligence) – If Amazon.com Inc. priced its tablet below US$300, it could be in a competitive position against Apple Inc., which has already sold 29 million iPad tablets, Forrester Research analyst Sarah Rotman Epps said, The Wall Street Journal reported Aug. 29.

According to Epps, about 5 million tablets could be sold if priced below the US$300 price tag in just the fourth quarter alone.

Amazon could introduce its tablet as early as October, according to a previous Wall Street Journal report.

If Amazon could leverage its brand and vast online content, coupled with a cheap price for its tablet, the company could become a significant competitor for Apple, which is currently dominating the global tablet market, the article stated.

Apple’s iPad currently sells for between US$499 and US$829.

This year’s global tablet market could climb to 60 million units from last year’s 17.4 million, according to an HIS iSuppli report. Apple is expected to sell 44.2 million tablets this year.

Amazon and Apple representatives did not respond to requests for comment by the Wall Street Journal.

The primary source of this article is The Wall Street Journal, New York, New York, on Aug. 29, 2011.

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