It is but evident that Amazon didn’t taste success with its tablet lineup, unlike its Kindle readers which literally disrupted the market. According to a report from The Wall Street Journal, Amazon is prepping up an ultra low cost $50 tablet with a 6-inch screen. At $50, the tablet is priced cheaper than the cheapest Kindle and will be half the price of the Fire HD tablet.
We have been seeing a slew of tablets hitting the stores on daily basis especially in the sub $100 range and only few of them make the cut. The perennial problem with the low end tablets is the desperate cost saving measures, which impacts the performance of the device so much so, that the very basic functionality of the tablet is hindered. Amazon’s existing 6-inch Fire HD tablet is one of the low cost tablets that is worth spending on. The rumor fails to shed light on the specifications for the new $50 device but it will do away with most of the features which tend to increase the cost of the device, for instance stereo speakers.
It is not yet clear how Amazon envisages to monetize, since we are pretty much sure they wont be earning huge profits off the $50 sticker price. The company might display lockscreen ads just like how it does on Kindle. It might also come with a few pre-installed apps and services just to reach the $50 mark.
Amazon will also be releasing a new 8-inch and 10-inch tablet as we inch towards the end of this year. The details for these devices are yet to surface, but in all likelihood Amazon will keep the cost for these devices on the lower end. Strangely enough, I am reminded of the Amazon Fire phone, which touted to be an ultimate shopping companion and failed to live the hype, biting dust eventually. We just hope that Amazon’s new tablet will be a well thought of product that is aimed at providing the users with a decent tablet experience.