RIM recalls 1,000 PlayBooks, Nvidia CEO explains slow Android tablet sales

[*LTD*]

http://www.engadget.com/2011/05/14/rim-recalls-at-least-900-faulty-blackberry-playbooks-here-are-t/

http://www.appleinsider.com/article...a_ceo_explains_slow_android_tablet_sales.html

http://news.cnet.com/8301-13924_3-20062940-64.html?part=rss&subj=news&tag=2547-1_3-0-20

http://www.appleinsider.com/article..._apple_ipad_competitors_to_delay_tablets.html

http://www.digitimes.com/NewsShow/NewsSearch.asp?DocID=PD000000000000000000000000019117&query=XOOM


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RIM recalls 1,000 PlayBooks, Nvidia CEO explains slow Android tablet sales

By Sam Oliver
Published: 08:20 AM EST

Research in Motion has recalled about 1,000 defective units of its new PlayBook tablet, though most had not yet been sold to users. And in an interview, Nvidia's CEO provided a number of reasons why Android-based tablets aren't selling well yet.

RIM recalls about 1,000 PlayBooks

Research in Motion has issued a recall for about 1,000 faulty BlackBerry PlayBooks that were available at Staples retail stores, as first reported by Engadget. The affected devices were said to have a defective build of the touchscreen tablet's operating system.

The site has a complete list of affected serial numbers, so any owners can check to see if their device is part of the problem batch. But RIM also commented on the issue and said most of the devices were in the retail channel and were not sold to end users.

Staples stores were issued a copy of the recall last week, and employees were instructed to pull any inventory with the affected serial numbers. The issue caused users to be unable to set up their new PlayBook.

The PlayBook debuted in April to lukewarm reviews, which indicated that the device seemed to be released to the public without quite being finished. One review suggested the 7-inch device, which RIM hopes will compete with Apple's iPad, seemed "rushed to market."

Nvidia CEO talks Android tablet struggles

Nvidia's chief executive, Jen-Hsun Huang, spoke last week with Cnet (via Hardmac) about slow sales of the first tablets running Android 3.0 Honeycomb. Nvidia makes the Tegra 2 graphics processor found in devices like the Motorola Xoom.

Huang gave a number of reasons why the first Honeycomb-powered tablets haven't had a strong start. Specifically with regard to the Xoom, he said the initial model introduced should not have included 3G, and should have been a Wi-Fi-only option.

"It's a point of sales problem. It's an expertise problem. It's a marketing problem to consumers. It's a price point problem," he reportedly said, adding: "And it's a software richness of content problem."

Huang also went on to offer a more positive outlook regarding upcoming products. He noted that the initial struggles are just the first batch of Android 3.0 tablets, and improvements will be made.

"Those problems are all getting solved," he said. "The rate at which these Honeycomb Tegra 2 tablets are being improved is really stunning. I think all of the manufacturers have now recognized that and readjusted their plans."

Various reports have indicated that sales of the Motorola Xoom were lower than expected, and projections have been slashed to 100,000, though actual sales figures have not been announced. Future tablets running Honeycomb are said to have been delayed to address issues with the fledgling tablet-only operating system and assess the market, as Apple continues to dominate the market with its iPad.
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Yet they've had over a year - A YEAR - to play with the iPad and see how it's done.

 

[roadbloc]

Yawn. Seriously? Why do you feel the need to ram home that Apple is apparently better than everyone else?

Yes, Apple have got it right. Again. They usually do. They won't be "in the lead" in the long run though.

 

[Bernard SG]

Yawn. Seriously? Why do you feel the need to ram home that Apple is apparently better than everyone else?

Yes, Apple have got it right. Again. They usually do. They won't be "in the lead" in the long run though.

Curious to know your timeline for when Apple, especially iPad, will cease to be on the lead.

 

[roadbloc]

Curious to know your timeline for when Apple, especially iPad, will cease to be on the lead.

As with everything. When the competitor finally gets their socks on and rolls out something decent. It happened with PCs. It happened with Phones. It will happen with Tablets. The fact that competitor companies such as Google and Microsoft licence their software out to many hardware vendors will alone see to higher sales. However the fact that other companies tend to to be cheaper and will have more usability for them who want to seriously mess around with the software on their Tablet will also contribute to sales.

Basically, why spend £400 on a iPad just for facebook, music, video and web browsing when you can spend £100 on a cheap Dell tablet (whatever it will be called when it comes).

 

[KnightWRX]

It happened with Phones.

No it didn't. Apple never were in the lead with phones.

 

[toddybody]

I cant stand Apple Centric sentiments...but I do feel like the Tablet market is going to be theirs for a long time to come. Their adoption lead is huge; accordingly, so is their Application offerings and support.

I dont think the iPhone is in such an advantageous position though...competition is rather robust.

 

[*LTD*]

As with everything. When the competitor finally gets their socks on and rolls out something decent.

Basically, why spend £400 on a iPad just for facebook, music, video and web browsing when you can spend £100 on a cheap Dell tablet (whatever it will be called when it comes).

You can get one of these, too:

http://arstechnica.com/gadgets/reviews/2010/11/worst-gadget-ever-ars-reviews-a-99-android-tablet.ars

 

[roadbloc]

Those two statements tend to be mutually exclusive.

We'll always have the Dells and Acers and Microsofts, really busy in a race to the bottom. There's always a market for these things. But given a choice, would you really want to be a part of that?

When many customers are looking for the cheapest deal for something that is just Internet and media capable I'd say the statements are not mutually exclusive at all. Dell laptops do tend to be on the tacky side, but at the end of the day, they do exactly what many users want of a computer. How does that make them not decent?

Myself? No, because I like Apple products and will probably continue to do so. I never pay Apples premium price, I can't afford. I hunt for a bargain or buy an older product. My next computer will probably be a hackintosh. I'll probably never have use for a Tablet unless they dramatically improve to my liking. But that's just me. No doubt tablets will be the next big thing.

Not iPads though.

 

[Rodimus Prime]

well less than 1% of them being recalled. That is a pretty good number and speaks volumes of a good thing RIM is willing to take the hit in doing so. Lets compare this to Apple that would of sold them then denied denied denied there being any problem. RIM on the other hand went out of its way to make sure it was solved.

 

[lsvtecjohn3]

As with everything. When the competitor finally gets their socks on and rolls out something decent. It happened with PCs. It happened with Phones. It will happen with Tablets. The fact that competitor companies such as Google and Microsoft licence their software out to many hardware vendors will alone see to higher sales. However the fact that other companies tend to to be cheaper and will have more usability for them who want to seriously mess around with the software on their Tablet will also contribute to sales.

Basically, why spend £400 on a iPad just for facebook, music, video and web browsing when you can spend £100 on a cheap Dell tablet (whatever it will be called when it comes).

I disagree. The reason the PC sold more than the Mac and still does is because PC for the most part are cheaper. The iPhone never lead in marker share. Let me ask you this then. Why does the iPod dominate the mp3 market then? From what your saying the iPod should have lost that battle because theres cheaper mp3 on the market.

I see the iPad dominating the tablet market just like the iPod dominates the mp3 market. IMO the other manufactures are going to have to sell their tablets at least $100 cheaper than the $499 iPad to get consumers to really start buying them.

Another reason the Android platform took off was because the carriers were subsidizing those phones BOGOF and free on two year contracts. As of now that's not working with tablets and i'm sure it won't since it really didn't work for netbooks sales.

 

[KingCrimson]

Apple takes 50% of the cell-phone profits and 33% of the PC profits. Total domination.

 

[roadbloc]

Why does the iPod dominate the mp3 market then? From what your saying the iPod should have lost that battle because theres cheaper mp3 on the market.

I also said that the competitor has to get it right. The idea of having an easily sync-able, high capacity, media player with it's own music store was unheard of by other companies, and Apple did have great vision to bring such a product.

No-one else bothered. The Chinese market continued to offer and sell cheap £20 USB MP3 players for the kids with no money. Sony sort of tried with their Walkman range, and whereas they were pretty good (I owned two before getting an iPod), SonicStage (the syncing program) was awful and they lacked a higher capacity than 20GB.

Microsoft later tried with a Zune, and whereas I've never used one, I've heard of people who have that they were pretty good. It's just that they were a bit late to the market and the lack of worldwide availability killed a hell of a lot of potential sales.

The iPod was a small time product, couldn't really do much apart from play media. The iPod Touch and iPhone brought on something much bigger, which is pretty much a PC that fits in your pocket, which is what everyone saw (including Apple) BlackBerry and Nokia do and joined the trend. Apple simply used the power of their iPod brand to make it popular.

 

[gkarris]

Yawn. Seriously? Why do you feel the need to ram home that Apple is apparently better than everyone else?

I like to see articles as far as what the competition is doing, or what they're not...

 

[Born Again]

Curious to know your timeline for when Apple, especially iPad, will cease to be on the lead.

Take a look at the new samsung 10.1 tablet that engadget reviewed. They actually recommend it for android users Over the iPad and it feels better.

Seriously man it's the same thing that happened with android phones. Android will catch up and surpass iPad sales within 2 years is my guess.

No doubt about it; and we will still enjoy our iPads and iPhones so who cares right?

Thoughts?

 

[rdowns]

As with everything. When the competitor finally gets their socks on and rolls out something decent. It happened with PCs. It happened with Phones.

It hasn't happened with phones. Apple never led the smart phone market. What about the iPod; there were dozens of lower priced alternatives, iPod killers they were called.

It will happen with Tablets. The fact that competitor companies such as Google and Microsoft licence their software out to many hardware vendors will alone see to higher sales. However the fact that other companies tend to to be cheaper and will have more usability for them who want to seriously mess around with the software on their Tablet will also contribute to sales.

Yes, Android will garner a high share of the market but that will be split among dozens of manufacturers, none who will earn anywhere near the revenue and profits that Apple will.

Basically, why spend £400 on a iPad just for facebook, music, video and web browsing when you can spend £100 on a cheap Dell tablet (whatever it will be called when it comes).

There have been sub $200 and now sub-$100 Android tablets yet no one buys them. They all end up on Overstock and Buy.com for $79.

I'd also point out that Apple priced the iPads so low that most manufacturers can't even come close to offering a comparable product at the same price.

 

[lsvtecjohn3]

Take a look at the new samsung 10.1 tablet that engadget reviewed. They actually recommend it for android users Over the iPad and it feels better.

Seriously man it's the same thing that happened with android phones. Android will catch up and surpass iPad sales within 2 years is my guess.

No doubt about it; and we will still enjoy our iPads and iPhones so who cares right?

Thoughts?

The smartphone and tablet market are not the same. A lot of the reason Android took of was because carriers were offering Android phones free on contract and BOGOF. That strategy will not work on tablets just like it didn't work for netbooks. Tablets don't have to depend on the carrier like a phone does. People don't want to be lock it another contract. Other manufacturers are having a hard time offering tablets matching the iPad $499 prices while making a profit.

Another thing hurting Android tablets right now is nobody is developing for it. What if most Android don't want or need a tablet right now? Developers won't waste there time writing for a platform if nobody is using it. We all know people are going to buy Apple products no matter what, if people don't start buying Android tablets in mass Google might dig themselves in to hole even they can't get out of.

I see the iPad having the lion share of the tablet market.

 

[KnightWRX]

The smartphone and tablet market are not the same. A lot of the reason Android took of was because carriers were offering Android phones free on contract and BOGOF.

And oft repeated mantra here by people who have no clue about Android. Funny how all of you who keep repeating this lie forget that the iPhone is offered FREE, for 0$, by some carriers on contract.

So the same can be said of iPhone adoption then. A lot of the reason it took off was because carriers were offering iPhones for free.

There's about 3 dozens 199$ Android phones that are higher end than the iPhone 4 right now. Last year, the Samsung Galaxy S was one of the best selling Android handsets, almost catching up to iPhone numbers by itself. Yet it was a high-end, 199$ on contract phone.

 

[lsvtecjohn3]

And oft repeated mantra here by people who have no clue about Android. Funny how all of you who keep repeating this lie forget that the iPhone is offered FREE, for 0$, by some carriers on contract.

So the same can be said of iPhone adoption then. A lot of the reason it took off was because carriers were offering iPhones for free.

The iPhone is NOW offered free on some carriers it wasn't for the first few years. Android on the other hand came out the gate with BOGOF and free on two year contracts. Thats why I said that's the reason it took off.

There's about 3 dozens 199$ Android phones that are higher end than the iPhone 4 right now. Last year, the Samsung Galaxy S was one of the best selling Android handsets, almost catching up to iPhone numbers by itself. Yet it was a high-end, 199$ on contract phone.

"almost catching up to iPhone numbers by itself" LoL really The SGS was released on June 4, 2010 As of January 2011, Samsung had sold 10 million Galaxy S phones.

The iPhone 4 was released on June 24, from that date until January 18, 2011 Apple sold around 33.05 million iPhones. Yeah thats almost catching up. The iPhone 4 out sold the SGS in Apples fourth 2010 14.1 million and first quarter 16.24 million iPhones sold.

 

[Rodimus Prime]

The iPhone is NOW offered free on some carriers it wasn't for the first few years. Android on the other hand came out the gate with BOGOF and free on two year contracts. Thats why I said that's the reason it took off.



"almost catching up to iPhone numbers by itself" LoL really The SGS was released on June 4, 2010 As of January 2011, Samsung had sold 10 million Galaxy S phones.

The iPhone 4 was released on June 24, from that date until January 18, 2011 Apple sold around 33.05 million iPhones. Yeah thats almost catching up. The iPhone 4 out sold the SGS in Apples fourth 2010 14.1 million and first quarter 16.24 million iPhones sold.

there is a lot more to the world than three US. You need to remember that.

 

[lsvtecjohn3]

there is a lot more to the world than three US. You need to remember that.

what are you talking about? I didn't say anything about the US. I was talking about the world

 

[ChazUK]

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (Linux; U; Android 2.3.4; en-gb; Nexus S Build/GRJ22) AppleWebKit/533.1 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/4.0 Mobile Safari/533.1)

Most exciting news form the NVIDIA CEO? Whispers of a quad core Nexus (3?) running on Tegra 3. Looking forward to that one.

 

[Rodimus Prime]

what are you talking about? I didn't say anything about the US. I was talking about the world

not when you start going with the bogo and free argument. iPhone been offered for free on other carriers around the world for a while.

Bogo was limited only to a select US carriers and ones that had a long history of doing it before the iPhone.
Android power phones are doing really well because OMG quite a few people like them better than the iPhone. Most people understand cost of the cell phone is a pretty minor for a 2 year device and get what they want.

 

[KnightWRX]

The iPhone 4 was released on June 24, from that date until January 18, 2011 Apple sold around 33.05 million iPhones. Yeah thats almost catching up. The iPhone 4 out sold the SGS in Apples fourth 2010 14.1 million and first quarter 16.24 million iPhones sold.

Except the Galaxy S is sold under other names and it wasn't current for as long as the iPhone 4 has been. Samsung moves fast and is already on other, newer, better models.

 

[thejadedmonkey]

Apple will lose the tablet market for one simple reason; stagnation. The iOS is stagnated, everyone knows it and it's boring. Android is customizable, Windows 8 will be new. I realize it's not that hard to have a 90% market share when you're the only player in town (actually, why isn't it 100%?) but I think once Google, HP, and MS catch up, the number of iPad users will drop significantly, or proportionately at least.

 

[maflynn]

Apple will lose the tablet market for one simple reason; stagnation. The iOS is stagnated, everyone knows it and it's boring.

While iOS has a simplicity and elegant design, its lacking. The UI is too restrictive in a number of ways. Just look how they had to implement their version of the task switcher/killer. They had to slide up the screen. Honeycomb is a really elegant looking OS that is also very customizable and allows the consumer to work the way they want too.