“iPad Mini’s launch price was in line with our expectations. iPad Mini is not taking on the Android tablet market, but will bring a new category of customers on the market,” said Alin Niscov, sales manager of Allview.
He believes that one of the reasons why iPad Mini will not hurt the sales of Android tablets in Romania is its price on this market.
“Whereas the price is $329 in the US, in Romania it will cost at least EUR329. If we look at Google Nexus, which cost $199 in the US, EUR199 in Europe and EUR250 in Romania, we can expect iPad Mini to cost EUR329 plus 25% to 30%. I don’t think it will steal some of our customers,” Niscov said.
Romanian companies sell tablets at prices from EUR100 to EUR300. iPad Mini will not steal customers from Romanian tablet makers, but from brands such as Samsung and Amazon, Liviu Nistoran, chief executive and chairman of Evolio, another Romanian tablet producer, told ZF.
“We have no reason for concern. iPad Mini will eat some of the market share of other brands, maybe Samsung, Amazon and its own,” Nistoran said.
Moreover, the Romanian company expects the sales of its own 8″ tablet due for launch soon to increase as a result of the trend induced by Apple’s iPad Mini.
“We have a similar tablet under works, which will probably cost half. Apple’s launch is helping is because it will create a trend on the market – 8″ tablets, and we will grow in their wake.”
Apple’s decision to launch iPad Mini at a price of $329, more than certain analysts had expected ($199 for instance), shows its new gadget will not compete with the cheap Android tablets, but with those made by companies like Google, Alexandru Dragoiu, general manager and founder of Rosal Import-Export, which sells tablets and other electronic products branded as E-Boda, told ZF.
“It made no sense for Apple to charge $199 for iPad Mini and get into a price war. It is obvious Apple does not want to launch products with a zero profit margin. As for Romania, history shows that this $329 price announced by Apple will turn into 1,499 lei. At RON1,499 compared with the RON699 we charge for our tablet, I don’t think we’ll have any problems,” Dragoiu said. He added the price segment of iPad Mini would have big name competitors like Google.
Asked if he expected Romanian customers to be tempted by the iPad Mini, Dragoiu said that would not happen with the users that have RON700 for a tablet. “I’d like to think a customer who wants to spend RON700 on a tablet could afford to pay RON1,500 but I don’t think so.”
Allview, E-Boda and Evolio account for about 40% of the local tablet market put at 150,000-160,000 units this year.
Apple introduced a smaller version of the iPad tablet on October 23, with prices starting at $329 for the 16GB model. It also introduced the fourth generation of the standard iPad, whose price starts at $499.
(English version by Loredana Fratila-Cristescu)