/ 9 January 2013

Acer to launch cheaper Iconia B1 tablet to undercut competitors

Acer To Launch Cheaper Iconia B1 Tablet To Undercut Competitors

It will undercut the price of similar products from Google and Amazon.

The 18cm Iconia B1 tablet would sell at the promotional price through some of its distribution channels in Asia and South America, it said.

Outlets that are not part of the promotion would sell the Iconia B1 for $129 to $149, an Acer spokesperson said.

The regular price is still below Google's Nexus 7 and Amazon's Kindle Fire, two of Acer's competitors in the mini-tablet segment.

The Iconia B1 is to ship with Google's Android Jelly Bean system and spot a dual-core processor from Taiwan chipmaker MediaTek, a company that has specialised in helping new entrants compete with established smartphone and tablet brands.

Acer's profits have flagged as demand for personal computers give way to mobile devices. Its net income in the third quarter of 2012 was $2.3-million, recovering from a loss in the same period a year ago. – Sapa-dpa