There is no doubt Apple (AAPL)’s new iPad mini is a continuation of the company’s trend to always feature high build quality products that come with stunning designs. But with a starting price tag of $329, roughly $130 more than Nexus 7 and Kindle Fire HD, Apple’s new diminutive tablet may indeed be just a little too steep to attract the budget-conscious consumers.
In response to a question following iPad mini’s launch on Tuesday and its effect on the competition, Amazon spokesperson Drew Herdener reported Amazon Kindle Fire HD were selling better than usual.
“Wednesday was the $199 Kindle Fire HD’s biggest day of sales since launch and up 3x week over week,” Amazon said in statement sent to All Things D.
The $199 Kindle Fire HD is the 16GB Wi-Fi version that comes with dual Wi-Fi antennas for faster downloads, 1280×800 resolution display, 11 hrs of battery life and other special offers. All Things D notes that while Amazon never releases actual sales data — in fact, since the original Kindle e-reader’s launch in 2007, Bezos’ company has refused to disclose Kindle sales numbers — the statement may come as a surprise to some who had expected Kindle to be obliterated once Apple had fully entered the small tablet space.
Seems like by trying to prove itself against established small-screen Tab players like Amazon (AMZN)’s Kindle Fire HD and Google (GOOG)’s Nexus 7, the iPad mini instead of killing them is actually legitimizing them.
That said, none of that stopped the first batch of Apple‘s new white and silver iPad Mini to be sold out within an hour after Cupertino began taking pre-orders on Friday morning.
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