14 DAY TRIAL // An intriguing report from Taiwan claims Apple will slash iPad prices this holiday season to spur sales of its tablet computers while at the same time give Samsung a run for its money.
Sources from channel retailers reportedly say that “Samsung is now offering its 8.4-inch 16GB Galaxy Tab Pro at US$249 [€199.95], down US$50 [€40.15] from the original price, while its entry-level 7-inch 8GB Galaxy Tab 4's price has also been reduced to US$129 [€103].”
So far so good. Samsung is known to do this on a regular basis, so there’s nothing too surprising about this claim. However, as far as Apple is concerned, things are altogether different. The Cupertino giant doesn’t offer holiday deals – other than the usual Black Friday promos, and even those don’t include price cuts – yet DigiTimes claims it will, this year.
The same people allegedly tell the publication that “Apple is providing US$10-50 [€8-€40] price cuts for its previous-generation iPad products and defending the high-end segment with its new iPad Air 2 and iPad mini 3.”
Current iPad pricing and configurations
We wouldn’t want to burst anyone’s bubble, but it seems odd that these retail sources are suddenly spreading the word about Apple’s planned discounts for the 2014 holiday season without any official word from the mother-ship. We’re not saying it’s not possible, but if history is any indication, there’s very little chance of Apple slashing even $10 / €8 off even the cheapest iPad.
For the time being, the company is selling its tablet computers at the same prices it has always sold them. A couple of charts can be found in the photo gallery below, showing the current pricing scheme for various configurations in both US Dollars and Euros.
For the record, Apple continues to sell the low-end iPad mini for $249 (€239) and the high-end iPad Air 2 for $499 (€489).
Analyst projections
Company watchers say Apple stands to sell roughly 20 million iPads by the time Q4 2014 comes to an end, up from 12.3 million units in the third quarter. By comparison, Samsung tablet sales are estimated to reach a maximum 12 million units this quarter.
Considering the cited sources and the media outlet dishing out the news, we wouldn’t keep our fingers crossed for those Apple discounts to materialize. We’re filing this one under rumor for now, so take it with a grain of salt.
