HP has discounted the price of its HP Slate 7 android tablet so that it is now priced at $140 for the version featuring 8 GB of storage. The same with 16 GB onboard now costs $170. The above price cut comes in the wake of a sluggish global PC market and could have also been timed keeping in mind the launch of the Google Nexus 7 2 which is expected soon. HP though hasn’t stated if this is a time bound offer or a permanent price cut.
The above price cut has now made the Slate 7 cheaper than the Nexus 7, the latter with 16 GB of storage being now available for $200 for the Wi-Fi only model and for $300 dollars for the 3G + Wi-Fi version. The 8 GB version of the Nexus 7 was scrapped long back and has been replaced with the 16 GB version. However, what has to be kept in mind is that while the HP Slate 7 is cheaper, it also comes with a memory space of just 8 GB which can be quite paltry given movies today are often 4 to 8 GB in size. Fortunately, there is a micro sd card slot to fall back upon, something that the Nexus 7 lacks.
HP’s decision is nothing to be surprised of as there are a number of great tablet devices already introduced in the market sporting attractive price tags. Apple, Google and Amazon too are supposed to launch their latest tablets soon. In such a scenario, slashing the price of Slate 7 can be seen as a measure to ensure the Slate 7 remains in the reckoning. According to researchers, the upcoming iPad Mini is slated to hit stores during fall and is likely to sport an affordable price tag to allow Apple has a competitive edge via-a-via the plethora of low cost Android tablets already launched are in the process of launching.