Report Suggests Big Early Sales for Amazon Tablet
250,000-Plus Pre-Order $199 Kindle Fire
That $199 Kindle Fire tablet appears to have lit a fire in the hearts of consumers. According to a new (and leaked) report, more than 250,000 pre-orders have already been filed with Amazon. It could mean a big problem lies ahead for Apple.
Not long ago I reported on Amazon.com's unveiling of the Kindle Fire tablet. Boasting a 7-inch touch screen and WiFi capabilities, it was the $199 price tag -- half what consumers have paid for the lower end iPad -- that stirred analysts into a frenzy.
Now, it would appear consumers are getting just as excited for the Kindle Fire as the experts. The tech blog Cult of Android says it recently got its hands on a leaked Amazon chart showing an impressive 254,000 Kindle Fire pre-orders in just five days. Doing the math, Cult of Android says that means about 2,000 people have put down cash for a Kindle Fire each and every hour. It represents about 50,000 pre-orders per day.
"If this level of consumer demand for the Kindle Fire continues," Cult of Android says. "Amazon will have 2.5 million preorders for the device before it officially goes on sale on November 15th."
Industry analysts agree that the pre-order sales are impressive. Strategy Analytics research director Neil Mawston thinks it's proof that Amazon's tablet will take a big bite out of Apple sales, but stopped well short of predicting a dramatic decline for the iPad. "We expect Amazon's Fire to put a sizeable dent in Apple's armor, but it will not be an iPad killer," Mawston said.
In fact, it may not be Apple that is in the most trouble here. Mawston believes that lower-end tablets like e-readers are most likely to be affected by the Kindle Fire's release. "Barnes and Noble should probably be more worried than Apple...The Amazon Fire can be used as a premium ebook-reader, and the Fire could quickly turn out to be a Nook killer."
The big test for the Kindle Fire will come after its release in mid-November. Whether it has the legs to compete with Apple long-term will depend on reviews from both consumers and critics.
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