Speculation abounds that e-commerce giant Amazon is planning to launch a tablet to compete with Apple’s iPad, the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1, and others, at some point in the next 12 months. Some say that Amazon will offer up a single tablet by the end of this year, while other reports suggest the company will deliver a less-feature rich option this year, and a more-upscale version next year. In either case, it appears Amazon is ready to enter the tablet space. Yet when it does, Amazon will be facing off against Apple’s iPad 2, an entrenched market-leader that has proven it can vanquish even the most capable-seeming alternatives. To avoid winding up like the others and actually offer up a product that consumers and maybe even enterprise users want, Amazon will need to deliver a host of features that those markets are looking for. Here we take a look at those features, and explain why Amazon must incorporate them in its tablets if it wants those products to succeed in the hyper-competitive tablet marketplace. Check out the following slides to learn more.
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1. A Big Display The last thing Amazon should want to do with its upcoming tablet is offering a device that comes with a 7-inch display. In order for any device to be popular in today’s marketplace, it needs to have at least a 9.7-inch screen to match the iPad’s. Even better are 10.1-inch screens. Either way, Amazon must offer up a big display in its reportedly upcoming slate.
2. A Unique Version of Android Google's open-source Android operating system lets any vendor modify the operating system to tailor to its own needs. For Amazon’s sake, it should do just that with the version running on its upcoming tablet. If it can make the its iteration of Android 3.1 (or Android 3.2) even more appealing than the competition, it will be in good shape.
3. Apps Galore One of the key reasons Apple’s iPad has been such a success is its supported applications. Right now, there are about 100,000 applications designed specifically for the iPad that take advantage of its large display. Amazon, which has an app store of its own, should do its best to deliver as many as possible to its tablet.
4. A Slim Design Apple’s iPad 2 is much thinner than its predecessor, making it much easier to carry around. Amazon should keep that in mind and try to offer a tablet that’s as slim and as mobile as possible. Consumers will respond well to that.
5. Top-Notch Marketing If Amazon wants to become a key player in the tablet space, it will need to invest heavily in marketing. Right now, Apple is the only company that seems to understand how to market and advertise its products. All others are lost. Amazon, however, has the cash to deliver a worthwhile marketing campaign. And if it can use its popular homepage to its advantage, it could put itself one step ahead of the competition.
6. Affordable Pricing The last thing Amazon should do is release a tablet at a price that makes customers think twice. Right now, the iPad 2 starts at $499. Amazon should keep its prices in line with Apple's iPad, adding more features that cost more. Apple has set the bar for what customers are willing to spend on what.
7. 4G Capability If Amazon wants to find a way to trump the iPad 2, it should bring 4G connectivity to its tablet. Right now, the lack of the ultra-high-speed connection in Apple’s tablet is arguably its biggest problem. By offering 4G and making that distinction clear, Amazon might just be able to capitalize on those customers who want faster network speeds.
8. An E-Reader-Only Version The last thing Amazon should do is give up its stranglehold on the e-reader market. The company’s Kindle e-reader is wildly popular, and getting rid of it would not only hurt its revenue figures, but likely hurt the sales of its tablet, at least in the short-term. E-readers and tablets can happily co-exist.
9. A High-Quality Touch Display Tablet size means little if the screen isn’t of high-quality. If Amazon wants its tablet to succeed, it will need to offer a top-notch, high-definition touch display that’s responsive to user inputs and makes games and movies look good. A high-quality display is central to Amazon’s chances of success.
10. A Clear Market Strategy The RIM BlackBerry PlayBook is a prime example of a tablet without a clear market strategy. That device is seemingly targeted at enterprise users, but comes with a host of consumer-focused functions that companies don’t like. Amazon can’t make that mistake. Its goal should be to find a single market to focus on -- ideally, consumers -- and stick with it.
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