Honeycomb / Android 3.0 SDK Previewed. Release Please?

Categories: Android, Google, eReaders & Tablets, motorola

Google is still teasing Honeycomb and this time its to the developers with a preview of the Android 3.0 platform. Android 3.0 was for the first time teased at CES 2011 and a few announcements have been made already. The most hyped up for sure is the Motorola Xoom tablet that has kicked off with a big mouth pre-CES teaser video. But as Apple points out, there are no details on pricing and specs given yet! No, I don’t want to quote Tim Cook here, but I am still referring to our report that the world won’t see Honeycomb tablets before Q2 2011! We expect Motorola to be an exception to this (with Google’s blessings), but if people are waiting for a Xoom launch in February, shouldn’t developers already be working on apps? Either ways, here is what the SDK preview has:

The Android 3.0 preview refers to several New User features and Developer Features. While you can glance through the entire list here, there are several changes / new additions like UI evolution, keyboard, text selection (copy/paste), widgets, browser, email app and more. Old apps would be compatible:

Android 3.0 brings a new UI designed for tablets and other larger screen devices, but it also is fully compatible with applications developed for earlier versions of the platform, or for smaller screen sizes. Existing applications can seamlessly participate in the new holographic UI theme without code changes, by adding a single attribute in their manifest files.

Widgets on Honeycomb

We have seen Andy Rubin demo 3D maps before and Honeycomb packs in hardware accelerated 2D graphics aswell. We would certainly make better sense of all this with some developers delivering on it! For now the confirmation of the fact that Android 3.0 isn’t limited to dual-core processors, leaves us with the hope and manufacturers with the task of getting an update to existing Froyo tablets.

Tags: android 3, android tablet, honeycomb, honeycomb tablet, motorola tablet, tablet, xoom tablet

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Editorial: Dear Manufacturer, Can I Have My Refund Please?

Categories: Opinion, Tech Industry News

While the twitter chatter is making me eat my words about the piece on iPad not coming to India (I wasn’t completely off target either), the market situation makes me ponder of a very crucial aspect of gadget sales (specially high-end!): The Pricing! The Apple iPad has landed at a price of Rs 27900 and thats surely makes it an attractive buy for many. But what disturbs me is the drastic price fall of the Samsung Galaxy Tab. The Galaxy Tab started to retail for Rs 38000 on November 10th and on 23rd Jan we reported the same being on sale for Rs 27999!

Thats a fall of Rs 10,000 in less than 3 months. Even if you go by company quote its a fall of Rs 8000, with the current pricing at Rs 29999. On the flip side, I know that the iPad has been on sale in US for $499+taxes since April last year and its still priced at the same level. Isn’t that a gesture by Apple that commands trust? Over years, I have started to believe that making friends with your customers pays rich dividends. Apple has few products out there, but they sell a hell lot of them, and perhaps at a little premium. But are the 150 million iOS buyers complaining? No!

If I was a buyer of the Galaxy Tab, I would certainly be in tears and that surely doesn’t make me a Samsung loyalist, does it? We have seen many more such cases, the N8 was one. Within days of the release the pice fell from Rs 26000 mark to Rs 22xxx. That was again a drop of over 10% and enough to annoy the early adopters.

The companies may make some quick bucks with this strategy, but does this help them in the long run? India is a developing market and the early adopters (who are currently paying a premium to get the gadget as soon as it launches) are the ones who evangelize technology, brands and trends. Do you expect them to recommend your product to their followers? when they know that you will leave most of them in a bad taste just a few months down the line!

Its not just the price drop, but rather the steep pricing upon launch that annoys me. I didn’t buy a Galaxy Tab or the N8, and its not even about these two products. This is an age old phenomenon in India (and I believe across the globe too), where within months of a product launch or after en-cashing the holiday season rush, manufacturers announce heavy price drops.

As a consumer I would be hesitant to adopt new releases, solely because of the pricing uncertainties! The industry as it is moves fast and gives enough reasons to wait for upcoming releases from other players, in addition to that if YOU as a BRAND would scare me off with such steep price drops, dear manufacture - You better give me a refund to keep me happy!

Tags: apple discount, apple pricing, frustration, gadgets in india, galaxytab, indiaipad, ipad india, n8 price drop, price drops, price in india, pricing, samsung galaxy tab price drop

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