Acer confirms $99 tablet

Acer's profits have flagged as demand for personal computers give way to mobile devices.

Acer's profits have flagged as demand for personal computers give way to mobile devices.

Published Jan 9, 2013

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Taipei - Taiwan computer maker Acer said on Wednesday that it would offer a new mini-tablet for as little as $99 (about R900) in several emerging markets, undercutting the price of similar products from Google and Amazon.com.

The 7-inch (18-centimetre) Iconia B1 tablet would sell at the promotional price through some of its distribution channels in Asia and South America, it said.

Outlets that do not have the promotion would sell the Iconia B1 for 129 to 149 US dollars, an Acer spokeswoman said.

The regular price was still below Google's Nexus 7 and Amazon's Kindle Fire, two of Acer's competitors in the mini-tablet segment.

The Iconia B1 is to ship with Google's Android Jelly Bean system and sport a dual-core processor from Taiwan chipmaker MediaTek, a company that has specialised in helping new entrants compete with established smartphone and tablet brands.

Acer's profits have flagged as demand for personal computers give way to mobile devices. Its net income in the third quarter of 2012 was $2.3 million, recovering from a loss in the same period a year ago. - Sapa-dpa

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