Amazon Fire tablet hits China
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With a price of 499 RMB, the Amazon Fire is pretty much identically priced in this new market.
Amazon has had to find a new search engine partner for the China launch. Google is unable to operate in the country, so Amazon is partnering with top Chinese search engine Baidu to help power its tablet.
Baidu will also provide apps through its 91Wireless Android app store, as well as online video through iQiyi – China’s second biggest online video service.
Amazon doesn’t enjoy anything like the same market position as it enjoys in the US and UK over in China. It’s online retail business is well behind such local giants as Alibaba and JD.com.
It will be interesting, then, to see how the Amazon Fire tablet fares in China – especially as its low price is nothing special in a market filled with affordable, decent-quality Android tablets.
Still, the extensive backing of China’s top search engine should at least start the Amazon Fire tablet off on something like a level playing field.
Questions & Answers
Q.Why did Amazon need a new search engine partner for the Fire tablet's launch in China?
Why did Amazon need a new search engine partner for the Fire tablet's launch in China?
Amazon needed a new search engine partner because Google cannot operate in China. They have partnered with Baidu, China’s top search engine, to power the tablet and provide apps and online video services.
Q.How will Baidu contribute to the Amazon Fire tablet's services in China beyond search functionality?
How will Baidu contribute to the Amazon Fire tablet's services in China beyond search functionality?
Baidu will provide applications for the Amazon Fire tablet through its 91Wireless Android app store. Also, it will supply online video content via iQiyi, which is China’s second biggest online video service.
Q.Is the Amazon Fire tablet's low price point a significant advantage in the Chinese market?
Is the Amazon Fire tablet's low price point a significant advantage in the Chinese market?
No, the article suggests the low price is not particularly special in China. The market is already filled with many affordable, decent-quality Android tablets, meaning this may not be a unique selling proposition.
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