We were pondering a week ago whether Coby’s $85 retail price would start a new tidal wave at the low end of the nascent smartbook market. It didn’t take long to come to an affirmative answer. Android Community and Ubergizmo carried briefs March 9 on an Android-based smartbook from Firstview HK Electronic Ltd. with a bill of materials at $65, though no retail prices were floated.
This is one of the Asian vendors choosing to use the Via Technologies Inc. ARM 9 clocked at 533 MHz – not a Snapdragon or Tegra to be sure, but possibly of interest to the value-conscious. (What? Firstview didn’t use VIA’s preferred “netnote” nickname?) Firstview’s decision to name the smartbook the Nike PC706V indicates the company has no intention of marketing in North America, or is fearless about taking on a sports apparel company known for its trademark protection.
This Nike sports an 800 x 480p 7-inch screen, Android 1.6, 128 Mbytes of RAM, Wi-Fi, USB drive, and 2100 mAh battery with four-hour capacity. David Junior’s dispatch in Android Community suggests Firstview will take on a strict ODM role, allowing other OEMs to label this platform and possibly add additional features. Depending on OEM customization, that could mean a retail price of less than $100, or approaching $200.
Will the arrival of many low-end smartbooks expand brand equity, or create unrealistic pricing expectations for more enhanced brands like Lenovo and HP? It’s nice to welcome as many players as possible, but somewhat unnerving to think what a price war might mean.
Loring
