Tablet manufacturers need to reconsider their pricing if they want to compete with the iPad 2, according to a new report from YouGov.
The market research group says that Apples competitors are pricing their tablets above the iPad 2s entry level model. The problem is exacerbated by the fact that, in YouGovs survey, Apples device scored highest among hot prospects in terms of consumer awareness (88 per cent), purchase consideration (77 per cent), and purchase expectation (62 per cent).
“Hot prospects” are defined as consumers who are keen to buy a tablet.
Aside from Apples gadgets, Samsungs Galaxy Tab was the next best-known gadget, with an awareness figure of 50 per cent. However its expectation figure was 11 per cent.
Only 19 per cent of prospects had heard of the BlackBerry PlayBook, while 14 per cent were aware of the HTC Flyer. These gadgets scored 2 and 3 per cent respectively for expectation of purchase among the prospects identified by YouGov. 
Even a refurbished first-generation iPad beat the competition in nearly all categories, matching the Samsungs Galaxy Tab expectation figure of 11 per cent.
Russell Feldman, associate director for technology and telecoms consulting at YouGov, says: “Apples iPad leads the way in the tablet market and not just in terms of sales success but also in consumer expectation, awareness and consideration levels. So in order to successfully compete, brands need to seriously re-think price. Retailers also need to convince these manufacturers that outpricing the brand leader will not help their cause.”
Feldman says Google also needs to change its strategy in the tablet market. “Googles success in the smartphone market is in part due to the OS being available to both low and high end manufacturers meaning it is accessible to all,” he says. “Furthermore, high-end models such as the HTC Sensation and Samsungs Galaxy S II are not priced as high as the iPhone, meaning Google has been able to home in on Apples superiority in the smartphone market and subsequently overtaken them.”
YouGovs TabletTrack study surveys tablet usage every quarter. The next wave of the tracker begins in August with a report due in September 2011.
