Figure this: Samsung Galaxy tab is about 6 months old in the Indian market and guess what, it has lost Rs.13000 off its price. It was launched for Rs.38000 and today retails for Rs.25000. Amazing, isn't it? Of course its good for the consumers but lets see the flip side of the coin. The guy who bought this tab 6 months ago has been, to put bluntly, fooled. You don't buy something only to find it being sold for ridiculously low price less than a year later.
Well, even I have been a victim of this very same phenomenon. The phone is bought lost almost Rs.1500 off its price in just 6 months. The worse thing is, it was launched at a price of Rs.9200, which is about 17% loss in value. And yes, before you guess, it was Samsung as well.
Incidentally, this isn't a one off case. Apple iPad lost almost Rs. 3000 within a month of its launch in India. Its same case everywhere. Almost every electronic good starts shedding its price from the day of its launch.
Lets see why this happens in first place. There are many reason for this slide few of which are:
1. Pressure from the market - That's so common in today's day and age. Samsung Tab comes in at Rs.38000, realises that no one gives a hoot to such ridiculous pricing and starts shedding price. This brings it down to Rs.32000. Same happened with Olivepad. Yes, its a tablet and does sell in Indian market. It was launched at decent enough price but had to bend with the onslaught coming from Apple and Samsung. Same happened to LG Cookie Pep. Fell to the pressure from Samsung and its slew of products.
2. Self realisation - Viewsonic has launched its windows tablet for about Rs.30000. That is for 7-inch tab. When the company realises that no one cares for such pricing, it will lose its price. What better case than the laptop I am keying in this blog post on. This laptop had come into the market at Rs.37000 or so around April 2009. I picked the same thing up in July 2010 for Rs.23000. In fact, I remember checking this out around January 2010 and the price was around Rs.34000. Of course that was almost a year ago and a lot has changed in terms of advancements in technology, yet this hardware is respectable for the price it offers. For those who may ask, its is MSI X-340 I am talking about. To be frank, this laptop should never have been priced at Rs.37000. That was absurd. So, MSI realises the flaw, and now the deal is really sweet.
3. Clearing up the stock for new launch - This is a kind of win-win situation for manufacturer as well as consumers. Apple slashed iPad prices across the globe by $100 to make way for iPad 2. Same is the tactic of Samsung for its Tab. A new tab is on its way next week so makes sense to clear up the supply chain. iPhone 3G lost price to make way for iPhone 4 and this goes on. Older models make way for newer ones.
There are many more reasons for this slide but lets not go over all of them. These few give a fair enough idea of the scenario. So, what should you do?
1. Wait and watch - If you want to be guy who is the center of attraction of the crowd with his latest gadget, you'll have to pay price for that. If you want a better deal, wait for a couple of months till the "I am the first" guys have settled down.
2. Be aware of future launch - The internet is abuzz with new launches that are as far as 6 months away. Keep a track of this. If there is a newer model coming, rest assured that the price of current model will fall.
3. Don't buy for future needs - This I feel is the most important. Gone are the days when one would buy a gadgets by making plans for the future. Buy it only when you need it. Don't keep this mindset that lets buy it today because I'll need it 4 months later anyway. If you'll need it four months later, buy it 4 months later. The sale and limited period offers result out of the points listed above. You never know where this landslide will stop!!
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