High return rate for Galaxy Tab -- is it tablet remorse?
Summary: Whether the Samsung Galaxy Tab is selling as fast as we originally thought or not, it is being reported that 16 percent of those sales are resulting in returns for refunds.
Whether the Samsung Galaxy Tab is selling as fast as we originally thought or not, it is being reported that 16 percent of those sales are resulting in returns for refunds. The initial response to a high return rate is normally that the product is not very good, but my own experience with the Tab leads me to believe that two other factors are in play. Many buyers may be realizing they just don't need a tablet, and others may be expressing buyer's remorse over the data contract the Tab requires.
I'm not going to defend how good the Galaxy Tab is, while I like it not everyone will. That's the nature of handheld devices, they generate very personal responses. But I can state that for what a 7-inch tablet can do, the Tab does that very well. I've corresponded with many Tab owners who feel the same way. I've also spoken with a number of Tab buyers who returned them for refunds during the grace period, and they all fell in the two camps I've described.
Some Tab returners simply realized that while cool and fun, they just didn't find the tablet offered additional benefit over their smartphone. The bigger screen is nice, but for a few hundred dollars it didn't add enough value for them to keep the Tab. That is going to be a recurring theme with tablets as more of them hit the market. We're going to hear a lot of folks state that "it's fun, but it's just not worth that much money."
Others who returned the Tab did so out of contract remorse more than buyer's remorse. Most Tabs sold in the U.S. are subsidized through data carriers, requiring a data plan. That is a healthy commitment, and it weighs heavily on some Tab buyers who also fit in the first camp. It's cool, but it's not worth a 2-year data plan commitment. So the Tab is returned during the grace period and the remorse goes away.
Companies preparing to release tablets should be watching the Galaxy Tab return situation very carefully. Most tablets that will appear will attract the same type of buyers that are returning the Tab in great numbers.
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Talkback
RE: High return rate for Galaxy Tab - is it tablet remorse?
its more expensive than the ipad and its definitely not better. I have both for dev purposes and nobody here likes it. Its slow buggy and heavy for a 7? compared to the ipad.
Yes, and it isn't "tablet" remorse, its GalaxyTab remorse; iPad returns=2%
However, newer, Android 3.0 tablets will be better; lets see.
agreed
as always the zdnet bloggers try to spin the facts. people love the ipad (2% return rate) and hate the me-too-junk. it's only "galaxy-tab-piece-of-crap" remorse.
RE: High return rate for Galaxy Tab - is it tablet remorse?
Newer Roid tablets are going to suck just as much as the Galaxy Tab... The return rate proves how much a product sucks, it's not just the tablet, it the apps, user experience, OS, etc.
The difference for tablets is we won't have carriers giving Roid Tablets away like they give away Roid phones. This time, the Roids have to be worth the price. 1 in 6 people feel it sucks bad enough to return it. The rest are hoping for the best, are in denial, or testing/developing for the device. We are never going to see corporate adoption of Roid Pads, especially not with all the Roid Malware, SMS botnets, Roid identity theft, etc. going on. iPad set the bar at 2%, if Roid Pads want to go anywhere, they have to copy it like everything else they copy from Apple.
I suspect "data plan remorse
RE: High return rate for Galaxy Tab - is it tablet remorse?
Really, as a developer you think its better to develop in objective C? I guess you're a glutton for doing your own garbage collect and pointer handling. Dear apple, it ain't 1985 anymore. Get with the program.
RE: High return rate for Galaxy Tab - is it tablet remorse?
RE: High return rate for Galaxy Tab - is it tablet remorse?
RE: High return rate for Galaxy Tab - is it tablet remorse?
RE: High return rate for Galaxy Tab - is it tablet remorse?
RE: High return rate for Galaxy Tab - is it tablet remorse?
I find this a giant falsehood. 10" means it's no longer mobile, 7" means it fits exactly within most breast pockets, which is where I keep my tab. I'm in grad. school as well, and I've successfully ditched the laptop and bag, and walk in with my tab in my jacket pocket.
I'm with you....
The problem is it's not an Apple and the zealots couldn't imagine admitting that 10" just isn't portable. Mine got returned after a day but as it's corporate it gets reissued to some wannabe that thinks they look better than their colleague now. 7" for mobility is a definite. 10" is great for the house but I dont need one, and lets face it they are all expensive when compared to conventional PCs/ laptops / netbooks. Even more so if you want to 'create'. None the less the 7" format suits me as a viewer, and adds mobility to my workspace.
I suspect it's sensible people realising all current pads are good at what they do but dont do enough to replace their current hardware. ipad users??? they buy a brand regardless of function. It's a trophy. A bit like high heels make women feel bigger, and more stylish... same with an ipad.
RE: High return rate for Galaxy Tab - is it tablet remorse?
I'm considering a Tab for exactly the same reason. Coupled with a Sony LiveView bluetooth remote display, I suspect it will be a great tool.
RE: High return rate for Galaxy Tab - is it tablet remorse?
RE: High return rate for Galaxy Tab - is it tablet remorse?
No. 4x3 was the old TV standard. Move into the 21st century.
RE: High return rate for Galaxy Tab - is it tablet remorse?
Yeah back in the day the whole family used to watch tv on those old 4x3 tv screens. And we were glad to have it!
RE: High return rate for Galaxy Tab - is it tablet remorse?
No, 4x3 fits printed pages better. Apple did a ton of research on which was better in a tablet. They have explained this in detail. The 4x3 format actually works better in a tablet type device. (Look up Golden Rectangle -- people find it more pleasing)
RE: High return rate for Galaxy Tab - is it tablet remorse?
RE: High return rate for Galaxy Tab - is it tablet remorse?
The 4x3 screen of the iPad can display video at 16x9, and it will still be larger than the 16x9 display of the Galaxy. Conversely, the 16x9 display of the Galaxy can show a 4x3 display, and it will be considerably smaller than that of an iPad.
It's very 20th century of you not to realize that both devices can display either way.
RE: High return rate for Galaxy Tab - is it tablet remorse?