Though many have jumped on the tablet bandwagon with devices like the successful Apple iPad, 99.7% of the world’s population still has not seen the need for a tablet and therefore have not purchased one to date.

The research was conducted by RBC Capital Market analyst Mike Abramsky who managed to create an 88-page report on his findings. He also focused on the market for TV subscriptions, newspaper circulation and more but we will just focus on the tablets for now.

The fact that only .3% of the world’s population has purchased a tablet can be attributed to the lack of selection, fairly new technology or the fact that there is no real need to own one. There is a flurry of tablets on the horizon, so these numbers could surely change by this time next year

Abramsky believes that these numbers will skyrocket within the next few years. In fact, he predicts that 185 million tablets will be sold in the year 2014. That is a huge difference from the numbers reported in 2010.

With Android getting ready to hit the tablet world by storm, BlackBerry and HP getting ready to make a plays their own and an already established successful tablet in the form of Apple’s iPad, what do you think of Abramsky’s prediction? Tell us what you think in the comments below.

source: Slash Gear

If you recently purchase the Palm Pre 2 through Verizon Wireless, you’re probably going to kick yourself in the behind about it because HP has tremendously slashed the pricing for its webOS powered smartphone.

Sure it might be beneficial to go with your carrier for most occasions when purchasing a new phone, but HP seems like they really want you to buy it from them. That’s because the handset is now priced at $29.99 with a 2-year agreement on their HP Wireless Central web site. You heard that right, this device can be bought for super cheap through HP directly, but if you prefer the no-contract route, your best option is still to side with Verizon since they’re selling it for $409.99 versus the $429.999 that HP is asking.

Naturally, some people would believe that its price point right now is fitting since we’re expected to see its successor arrive some time in the very near future. But if you just can’t wait for that to come around, then probably this solution might fit the bill in the meantime.

source: HP Wireless Central via PreCentral

The HP TouchPad just got a bit closer to our itchy hands! Apparently, Amazon has already added HP’s upcoming tablet, its Wi-Fi-only version to be exact, to its website including some stock photos and tech specifications. Pre-orders are not possible yet, nor any indication has been given whether they will ever be, but the option to sign-up for an e-mail notification when the HP TouchPad becomes available is present.

Amazon adds two accessories to the listing – a Bluetooth keyboard and a matching stand, but it is highly unlikely for these two to be included out of the box. At least 16 gigs of storage will be available on the HP TouchPad while the option for twice that amount seems also plausible. A couple of typos keep bugging us though – a reported 1.3 GHz processor speed instead of the 1.2 GHz dual-core Snapdragon we are expecting to see, as well as 2 USB ports where the microUSB port should be noted. We hope these do not confuse too many people.

Who knows, we may see the HP TouchPad coming out in April after all, just like the rumors are suggesting. Waiting for it until June will not make much sense, especially with the Motorola XOOM already out on the market, the iPad 2 ready to launch in days, and the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 expected to hit the shelves pretty soon.

source: Amazon via Unwired View

We said it was bound to happen, but we’re seeing Verizon’s Palm Pixi Plus being sold for the new record off-contract pricing of only $45. Sure there are some basic smartphones out there priced for free, but of course, you’ll need to sign some sort of 2-year contract to get it. However, this deal is valid without the need to be tied down with any kind of contract.

Previously, we’ve seen the handset selling through various third party retailers online around the price of $50, but it’s nice to see it dropping down even lower. Not only do you save some money on buying a no-contract smartphone, but you even have the opportunity of using it as a mobile hotspot for free. In the end, of course, its unworldly off-contract price of $40 ($5 shipping) is something that may seem so foreign to most people, especially when they normally start off at around $300, but this is in fact for real – so don’t hesitate on pulling the trigger on this one.

Specifically, there is only 10 hours left before this deal expires – so be sure to come down with a decision. Yeah, it’s nice seeing it priced extremely low right now, but as always, we wouldn’t be surprised to see it even lower in the near future.

Thanks Nicholas!

source: Dailysteals

The battle of the heavyweights has officially been staged – the Apple iPad 2 is the successor to the original iPad, which dominated the tablet segment in the last year, but the new contenders appear with an equally mighty dual-core muscle and tailor-made Android Honeycomb not breaking a sweat under its power.

The iPad 2 comes with a lot of swagger – Cupertino is saying that with it the company aims to retain a nearly 80% market share in 2011. Honeycomb on the other side comes in a variety of tablets like the already released Motorola XOOM and the upcoming Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1. But it’s not the only one who wants a piece of the tablet pie as the webOS-based HP TouchPad is expected to make an appearance in the Summer months.

We shouldn’t omit the rest of the tablets out there, but it seems that most of them fall in a slightly different category by either having a smaller screen or not having the type of carrier support these heavyweight will get. That – of course – doesn’t make them less of a capable rival to the iPad, but for the time being let’s focus on the biggest ones and see who wins in the first round where we clash the specs!

Literally unexpected and out of nowhere, especially when HP gave little hope to it, but the Palm Pre Plus is surprisingly seeing light of webOS 2.1 – but it seems to be good only for O2 Germany’s model. However, that’s not stopping some people from taking it to other versions.

Right now, there is a new firmware package available for download for those sporting O2 Germany’s Palm Pre Plus – which interestingly enough will offer the most up-to-date webOS experience. Version 2.1 brings forth some highly anticipated features like exhibition mode, improved Synergy, new launcher, and stacked cards. However, it seems like Flash support is still missing in action. Furthermore, reports already indicate that App Catalog 2.0 is up and running as well.

And from the sound of it all, Vodafone Palm Pre Plus owners can safely install the software update as well without any worries about things dramatically going bonkers in the short term. Naturally, it’s nice to see this thing going very well for some people, but let’s hope that the update makes its way overseas to other markets.

source: Palm via PreCentral & Engadget

HP’s TouchPad is worth a look just because it features HP/Palm’s beautifully simple webOS in its third iteration, but up until now the wait for it just seemed too long – the tablet was announced at HP’s Think Beyond event with a launch date of “this Summer.” The TouchPad however will start selling in April, way ahead of the summer months, while late March is when the tablet will start shipping out, a Digitimes report claimed based on “sources from HP’s upstream component partners.” While you should take this with a grain of salt, it does coincide with recent statements from HP’s own Leo Apotheker about the need for more urgency when it comes to bringing innovation to the market.

Now that must be the effect of global warming on the early arrival of summer, but we won’t mind seeing the dual-core 1.2GHz Snapdragon-powered tablet hit shelves in April! The HP TouchPad will not only feature the new tablet version of webOS, but will also be able to easily synchronize with phones like the HP Pre 3 and the HP Veer. The tablet will initially come in a plain Bluetooth and Wi-Fi version, but later versions will add mobile data connectivity including 4G.

The TouchPad roll-out is crucial for HP’s presence on the tablet market. The company expects to ship around 4-5 million tablets in 2011, a milestone that will make webOS known in the tablet market. Will it succeed? With an early launch chances are much higher.

source: DigiTimes

Seriously, it’s very tough to not take notice, but we’re seeing yet another spectacular new low price point for Verizon’s Palm Pixi Plus.

Sure we know that some new webOS devices are on the horizon, especially now that the Palm Pre 2 finally on sale, but for those who don’t want to spend serious dough on a webOS smartphone, then you’ve got to check out this fantastic deal going on with the Palm Pixi Plus for Verizon.

Previously, we’ve seen third party sellers offering the smartphone at the no-contract price of $55 and even $50. Today though, we’re seeing a new record being made now that it’s going for the no-contract price of only $45! You heard that right, you’ve got a decent smartphone in the Palm Pixi Plus that has a price attached to it that some might considered to be subsidized.

With approximately around 10 hours left until this deal is over, you’d better think quickly now before it’s gone. But then again, we wouldn’t be surprised to see it come back, with a lower price point obviously, next week or some time after that.

source: 1SaleADay

We’ve waited a long time, especially after seeing the upcoming webOS hardware at HP’s event, but the Palm Pre 2 has finally landed in the US courtesy of Verizon Wireless.

Starting today, you can stroll into your local Verizon Wireless location and pick up the latest webOS powered smartphone out there. Granted that its arrival might be considered late for some, especially when its successor was recently unveiled, it still nonetheless presents us with the latest webOS experience. Not to mention that we’ll all have to wait until the summer before getting the opportunity of getting comfy with the HP Pre 3.

Going for the 2-year contract price of $149.99 after rebates, the Palm Pre 2 features a 3.1” display, slide-out portrait keyboard, 1GHz processor, 5-megapixel camera with flash, 802.11 b/g Wi-Fi, and is powered by webOS 2.0.

source: Verizon Wireless via Mobileburn

If you wondered where did the promised dual-core Snapdragon chipsets go this year, we actually found one right here at the MWC Expo, in the new HP TouchPad – the first tablet released with HP webOS 3.0.

Powered by a dual-core 1.2GHz Snapdragon CPU, the TouchPad is a fresh take on the tablet paradigm, be it only for the alternative operating system in the sea of Android tablets.

Designwise the slate looks rather slick, although black glossy plastic all around is becoming a cliche. The 9.7″ capacitive multitouch screen with 768×1024 pixels might not be with the highest resolution out there, but the colors are vivid, and the screen is bright enough.

It is not as thin and light as is the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1; feels more like the Motorola XOOM in that department, with the 0.54″ (13.9 mm) thickness and 26.1 oz (740 g) of weight. Actually it is slightly thicker than an iPad, and weighs as much…

Read the whole hands-on at PhoneArena.com!