Kindle Fire sales dropped off dramatically in the first quarter as tablet buyers flocked to the third-generation iPad and Samsung Galaxy Tab. New findings released today by ChangeWave underscore the diminished demand for the Amazon tablet that sold almost 5 million units
during the 2011 holiday season.
Among planned tablet buyers surveyed by the research firm in May, only 8% said they’ll purchase a Kindle Fire, down from 22% in November, and about the
same as the 7% that indicated a preference for the Amazon tablet in March. Nearly three quarters (73%) plan to buy an iPad, and 6% a Samsung Galaxy Tab.
The satisfaction ratings from
ChangeWave suggest people just aren’t that happy with the Kindle Fire. Only 41% said they were “very satisfied” with the device compared to 81% who said so of the new iPad, and 71%
of iPad 2 owners. The Galaxy Tab also rated better, with 46% of users saying they were very satisfied with it. This finding suggests the Kindle Fire hasn’t enjoyed strong word-of-mouth from
initial buyers, stalling further sales.
When it comes to advertising, separate research from Jumptap showed the Kindle Fire held its own against the iPad. It had a 1.02% click-through
rate compared to the iPad’s 0.9% rate during the first quarter. The slightly better ad performance on the Amazon tablet, though, could be partly a result of the smaller amount of ad inventory it
represents compared to the iPad.