Higher component prices are driving up the cost of budget Android tablets in Taiwan, making affordable models scarce and shifting market dynamics as Apple continues to strengthen its premium position.
Memory costs are continuing to reshape Taiwan’s tablet market, and the lowest-priced Android models are becoming much harder to find. According to the latest retail rankings from Jiesheng Communication, entry-level Android tablets that once sold for under NT$5,000 have almost vanished, while even the cheapest mainstream options now sit well above that level.
The clearest example is the OPPO Pad SE WiFi version with 4GB of memory and 128GB of storage. Jiesheng said it now sells through channels for about NT$7,000, despite being available for roughly NT$5,000 earlier this year. That makes it an unusual case of an older device becoming more expensive over time, rather than cheaper. The retailer said the floor for low-cost Android products has been rising steadily, with entry-level phones now around NT$15,000 and basic tablets edging towards NT$10,000.
The market shift is being driven by higher component costs, especially for memory. That has left budget Android tablets with fewer viable price points, even though they remain attractive to viewers, families and older users who mainly want a screen for streaming and simple everyday use. Once prices move much above NT$10,000, Jiesheng said, demand becomes harder to sustain in this part of the market.
Apple is also pushing the market upwards. The iPad 11 A16 WiFi with 128GB of storage remains Taiwan’s best-selling tablet, but Apple raised its official price in June to NT$14,900, according to local retail reports, ending the era of the sub-NT$10,000 iPad. Even so, Apple still took six places in the latest top-ten rankings, underscoring the strength of its brand in Taiwan. Among Android tablets, Samsung’s Galaxy Tab A11+ WiFi leads the category, helped by an 11-inch display and a 7,040mAh battery, with current channel pricing of a little over NT$7,000.
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