The famous US technology brand specializing in manufacturing personal computers, laptops, printers - HP has just marked its return to the tablet market after more than a decade by launching OmniPad 12 in India.
The new product is seen as HP's effort to regain market share from Apple, Samsung Electronics and brands from China.
OmniPad 12 was introduced at an event held in Gurgaon (India), with a starting price of 48,999 Rupees (equivalent to about 570-590 USD) and is expected to be on shelves from June. The device is aimed at students, first-time users and frequently traveling customers.
HP's new tablet uses Qualcomm's Snapdragon processor, running Google's Android operating system.
The device has a 12-inch touch screen, detachable keyboard and battery life of up to 18 hours, allowing it to operate like a tablet-laptop hybrid model.
This is a rare time HP has returned to the tablet segment since the failure of the TouchPad line in 2011.
Previously, HP bought Palm for 1.2 billion USD to develop the WebOS operating system to compete with iPad. However, TouchPad quickly failed, and subsequent efforts such as Slate 7 running Android also did not achieve significant success.
After many years of focusing on personal computers, HP is choosing India as the opening market for its new tablet strategy. This country is currently considered one of the fastest growing technology markets in the world, with an expanding middle class and a large number of young users.
However, HP will face fierce competition. In addition to Apple's iPad, brands such as Samsung, Lenovo and Xiaomi are holding a large market share in the mid-range tablet segment in India.
Mr. Navkendar Singh - a technology market analyst in India - said that the tablet market still has room for growth thanks to the demand for online learning, entertainment and light work. However, Mr. Singh also said that HP will face difficulties because consumers often associate this brand with personal computers rather than tablets.
In addition to competitiveness, HP also faces pressure on supply chains and component prices. According to analysts, the global AI race is causing technology companies to purchase large quantities of memory chips and components, pushing up the production costs of electronic devices.
