Ultrabook Prices May Fall 5-10% In The First Part Of 2012, Says Report

The first ultrabooks are just now hitting the market but despite Intel’s stated wishes, prices are generally north of $1000. But that might change early next year, per Digitimes who cites several supply chain makers. Reportedly, Acer, Asustek and Toshiba are looking to lower prices in 1Q12 to below $1000. Plus, a $100 marketing subsidy from Intel cause a overal dip of 5-10% next year. But even without the potential price drop, it’s best to wait for the next round of ultrabooks anyway.

As the developer of the ultrabook platform, Intel previously stated that the target retail price is below $1000. However, only a fraction of the first crop of ultrabooks hit that target with most costing more. Digitimes’ sources stated that the current cost of components makes the target difficult with a 13-inch’s bill-of-materials generally around $690. Add in the cost of the OEM or ODM and the marketing/distribution and the costs quickly rises, leaving little room for margin when priced under $1000. But as with most things electronics, prices are constantly in flux and often organically drop over time.

Lower prices aren’t the only reason to wait to buy a ultrabook. The current ultrabooks are built on the Sandy Bridge platform where ultrabooks released late this year and early next will employ Ivy Bridge chips that bring native support for USB 3.0 and PCI Express 3.0. Plus, the next-gen processors will be more energy-efficient, resulting in a better battery life. But hats off to the early adopters. Without these kind souls who disregard logic for the sense of owning the latest and greatest, most products including ultrabooks probably wouldn’t make it to the second generation that’s finally suited for general consumption.