Apple's Tim Cook blasts 'cheap' tablets

Apple's Tim Cook has criticised budget tablet devices, dismissing them as a threat to the firm's iPad line.

Speaking at the Goldman Sachs Technology and Internet Conference, the CEO claimed that consumers "hate" what he describes as "cheap" slates.



"Price is rarely the most important thing. A cheap product might sell some units. Somebody gets it home and they feel great when they pay the money, but then they get it home and use it and the joy is gone," he said.

"The joy is gone every day that they use it until they aren't using it anymore. You don't keep remembering 'I got a good deal' because you hate it."

Cook did not mention any tablets by name, though the iPad's closest competitor is the less costly Kindle Fire. Apple is also locked in an increasingly bitter patent dispute with Samsung over its rival Galaxy Tab range.

Amazon's Kindle Fire has gained a significant portion of the tablet market, despite having only been launched in the US. The platform holder is yet to announce a European release date for the device.

Apple's third generation iPad has been strongly linked with a March unveiling.