Apple may introduce a less expensive version of its popular iPad 2 tablet next week when it unveils its next-generation iPad 3. Citing unnamed sources from within Apple’s supply chain, DigiTimes on Thursday reported that the Cupertino, California-based technology giant will announce 16GB and 32GB versions of the iPad 3 during its press conference in San Francisco on March 7th. At the same time, Apple is expected to reveal a new cheaper version of its iPad 2 tablet that will only include 8GB of internal storage. Apple had previously been rumored to be planning to drop the price of the current iPad 2 by at least $100 following the launch of the iPad 3, which is expected to include a high-definition 2,048 x 1,536-pixel display, a quad-core A6 processor, embedded 4G LTE and a slightly thicker case.

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Fusion Garage’s first tablet reportedly received a grand total of 90 pre-orders before being discontinued, and it looks like the company’s sophomore effort isn’t doing much better. Fusion Garage hasn’t even begun selling the Grid10 tablet it unveiled at a fake press conference last month, but the former JooJoo maker has already dropped the device’s end user price by as much as 40%. Announced on August 15th, the Grid10 tablet features a 10.1-inch 1366 x 768-pixel display, a dual-core NVIDIA Tegra 2 chipset and the company’s proprietary Grid OS. Fusion Garage announced two versions of the slate during the unveiling: a $499 Wi-Fi version and a $599 model with 3G connectivity. Fast forward to today, and the devices are now just $299 and $399, respectively. There is no word on whether or not early pre-orders will be refunded the difference, and Fusion Garage said the tablet will launch on September 15th.

[Via Engadget]

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Sony announced on Tuesday that it is lowering the price of its 160GB PlayStation 3 console to $249, down from the console’s original $299 price tag. In addition, Sony will now sell the 320GB version of the PlayStation 3 for $299 instead of $349. The Japanese consumer electronics firm also dropped the price of the system in Japan and in Europe. The move is likely an effort to tackle Microsoft’s Xbox 360 console, which has been the best-selling console in the United States for past seven months according to the latest data from The NPD Group. Recent rumors have suggested Sony is already working on the PlayStation 4, which could launch as soon as next year to compete with Nintendo’s Wii U and Microsoft’s next-generation Xbox.

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Nintendo’s recent decision to drop the price of its Nintendo 3DS handheld gaming device looks to have paid off. In the device’s first full week of sales following Nintendo’s price drop, the company sold 215,000 units in Japan alone, where the 3DS now retails for 15,000 yen following its launch at 25,000 yen. Weekly sales of the portable 3D console dipped from 31,826 units to 16,415 in the week following Nintendo’s announcement that the price would soon drop, for obvious reasons. With sales in Japan having exploded by more than 13 times in the week following the 3DS price drop, it looks like the initial high price point may have been a big factor in the 3DS’ slow adoption up to this point. Nintendo lowered the price of its 3DS from $249.99 to $169.99 on August 11th in the U.S., so this week will mark the first full week of sales at the new lower price point here in America.

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Apple is expected by many to break from its typical cycle of releasing new mobile device models annually when it launches the iPad 3 ahead of the holiday season this year. The new iPad model will supposedly feature a high-resolution Retina Display, and earlier reports suggested that the new tablet would be an “iPad Pro” model that would compliment the iPad 2 rather than replacing it. A new report from Taiwan Economic News claims that Apple’s third-generation iPad could launch at the iPad 2′s current price points, however, and Apple will then discount the iPad 2 in order to clear inventory. Apple’s original iPad models were discounted by $100 each — and by as much as $300 by third-party retailers — following the launch of the iPad 2, and Taiwan Economic News cites anonymous industry executives in claiming that Apple may use a similar formula to clear iPad 2 inventory once the next-generation tablet launches. The report also notes that Apple’s iPad 3 will launch “by this Thanksgiving or next year.”

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Nokia plans to drop prices across its entire product line this September in an attempt to bolster sales, industry insider Eldar Murtazin claimed on Friday. The struggling Finnish cell phone vendor will cut phone prices by 10% according to the Russian blogger, who has an extensive history of accurately reporting inside information pertaining to Nokia and other smartphone vendors. “Nokia are going to cut prices for the whole product line by 10 per cent in September,” Murtazin posted on his Twitter account. “They struggle for a market share worldwide.” Nokia’s share of the global cell phone market has been steadily declining as the company failed to adjust its strategy to the changing marketplace over the past few years. As a result, Nokia recently announced that it would dump its aging Symbian smartphone platform in favor of Microsoft’s Windows Phone operating system moving forward. The vendor is expected to launch several new Symbian devices through the first half of 2012, but it will offer Windows Phones as well beginning later this year with a device codenamed “Sea Ray.”

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Sprint dropped the price of its Nexus S 4G smartphone to $99.99 on Friday. The Google-branded smartphone originally made its debut on Sprint on May 8th for $199.99. The Nexus S 4G offers a “pure Google” experience and runs the latest Android 2.3 (Gingerbread) operating system. It also sports a 4-inch AMOLED display, a 1GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon processor, 16GB of internal memory and support for Sprint’s 4G WiMAX network. If you’re looking for a solid device that’s going to be constantly updated with the freshest OS builds from Google, the Nexus S 4G is a good bet — and its new $99.99 price point just makes it a bit sweeter.

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On Wednesday, Motorola announced that the Wi-Fi version of its Motorola XOOM Android Honeycomb tablet is now just $499 — $100 cheaper than the retail price when it launched in February. There’s no word yet whether or not Verizon Wireless will follow suit and drop the price of the 3G version of the XOOM, although the carrier has yet to roll-out the promised 4G LTE update, so we suspect the price won’t change anytime soon. The XOOM features a 10.1-inch 1280 x 800 resolution display, is powered by NVIDIA’s dual-core Tegra 2 processor, and offers 32GB of on-board storage. When we originally reviewed the device we said we “weren’t sure how much better an Android tablet could get,” but, that was before the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1, LG G Slate, HTC Flyer, ASUS Transformer, and other tablets hit the market.

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Nintendo has just announced that the Nintendo Wii retail price will drop to $149.99 beginning May 15th, and it will include a free copy of Mario Kart and the Wii Wheel accessory as well. This bundle replaces the bundled Wii Sports game that used to come with the system, and we have to admit, this is an amazing deal and a great way to help revitalize sales of the Wii system and games. Nintendo also lets us know that it is into color coordination, because the steering wheel and the Wii Remote and Nunchuk controllers match the color console you purchase — white or black. Not bad, Nintendo, not bad. Hit the break for the full press release.

Nintendo Unveils New Wii Package at $149.99, Launches ‘Nintendo Selects’ $19.99 Wii Games

Having Fun with Family and Friends Just Became More Affordable than Ever With New Suggested Retail Pricing

REDMOND, Wash.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Nintendo is dropping the suggested retail price of its Wii™ system to $149.99 and including a Mario™ game with the Wii hardware. Starting May 15, the newly priced Wii system will come in either black or white with the Mario Kart™ Wii game and a matching colored Wii Wheel™ accessory, replacing the previously included Wii Sports™ and Wii Sports Resort™ games.

Also on May 15, Nintendo launches the new Nintendo® Selects collection of Wii games, a set of popular games that millions of people have already experienced, at a suggested retail price of $19.99. The four must-own games in this collection are The Legend of Zelda™: Twilight Princess, Animal Crossing™: City Folk, Mario™ Super Sluggers and Wii Sports, which is available for the first time as a separate software purchase. Parents and video game fans can now easily expand their library of fun, family-friendly Wii games.

“From the day it launched, Wii has let players of all ages and experience levels have fun with one another,” said Nintendo of America President Reggie Fils-Aime. “The new suggested retail pricing for both the hardware and select games will help create more of these magical moments for even greater numbers of people.”

With Mario Kart Wii now included with the Wii hardware, players will be able to enjoy fun go-kart racing with Mario and all his Mushroom Kingdom pals right out of the box. The Wii Remote™ Plus controller, Nunchuk™ controller and Wii Wheel included in the package will all match the hardware, meaning they will be either black or white. The new black Wii Wheel will also be available separately at a suggested retail price of $9.99.

Remember that Wii features parental controls that let adults manage the content their children can access. For more information about this and other features, visit http://wii.com.

Nintendo may drop the price of its Nintendo Wii game console from $200 to $150 on May 15th, Engadget is reporting.  The new price will likely help Nintendo compete better against Microsoft and its Xbox 360 4GB console —which currently retails for $199.99. According to recent figures from NPD Group, Nintendo sold 454,000 Wii consoles during the month of February, far behind Microsoft’s 535,000 Xbox 360 sales figure. Similarly, Nintendo reported weaker hardware sales in its Q3 earnings report, so the move could help it reignite consumer interest.

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Sony has officially dropped the suggested retail price of the PSP in Europe to €129.99 ($187.29). This follows the company’s February 25th announcement that it was slashing the price of its gaming system to $129.99 in the United States. Sony also said that — beginning on April 14th — PSP owners will be able to access an unlimited cloud-based music service called Music Unlimited. Powered by Qriocity, Music Unlimited will allow PSP owners to listen to customized music channels or sync up with tunes stored on their PlayStation 3, PC, or other Sony devices. “The price cut is aimed at increasing adoption of the player in Europe,” said Sony spokesperson Satoshi Fukuoka. The move may also be tied to the recent launch of the Nintendo 3DS, which we reviewed earlier this month.

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As we’re seeing now with Apple’s current MacBook Pro line, delayed shipping dates and sell-outs are often good indicators of an imminent product refresh. Discounts are also a good sign that a popular product is nearing the end of its life. With that in mind, new reports of retailers and carriers showing dwindling iPad inventory or discounting Apple’s tablet could be indicative of an impending next-generation iPad announcement. 9 to 5 Mac reports that British retail giant Carphone Warehouse is sold out of the 64GB iPad Wi-Fi as well as each of the three iPad Wi-Fi + 3G models. Carriers Orange and T-Mobile have slashed prices on current iPad inventory in half, so customers can now get an iPad for as little as £99.99 on a two-year contract. Finally, European retailer Ingram Micro is sold out of three iPad models, and is showing low inventory on the other three versions of the iPad. Apple is expected to launch the iPad 2 in March, though the company has not made any official information available surrounding the device.

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In confirming over the weekend that Verizon Wireless would be doing away with mail-in rebates on smartphones priced at $150 and higher, we also mentioned that price drops were expected to take effect today on several devices. Sure enough, several smartphones saw price reductions this morning as Verizon Wireless’ new policy slid into place. Among them are the Motorola DROID R2-D2, which can now be had for $99.99 with a new contract, and the HTC DROID Incredible and Samsung Fascinate are now available at the same price. Of note, the Fascinate’s price drop appears to be temporary as part of Verizon’s new “10 days of sweet deals” promotion, which offers a new deal each day leading up to February 10th, when the carrier is set to launch the iPhone 4.

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With over 100 new tablets announced at the Consumer Electronics Show earlier this month, the current crop of tablets on the market has already begun to lose its shine. According to a purported leaked slide, T-Mobile plans to drop another $50 from its Galaxy Tab pricing as of Wednesday, January 26th. The new price will require a 2-year contract and includes a $50 mail-in rebate. The move is likely an effort to clear shelves ahead of new releases, such as the upcoming LG G-Slate. Announced at CES, the G-Slate’s specs are not yet available, though the device will feature the Android 3.0 Honeycomb operating system and HSPA+ connectivity. Despite its impressive sales pace in 2010, Samsung’s Galaxy Tab will be sorely outclassed by next-generation Android tablets that feature Google’s new tablet-friendly UI, dual-core processors and beefed up specs.

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Sprint on Wednesday lowered the price of the popular Samsung Galaxy Tab Android tablet to $299.99 with a new two-year contract or $499.99 with no contract. The new pricing represents a $100 reduction for both on-contract and contract-free purchases. It also lines up with Best Buy’s adjusted pricing for Sprint’s Galaxy Tab, which BGR reported exclusively last week. The Galaxy Tab was a big success for Samsung in 2010, having sold over 1 million units in less than two months of availability. The tablet features a 7-inch touchscreen display, dual cameras, video chat support and the Android 2.2 Froyo operating system. Sprint’s version of the Galaxy Tab is capable of connecting to its 3G network or any Wi-Fi network for data connectivity. 3G service for Sprint’s tablet costs either $29.99 per month for 2 GB of data, or $59.99 for 5 GB.

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