The tablet revolution is advancing in Brazil.

Gisele Federicce and Marco Damiani, 247 - The newest generation of tablets is arriving in Brazil – and with great fanfare. Next Friday, stores are preparing to receive hundreds, perhaps thousands, of buyers for their iPad 2, thinner, lighter, and faster than the first version. In the United States, sales success led to the product selling out at authorized retailers. The Brazilian market has everything it needs to repeat this phenomenon.

The framework for the advancement of the tablet revolution was established on Monday the 23rd by the federal government, with the enactment of Provisional Measure 534, which eliminates PIS and Cofins tax rates. Prices for the end consumer could drop by about 30%. Thus, a tablet that currently costs R$ 1.400,00 (the first version of the Apple iPad, with 16 GB and Wi-Fi technology) will have its price reduced to R$ 980,00. At the same time, Brazilian manufacturers like Multilaser, which is producing the Life tablet, are announcing a tablet for less than R$ 800 for the second half of June – and this was before the tax reduction MP was announced.

No fewer than 12 electronics manufacturers have already expressed interest to the Ministry of Science and Technology in increasing production of current tablets and even creating new models for the market. By the end of the year, the public will have more than a dozen tablet options to choose from. The government's next step is to define the rules for manufacturing the device in the country, by classifying tablets under the Basic Production Process (PPB) as "portable microcomputers, without a physical keyboard, with a touch screen," which is in the "final adjustment" phase and will require an increase in the percentage of national components.

This will be enough for a new technological leap, since the national industry will be encouraged, through tax benefits, to include in its tablets the largest possible number of components produced in the country. Concretely, this opens up the prospect of technological development, the creation of thousands of jobs, and the opening of countless opportunities for consumers.

One of the biggest symbols of this true revolution is the arrival here of the Taiwanese company Foxconn, a giant tablet manufacturer. The investment, over the next five years, should be around R$ 12 billion, with the construction of a new factory in the interior of São Paulo, and the creation of up to 100 new jobs. Meanwhile, the urban landscape is already transforming with the presence of these devices in the hands of more and more people – of all age groups. The reduction in prices will also give access to a much larger consumer audience. In 2010, approximately 100 tablets were sold in Brazil. The volume should reach 400 units in 2011, according to market projections.

New models on the way.

Samsung will launch two new tablet models in Brazil in the next semester. They will be part of the Galaxy family, of which a 7-inch device is already on sale in the country – and will have a price reduction of R$ 100 with the arrival of the new ones. In June, a 10.1-inch tablet will arrive – the thinnest and lightest device on the market – and the 8.9-inch Galaxy Tab will be launched the following month. The devices will have Google's mobile operating system, Android Honeycomb, a resolution of 1280x800 (equal to the Xoom and superior to the iPad), a dual-core processor, front and rear cameras (which film in HD), and a 10-hour battery life. The devices will cost between R$ 1,5 and R$ 2, depending on their configurations. The Brazilian company Positivo Informática also promises to launch its line of tablets in the second semester, which will cost less than R$ 1.000.

Japanese giant Sony announced details in late April of two new models that will hit the market worldwide in September, called the S1 and S2. A major novelty will be the size of the S2, which will have a 5.5-inch screen and will be foldable, promising even greater portability. Other models already announced are those from the American company Dell – which reported that it will launch three different types of tablets this year. HP, Semp Toshiba, and Itautec are also in line to enter the market competition.

Behavior change

The main revolution brought about by tablets comes from the greater proximity of the user to the device, through direct contact with the screen, and from portability, favored by their size, light weight, and battery life. “Because it doesn't need a keyboard or mouse and has a long battery life, it can be used practically anywhere. Not to mention that it has everything you need, whether it's listening to music or giving a corporate presentation,” says Almir Meira Alves, engineer and professor at FIAP, the São Paulo Technological College.

It's no coincidence that the device is being adopted in schools and companies. Since March of this year, the Colégio Integral in Campinas, in the interior of São Paulo, has replaced its printed textbooks with iPads. Students take the devices home when they enroll and, at the end of the school year, can keep the tablet if they are up to date with their payments. While technological devices are enemies of the school – many even prohibit the use of cell phones – by taking the attention that should be dedicated to the teacher, they can be used as a means of attracting students. "In a country that has a large reading deficit, the tablet can be used to bring young people closer to this habit, as it makes the activity much more fun," believes Alves.

The professor believes that the use of the device should become even more widespread in the country with the new federal government measure, which will reduce its price by up to 31%. "Initially, the adoption of the equipment in environments such as schools will only be accessible to those with higher incomes, as it is a luxury product, but with a more affordable price on the market, it will become a mass-market product," he says.

Despite bringing so many changes, tablets will not completely replace computers, according to Alves. He believes that laptops will be responsible for some specific tasks, but users will most likely continue to own both types of machines.