Last month I wrote about Google executive chairman Eric Schmidt mentioning the possibility of a Google "Nexus" tablet. Most people, believed that the idea would be similar to the Galaxy Nexus line of phones: a high-end product that served as a reference device to consumers, developers, and manufacturers. The latest rumor says that's not the case. The word on the street is that the "Nexus" tablet will be a $199 product aimed at products like the Amazon Kindle Fire.
According to Digitimes:
As Google reportedly may launch an own-brand tablet PC to compete against Apple's iPad, sources from Google's upstream supply chain believe that Google, instead of Apple, may actually be targeting Amazon's 7-inch Kindle Fire as its major competitor.
The sources believe that Google will launch the own-brand tablet PC in March-April, featuring a 7-inch panel and Android 4.0 with a price less than US$199 to compete against Amazon.
The rumor is definitely interesting, but I'm not sure that I buy it. The high-end Google Android tablet market desperately needs a flagship device. There have been a lot of solid-to-great tablets in the $500+ price range, but none of them have been strong enough to steer a significant amount of people away from the Apple iPad. It would be fantastic for the Android ecosystem if Google served up a Nexus tablet that was as compelling as the various Nexus phones.
Then again, perhaps the $199 range is where the biggest opportunity is in 2012. Maybe Google realizes that the iPad will continue to dominate the high-end and that Android's biggest chance for success is in the budget market. Perhaps it will use this device to show developers and manufacturers what can be done in that segment. It would also be a strong jab (not necessarily one that connects) against Amazon; the Kindle Fire uses Google Android as the base of its OS, but it doesn't benefit Google the way that most Android products do.
What do you think? Is this another bad rumor from Digitimes? Or do you see Google raising the bar for the $199-tablet market by releasing a Nexus model?
[Via: Digitimes]
