Google's own-brand iPad rival will arrive in July for $199

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Lifer
Jan 7, 2002
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The upcoming Google tablet will be a seven-inch wi-fi machine that could cost as little as £125.
The tablet was originally meant to appear in May, but the search giant has insisted that supplier Asus trim the price from its current $250 (£157) to $199 (£125.)
The tablet will have a quad-core processor, a seven-inch screen, and will be wi-fi only, according to reports in The Verge.



article-2122655-1265F6E1000005DC-477_468x316.jpg
Google is to launch an online store for Android tablets this year to bolster flagging sales of the touchscreen machines

The tablet will be manufactured by Asus, but branded as a Google machine.

Google already offers similar Google-branded smartphones, made in collaboration with Samsung.
The highly aggressive pricing will seriously undercut Apple's prices for its iPad - but will also put it in competition with Amazon's entertainment-oriented Kindle Fire.
Google recently rebranded its Android Marketplace as Google Play, streamlining services such as its video store, ebook store and app marketplace, so the timing would make sense.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencet...ive-July--125-tablet-MUCH-cheaper-Apples.html
 
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Slick5150

Diamond Member
Nov 10, 2001
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I wouldn't say this is an iPad competitor as much as it is a Kindle Fire competitor.
 
Eug

Eug

Lifer
Mar 11, 2000
23,946
1,560
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PeeluckyDuckee said:
android phones i can get excited about, but tablets meh.
Click to expand...
7" to 8" Android tablets I would consider, but Android phones, meh.

Seriously though, if it has good external media support, with support for filesizes over 4 GB, and 1080p H.264 MKV compatibility, I'd consider it. I'm not really interested if it's over $200 though.
 
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Mopetar

Diamond Member
Jan 31, 2011
8,167
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Slick5150 said:
I wouldn't say this is an iPad competitor as much as it is a Kindle Fire competitor.
Click to expand...

TuxDave said:
Heh, I was about to say the same thing
Click to expand...

Which may not be a bad idea if the Kindle Fire is outselling all other Android tablets combined. Google is wise to get their own house in order before worrying about what Apple is doing.

There are also an increasing number of rumors about Apple releasing a ~7-8" tablet sometime in the future. There's almost no chance the come in as low as $200, but it would be interesting if they also were to get involved in that space. Perhaps they have a better picture of the Fire sales figures and see it as a potential threat or at least a more valuable market space that has large sales potential.
 
Kanalua

Kanalua

Diamond Member
Jun 14, 2001
4,860
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A quad-core,7" tablet with a FFC and official google support? Kindle killer, for sure.
 
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Mopetar

Diamond Member
Jan 31, 2011
8,167
6,911
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Kanalua said:
A quad-core,7" tablet with a FFC and official google support? Kindle killer, for sure.
Click to expand...

Needs good marketing which Google hasn't been particularly good at. Even today they don't do much advertising.

Their search became popular by virtue being the only one that was actually useful so they never had to advertise. Once people started using it, they just kept using it. Similarly Android phones took off by being both usable to people and available in enough flavors to satisfy even the more niche needs. Outside of those two areas they really haven't done anything wildly successful or had to do much advertising.

I could see them releasing something technically superior to the Kindle Fire, but the device still failing to even approach Amazon's sales numbers simply because Google isn't very good about getting the message out to the average Joe. They need to raise awareness and make sure that they have retail partners. Selling it online like they did in the past with their Nexus phones won't cut it and simply putting it in stores isn't good enough to make it stand out from all of the other Android tablets.
 
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dagamer34

Platinum Member
Aug 15, 2005
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I would rather Google spend its time and energy pushing developers to update apps for tablet-specific layouts.
 
TuxDave

TuxDave

Lifer
Oct 8, 2002
10,571
3
71
Mopetar said:
Which may not be a bad idea if the Kindle Fire is outselling all other Android tablets combined. Google is wise to get their own house in order before worrying about what Apple is doing.

There are also an increasing number of rumors about Apple releasing a ~7-8" tablet sometime in the future. There's almost no chance the come in as low as $200, but it would be interesting if they also were to get involved in that space. Perhaps they have a better picture of the Fire sales figures and see it as a potential threat or at least a more valuable market space that has large sales potential.
Click to expand...

Yeah I agree it's one way to get into the market. I'm guessing that Kindle is probably the biggest android tablet in terms of marketshare and Google doesn't get to make a dime on it. So may as well emulate Kindle's strategy first and then go back to figuring out how to sell a $500 tablet that many people will buy.
 
Eug

Eug

Lifer
Mar 11, 2000
23,946
1,560
126
Eug said:
7" to 8" Android tablets I would consider, but Android phones, meh.

Seriously though, if it has good external media support, with support for filesizes over 4 GB, and 1080p H.264 MKV compatibility, I'd consider it. I'm not really interested if it's over $200 though.
Click to expand...
And it's supposed to be Asus making that new tablet. That bodes well for 4+ GB support, as they licence NTFS and exFAT support from Tuxera.

However, quad-core, while possible, might be pushing it. Asus and Google don't have to have a 7" tablet with quad-core CPU at this rumoured $200 price point. Dual-core with a decent GPU and H.264 decoder, on 28 nm, would be sufficiently powerful for an entry level machine and would be a battery juice sipper, and would make it a lot easier for it to be decently profitable with a good screen at the $200 price point. They can reserve quad-core for the deluxe models, at $250-500.
 
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poofyhairguy

poofyhairguy

Lifer
Nov 20, 2005
14,612
318
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Eug said:
And it's supposed to be Asus making that new tablet. That bodes well for 4+ GB support, as they licence NTFS and exFAT support from Tuxera.
Click to expand...

If it is a "Nexus" device don't expect NTFS support. If it is not then it is probable it will have NTFS support.

However, quad-core, while possible, might be pushing it. Asus and Google don't have to have a 7" tablet with quad-core CPU at this rumoured $200 price point. Dual-core with a decent GPU and H.264 decoder, on 28 nm, would be sufficiently powerful for an entry level machine and would be a battery juice sipper, and would make it a lot easier for it to be decently profitable with a good screen at the $200 price point. They can reserve quad-core for the deluxe models, at $250-500.
Click to expand...

The way Nvidia did it "quad-core" is cheaper than 28nm SoCs. Tegra 3 is the low-end of 2012.
 
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