Andre Yoskowitz
9 Mar 2012 22:02
According to industry sources, the Google and Asus 'Nexus Tablet' could be launched as soon as May.
Although the device is still unconfirmed, many expect the companies to team up to create the first Nexus tablet, a 7-inch device with vanilla Android and a price point that will compete with the 7-inch market leader, the Kindle Fire.
The sources claim the device will come with Android 4.0 and sell for $199-$249, which will put it in direct competition with the underpowered but extremely popular Amazon device.
Google had tried to co-brand with HTC at the end of 2011, but the company believed that such a low-priced device would cannibalize its other products. Acer was another potential partner, but the company did "not have in-house R&D capability." Asus was finally chosen for its strong brand image in the tablet market, and good product quality.
The tablet will also be the first to unveil a unified Google Play ecosystem that should rival Apple and Amazon.