Google Inc’s first tablet, the “Nexus 7″ will be sold for US$199 from mid-July onwards. The Nexus 7 sports the new 4.1 Jelly Bean Android Operating System, a front-facing camera, a 1,280 x 800 resolution screen, and an nVidia Tegra 3 processor. The Nexus 7 tablet, built by and co-branded with Taiwan’s Asus will be competing head to head with Amazon.com’s Kindle Fire and Apple’s iPad. With the launch of this tablet, Google strives to gain dominance in various online services which tablets from Apple and Amazon are becoming popular choice for consuming web based content such as movies and music. Google’s attempt in the tablet market will also be up competing with Microsoft Corp’s Surface tablet. With the introduction of this tablet, it will also spur the growth of tablet specific apps for its Android operating system, the primary factor that has accellerated Apple iPad’s growth.
Analysts reported that the Nexus 7 tablet appeals for budget conscious customers and is aimed squarely at the Kindle Fire, given that both are priced at $199 and has 7 inch screen, but the Nexus sports a front facing camera whereas Kindle Fire does not. The iPad is for a different market segment where its selling price is US$499 and comes with a “retina” display which is much better in terms of resolution. Raising the bar on its own online offerings, Nexus 7 includes YouTube and Google Play. Users will appreciate the Nexus 7 which offers ideal form factor and weight especially for reading books. THe new 4.1 “Jelly Bean” OS is equally impressive with improvements in faster performance as well as new features such as voice search. The tablet will only be available within Google’s own site. One of the biggest problem the Nexus 7 is facing right now is the lack of “native applications” because most current Android apps were developed for smartphones, not for tablets.