Not so long ago, Eric Schmidt from Google was heard saying that the search engine giant is preparing a tablet of its own and now it appears that fresh details about the device have surfaced. Google is apparently aiming at an Amazon Kindle Fire rival, so they’ll price their slate around the $200 mark. The result will be an affordable Android Ice Cream Sandwich 7 inch table that will come in Q2 2012, according to Digitimes.
Ever since 2010 Google saw the Apple iPad as its main rival on the tablet market, but now Amazon Kindle Fire seems to have taken on the role as one of the threatening figures in the tablet segment. Honeycomb failed to get enough traction and so did the tablets with this OS on board, so if Ice Cream Sandwich wants to change something, it will also need some top notch hardware and a great price to compete with its rivals.
Google might release its tablet in March or April, packed with Ice Cream Sandwich and featuring a 7 inch screen, plus a lower price tag than $200, undermining the Kindle Fire. It’s strange to hear that Google, the maker of Android, an OS available on the Kindle Fire feel threatened by a company that after all it’s using their OS. It will be interesting to see if the search engine giant chooses Motorola to build its slate, as rumored, or if it’s another company. Frankly, I’m afraid by Motorola getting chosen, since their Xoom and the newer slates didn’t impress me at all…
