Google has unveiled its first own brand tablet computer and taken on the likes of Apple with its iPad and Amazon with its Kindle Fire. It disclosed its new Nexus 7 tablet at Google I/O 2012. The iPad rival will be the first Android-based device to run Android 4.1 (Jelly Bean) operating system. The latest version is expected to sport faster transition between the home screen and applications, making the device feel more responsive. The news comes just days after Microsoft launched is Surface tablet in response to the growing dominance of Apple in the Post-PC market. Google has partnered with Taiwanese manufacturer Asus to launch the Nexus 7. Priced at $199 (£127), Google’s Nexus 7 is more affordable than the iPad and also smaller. Sizewise, the Nexus 7 is on par with Amazon’s Kindle Fire, which has a 7in screen and is priced at £127. It has a 1.2-megapixel camera and unlike the Kindle Fire it is available with 8GB of memory (£159) or 16GB (£199). It also boasts a quad-core Tegra 3 CPU and 12 cores of graphics processing. It has a 1280 by 800 high-definition display. It has a back-lit IPS display covered in “Scratch-resistant Corning glass”, but no rear camera. People in the UK can pre-order it now from Google Play, and it will start shipping in mid-July. Punters should also get a £15 credit to spend in the Play store and some free content, such as a copy of Transformers: Dark of the Moon. In the UK it will also be offered for free on a tethered contract from Carphone Warehouse. Graham Stapleton, Chief Commercial Officer at Carphone Warehouse, said: “Consumer demand for tablets has exploded in just over two years since the launch of the first generation iPad. The wide range of devices now available means that consumer choice and buying power is stronger than ever. Google clearly believes that there is further scope to grow the market and the competitively priced Google Nexus will serve to make tablet devices more accessible to customers.
