The tablet war just got interesting after search engine giant Google Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOG) unveiled its Nexus 7 tablet.
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GOOG introduced its tablet at its I/O developers conference in San Francisco. The tablet has been designed by the company and built by Taiwan-based Asus. The seven-inch tablet will be available for $199.
With the Nexus 7, the Mountain View, California-based company is taking on Amazon.com Inc. (NASDAQ: AMZN). Amazon’s Kindle Fire tablet also sells for $199.
Google’s tablet weighs 12 ounces, which is two ounces lighter than Kindle Fire. It also features a much richer HD screen than Kindle Fire.
Google’s tablet launch comes just a few days after Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ: MSFT) introduced its Surface tablet. However, the two companies have taken different approaches. While Google targeting the low-end of the tablet market with its Nexus 7, Microsoft’s Surface tablet is high-end and would compete with Apple Inc.’s (NASDAQ: AAPL) iPad.
The iPad currently dominates the tablet market, with a 62% share, according to estimate from IDC. Tablets run on Android operating system have a 36% market share.
Amazon’s Kindle Fire, meanwhile, has been the most successful tablet in the low-end of the market. It will be interesting to see if Google’s Nexus 7 will be successful in the tablet market, which is becoming increasingly competitive.
Google will start shipping Nexus 7 in mid-July.