A Google-branded tablet will be released in July, according to a new report.
The tablet, which will feature a 7-inch screen, will begin shipments in June in preparation for its July release, according to a DigiTimes report. The company has ordered an initial volume of 600,000 tablets for shipment; by the end of the year, the company expects to ship a total of 2 to 2.5 million units of the tablet. DigiTimes states that Google had initially planned to release the tablet in May, but it ran into issues with the cost and design of the tablet; Asustek is said to be co-developing the device with Google.
Google"s tablet will likely be part of the company"s Nexus brand, which it uses when it partners with third parties to create Google-branded devices. The new tablet, said to be an entry-level device, will also likely take on Amazon"s Kindle Fire tablet, the most popular Android tablet. The Kindle Fire costs $199, but the device runs on a heavily skinned version of Android 2.3 and lacks many features of the Android experience, such as the Android store.
The news of a 7-inch Google tablet also comes on the heels of rumors of an iPad mini. According to those rumors, Apple will release an iPad with a 7-inch screen in October. The device is expected to cost somewhere between $200 and $250.
If we were to place a bet, Google I/O takes place in June, expect an announcement at this event.