Google's Nexus 7 with Jelly Bean an iPad killer?

NEW YORK, USA: After Microsoft, now it is Google Inc's turn to enter the highly competitive tablet computer market.

The "Nexus 7" tablet, built by and co-branded with Taiwan's Asus, will begin selling for as low as $199 on the Google Play website and apps store from around mid-July.

At 7 inches and $199, the device takes aim initially at the Kindle model, which analysts consider a window to Amazon.com's trove of online content.

Google can similarly use the Nexus 7 - unveiled at its annual developer conference in San Francisco - to connect to its own online offerings, which include video service YouTube and Google Play. It will go after more cost-conscious users who might shun the loftier price tag of $499 and above on Apple's iPad.

"That range of services will be the secret to stitching together this rag-tag fleet of Android gadgets into a platform that can compete with Apple for minutes of users' attention rather than premium device dollars," said Forrester analyst James McQuivey.

The Nexus will feature the new 4.1 "Jelly Bean" version of Google's software, as well as a front-facing camera, a 1280x800 resolution screen, and an Nvidia Tegra 3 processor.

The Nexus will pitch Google into battle with Apple, who dominates the tablet market with iPad- with almost 70% of the worldwide market in the first quarter of 2012, according to IDC .

Rather than tackling the iPad, Google might instead take on the Kindle Fire, which also has a 7-inch screen and priced $199. "It's targeting Amazon," an executive at Taiwan's Asus had told Reuters.

According to the researchers IDC, total tablet sales will be almost 105 this year, and will hit 143m in 2013 — compared to total PC sales of about 400 mn, of which more than 60% will be laptops.

Google's Android software is the No. 1 operating system for smartphones, but has struggled to compete with Apple's iPad in the market for tablets.

The new 4.1 "Jelly Bean" version of Android operating system delivers faster performance, according to the company, and new features such as "voice search."

Google briefly sold a specially designed Android smartphone - the Nexus One - directly to consumers in 2010, but closed the online store after four months saying it had not lived up to expectations. Will Nexus 7 live up to the hype? Wait and watch.

Microsoft's Surface tablet was launched in two versions last week. The smallest Surface tablet weights 1.49 pounds and is 9.3 millimeters thick - that's 0.1 millimeter thinner than the new iPad. The iPad is slightly lighter at 1.44 pounds.

The version running Windows 8 will run chips from Intel Corp and the versions running Windows RT will be powered by chips from Nvidia Corp based on designs from ARM Holdings PLC.