Google, Asustek co-brand 7-inch tablet PC to debut earliest in May
It’s DigiTimes, which everyone is parroting today, making it look as if it’s a done deal from multiple sources.
Aside from Google Play (I would be surprised if it wasn’t called the “Google Play tablet”), people have forgotten Google Plus.
But I’ve seen the TV ads for Google Plus. So I expect the ads for this tablet to highlight the capabilities of Plus too — especially the much-pimped Hangout feature.
After the break, video of what Asus showed at CES that might now be coming as the Google Play tablet.
The CES 2012 bombshell announcement:
A hands-on with a production demo model:
Notice there was no front-facing camera in it. I expect that to change. Google will want it to work with Google Plus Hangout.
And Google Plus Hangout TV ad pimpery:
A Google Play tablet will crater NookColor and Nook Tablet sales. Why buy those when a Google Play tablet offers much more? The Barnes & Noble Nook app for eBooks will still run! And despite some people having magazine subscriptions on their Nooks, I think they’d dump them in a minute and eat that loss.
The Kindle Fire will survive, because it’s Amazon. And because Google might get stupid and prevent the Amazon App Store from working on the Google Play tablet.
A Google Play tablet would have to amp up the urgency at Apple, however, and put the final approval on releasing a smaller iPad this Fall.
Samsung, HTC, and the rest offering Android tablets won’t be happy. But they should have expected such a day. Maybe they can differentiate by offering tablets with Open webOS before the cheap Chinese tablet makers corner that market.
Previously here:
Mike Cane’s xBlog 