As Apple (NASDAQ:
AAPL
) prepares its miniature iPad for retail, Google (NASDAQ:
GOOG
) has reportedly teamed up with Samsung to build a 10-inch
version of the Nexus tablet. The device, which is expected to
ship before the end of 2012, will feature a 10.1-inch display.
Richard Shim, an analyst at NPD DisplaySearch, told
CNET
that the device could feature specifications that surpass the
third-generation iPad. Shim expects the display resolution to
reach 2,560 x 1,600 versus the iPad's resolution of 2,048 x
1,536. He also believes that the tablet will feature a PPI
(pixels per inch) of 299 versus 264 on the third-generation
iPad.
"It's going to be a high-end device," Shim told CNET, adding
that Google will also produce a $99 tablet in December.
These predictions might sound far-fetched (particularly the
claim about a $99 tablet), but Shim is no stranger to making
outrageous predictions. In July he
announced
with an unprecedented level of confidence that Amazon (NASDAQ:
AMZN
) would build at least three new Kindle Fire tablets. He
predicted that Amazon would build a cheaper Kindle Fire with a
1,024 x 600 display, an HD version with a 1,280 x 800 display and
an 8.9-inch version with 4G and a 1,920 x 1,200 display. All
three predictions came true.
At the time, Shim based his predictions on "supply chain
indications." He did the same when making his Google
predictions.
By releasing a high-end 10-inch tablet, Google could pose a
new threat to Apple. While Hewlett-Packard (NASDAQ:
HPQ
), Research In Motion (NASDAQ:
RIMM
) and other manufacturers have failed to beat the iPad at its own
game, Google might be the first company to take a sale or two
away from Apple. Previously, only low-end tablets such as the
original Kindle Fire have been able to
compete successfully
.
Even if the Nexus 10 is more powerful than the
third-generation iPad, it will still be severely challenged by
Apple's dominance. The Cupertino, California-based tech giant has
sold more than 80 million iPads since the device was first
released in 2010. Google may be able to steal a few future sales,
but Apple will still likely dominate the tablet market in the
coming years.
Google might have greater success if it chooses to release a
$99 tablet, as Shim predicts. While that tablet is unlikely to be
an ultra-powerful machine, it could still move mountains -- and
experience massive sales. When Hewlett-Packard lowered the price
of its ill-fated TouchPad from $499 to $99, the device
flew off store shelves
. Consumers could not wait to get their hands on the tablet. The
device was so successful at that price that one Hewlett-Packard
executive thought it should
go back into production
.
At the time, Hewlett-Packard could not make a profit selling
the TouchPad for $99. More than a year later, Google and Samsung
may have found a way to pull it off.
If so, expect this tablet to feature very few bells and
whistles. It is possible that the tablet will be akin to the
Galaxy Note II, whose 5.5-inch display is bigger than the
four-inch screen featured on the new iPod Touch. This would make
it a competitive alternative to Apple's popular device.
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