Google Debuts Pint-sized Nexus 7 Tablet for Only $199

Google Debuts Pint-sized Nexus 7 Tablet for Only $199

Google debuts its long-rumored device, a 7-inch Nexus tablet being run with Android’s latest operating system, the 4.1. Jelly Bean.  The pint-sized slate is manufactured by Asus, popular for making other Android tablets including the Transformer and the Transformer Prime.

The device boasts of 1280 x 800-pixel high-definition display, designed with reading and watching videos in mind. It has a speedy Nvidia Tegra 3 quad-core processor under the hood, front-facing camera for video chat, 9 hours of video playback – compared to the iPad's 10-hour playback life – and 300 hours of standby battery time. The tablet weighs 340 grams, which is about as much as a paperback book.

Nexus 7 will also be the first device that ships with Chrome as its browser – Chrome, despite being Google's browser, hasn't been available on Android until its beta version was introduced for Ice Cream Sandwich devices. Google has also overhauled Google Maps with additional features which can predict which dining places you would enjoy. Offline maps will also be a hotly sought-after feature, and now that Apple and Microsoft are hyping similar features, it's an important selling point.

Pre-orders for Google Nexus 7 tablet begins today. Consumers can order the new tablet from the Google Play store with versions 8GB model and 16GB making it more a Kindle Fire competitor. It starts shipping in mid July. The Kindle Fire lands at a similar price point, but with its applications governed largely by what Amazon proclaims suitable for its shop, the Nexus 7 will have everything the Fire has and more.

Google is clearly making legions of potential iPad customers with this sleek device, and with a price tag of less than half of the base model Apple tablet, the company is eyeing a business success.  $499 gets you a 16GB iPad with a 9.7-inch Retina display, but if ultra-sharp screen resolution and playing in the Apple universe aren't a big deal, the 7-inch Nexus slate will be much easier on your budget.

Posted by Melanie Mendoza on Thursday June 28 2012, 3:20 AM EDT. Ref: Google. All trademarks acknowledged. Filed under Featured News, Shopping. Comments and Trackbacks closed. Follow responses: RSS 2.0