Google has been able to make its presence known in the mini-tablet market through the Nexus 7 slate which it released earlier this year. Nexus 7 packs fairly impressive hardware and together with the ecosystem that Google offers, it is a worthy competitor against Amazon’s Kindle Fire offerings.
However, Google is ramping up the battle by planning to introduce yet more Nexus tablets in the market before this year expires. Or so the rumors have it. DigiTimes has reported that Google is collaborating with Asus to dish out a highly affordable $99 Nexus tablet.
The tablet, if DigiTimes’ claims are to be believed, can truly turn the tide in Google’s favor. A $99 Google tablet is bound to fly right off the shelves. However, Google will have to make a significant number of amends to make a tablet this cheap.
The current Nexus 7 tablet features a 1280 x 800 display juiced up with a quad-core Tegra 3 processor. In a $99 tablet, if it ever materializes, Google will have to trim down both these specifications. The company may even launch an ads-laden tablet, following in the footsteps of Amazon.
The tablet, DigiTimes claims, is expected to arrive sometime during the holiday season, apparently timed so to take an expected iPad mini head on.