Analyst claims Google's own 7-inch tablet due in April
updated 12:05 pm EST, Fri February 24, 2012
Google tablet gets odd analyst claims
Google's rumored self-designed tablet got unusual anecdotal support from NPD's DisplaySearch analyst Richard Shim. He still saw it as a seven-inch tablet, with a 1280x800 display, but told CNET that he understood production would start in April. As many as 1.5 million to two million would be made, Shim claimed.
The device was previously rumored to be an Android 4.0 (possibly 4.1) device that could cost as little as the $199 Kindle Fire. If so, it might a lower end device or sold at or below cost like its Amazon rival. The tablet then wouldn't be in direct competition with the iPad, unlike the Galaxy Nexus' relationship with the iPhone.
Analysts occasionally have access to knowledgeable suppliers, but they're often known to miss details or otherwise have an incomplete picture if a claim is accurate at all. Most of the support comes from Google's history of wanting a reference Android phone and tablet on the market. With Motorola and Samsung no longer making stock Android devices, Google may be pressed into designing its own and asking another company to build it like it does with Nexus phones.
Google I/O's delay to June might support the rumor, since it would give enough time to build up stock.
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