Eight years ago, Google released the Nexus 7, a 7-inch Android tablet, running a reference version of the Jelly Bean 4.3 operating system. Produced in cooperation with Asus, it was fast, ran all Android smartphone apps, and, most significantly, at the time it was inexpensive – $ 229 with 16GB of RAM in its basic configuration.
The device was popular with developers who wanted a cheap tablet running the latest pure version of Android. It was also popular with consumers who wanted a mindless content-consuming device that was less expensive than Apple’s iPad Mini. Nexus 7 sported a 1.5GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro SoC, with 2GB of RAM and an HD display, and was more than adequate to run almost any Android app out there. While there were LTE 4G versions of the device, the basic Wi-Fi model was by far the most popular.
Since the release of Nexus 7 (a second version released in 2013), Google has had much less success with more expensive devices, such as Pixel Slate, priced higher than Apple’s 12.9-inch iPad Pro in specific configurations. Our own Matthew Miller loved the device, but it was a commercial failure. Google finally went out of the tablet business entirely in June 2019.
Fast forward so far
Over the next 30 days, Google is expected to launch a budget version of its brand new Pixel flagship phone, the Pixel 4A, and next year’s flagship Pixel 5 will launch sometime in the fall, possibly in October.
Right now, with everyone trapped at home due to the COVID-19 pandemicNo one is looking to spend large amounts of cash on a flagship 5G phone like the Pixel 5, or even on less expensive versions like the Pixel 4A, which will surely be less competitive than the products currently launched by Samsung (like the Galaxy A50) or Apple. (with iPhone SE) at similar prices.
No one wants small screen devices for home use. They want bigger devices for content consumption and sofa browsing. Anyone with a working phone will probably keep that phone. Otherwise, they are looking for inexpensive versions of the iPad, which have been on sale for $ 279.
But there are even cheaper tablets that can be found. Amazon recently put its Fire HD tablets up for sale for as little as $ 60. And these products may be affordable, but they’re not lazy, from a hardware bill of material point of view. The $ 80 Fire HD + has a 2.0Ghz quad-core MediaTek SoC with 3GB of RAM, 32GB of flash storage, MicroSD expansion slot, USB-C and wireless charging, a 1,280×800 display, support for Bluetooth and Wi -Fi, front and rear integrated 2MP cameras and a 12-hour battery life.
Is it the fastest Android tablet with the most beautiful screen you can buy? No. Will it outperform a $ 350 iPad Mini (to be updated shortly), a $ 279 iPad Gen 7, or even a $ 150 Samsung Galaxy Tab A? No. But it’s more than adequate for streaming content and running casual games and apps like Facebook, activities that most people, under our current circumstances, tend to do on the couch at home.
Where is Google in the tablet space now?
Nowhere. Stopped selling tablets A year ago.
Google needs a Fire HD competitor for several reasons. First, you should target Android developers looking for a low-cost device that runs the pure version of Android 11 without having to commit to a $ 300 or higher Pixel phone, and potentially having to activate that device at an operator to buy that. You also need a device that you can sell to customers who consume your products online, like YouTube and G Suite, and in particular to take advantage of Google Meet and other Google services.
What should Google’s budget tablet function be?
The Google tablet should be almost identical in parts to the Amazon Fire HD 8+ or 10, with at least 4GB of RAM, a full 1080p HD display, a 2GHz or faster Octa-Core processor, 32GB of storage , MicroSD, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi 802.11ac support, 12 hours of battery life, fast USB PD charging, and front and rear facing cameras at least suitable for use with Google Meet and Zoom.
How much should it cost? No more than $ 150. And must be rated as a Pixel device, such as Pixel Zero (similar to “Diet iPhone”), and must have all privileges due to any Pixel device, including three years of Android update support.
In fact, there are things Google might want to do to incentivize you, such as lowering the price even further if shoppers commit to a trial subscription to YouTube Premium, or purchase annual cloud storage subscriptions, or purchase Nest WiFi access points. I’m sure you can figure out how to creatively group things together in such a way that people eat them like hotcakes.
Does Google need to produce a low-cost Android tablet that competes with Amazon Fire and an updated iPad mini? Talk and let me know.
