Google unveils updated Nexus 7 in push against Apple, Microsoft
Google is improving its line-up of tablets as it struggles to parlay its success to larger devices
San Francisco: Google Inc., owner of the world’s most popular search engine, Wednesday unveiled an updated version of its Nexus 7 tablet as it steps up efforts against rivals such as Apple Inc. and Microsoft Corp.
The Nexus 7, which is being made in partnership with Taiwan’s Asustek Computer Inc., will be narrower and lighter with a sharper screen, said Hugo Barra, vice-president of Android product management, at an event on Wednesday in San Francisco.
It’s a much more comfortable grip and fits easily into your purse or jacket pocket, Barra said. For the screen, having a crisp and bright display makes all the difference, he said.
Google, which first unveiled the Nexus 7 about a year ago, is improving its lineup of tablets as it struggles to parlay its success with smartphones to the larger devices. Tablet shipments, benefiting from consumer migration away from personal computers, are expected to grow 68% this year, outpacing a 4.3% increase for mobile phones, according to research firm Gartner Inc.
Tablets are going to be part of the next era, said Carolina Milanesi, an analyst with Gartner. It means eyeballs and it means accounts and it means knowing what the consumers are doing.
Positive reviews
The Nexus, which sports a 7-inch screen, received positive reviews last year for its sleek design and intuitive software. The device offers the best value among its rivals, CNet said in a review last year.
With its excellent design, useful software features, and low starting price, the Nexus 7 is the cheapest way to experience the best that the Android operating system has to offer, CNet said. The Nexus 7 is still the overall best small tablet.
The Nexus 7 goes up against Apple’s iPad Mini, which is 7.9 inches, and Amazon.com’s Kindle Fire, which also has a 7 inch screen and uses a version of Android without highlighting Google’s own common services, including mapping and movies. BLOOMBERG
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