Google's Android Tablet on the way: What to expect?

The hype

It all started a year back, when Google in collaboration with Motorola unveiled a prototype of their Honeycomb tablet powered by an advanced 3D Nvidia processor. And now after one year, Google chairman Eric Schmidt has said that his company is looking forth to create an Android tablet of 'highest quality' by the next six months. Now, before we jump to our fantastical conclusions and pleasant reveries, Schmidt actually did not make it clear if the device will be exclusively built by Google. But then again, given Google's history in tablets (which is not that impressive), the electronic giant may finally take matters into its own hand. That means, there is always a tantalizing chance to experience an Android tablet in the near future, contrived by none other but the OS's parent company itself.

Google Android Tablet

What will it be?

Until the recent debuts of devices such as Amazon Kindle Fire and Samsung Galaxy Tab, Android's tablet journey seriously paled in comparison to its exalted state in smartphones. But now, with strides of their commercial accomplishments, along with Android 4.0's initiation, Google has all the makings of a grand success story. Going along this rampant progression, we can deduce some of the user oriented attributes that have a good chance of featuring in a Google tablet.

Display resolution

Whereas, in most arenas devices are getting trimmer in their bearing, consumers still look forth to larger screen resolution. In this respect, rumors are churning out about iPad's next iteration to have whopping 2048-by-1536 pixel screen. And if you thought that was impressive, Samsung has even notched it up a level by supposedly having a 2560-by-1600 pixels technology, packed in their 11.6-inch screen. Now, if Google has to compete with those astronomical numbers, they will at least have to have some solid figures close to that in their device.

Quad-core processor for power

Boisterous quad-core processors have already made their commercial debut with Asus Eee Pad Transformer Prime. Apple has started whetting its knife with a presumably powerful A6 processor. Even if we go down a level, Samsung is also looking forth for a dual-core Exynos 5250 chip (clocked at 2 GHz). All of these only points to one factor and that is the Google device seriously has to pack its power punch.

Refined cameras

Now, this is one area where all tablets have plenty of room for improvement. iPad 2 remarkably sticks by a mediocre system in the field. Even the robust Transformer Prime features an 8 MP rear camera. But since we are talking about Google's device, this is where the company has the greatest opportunity to truly shine.

On the other hand, a better camera system means the increasing of product pricing. And if we go by recent budget trend of Kindle Fire (with no camera system), some consumers would actually like a cheaper device, than a costly device with good cameras.

Who will grab it?

The phrase of 'highest quality' in Eric Schmidt's statement can be perceived as having some significance in relation to the attributes of a Google device. According to some, it sums up the nigh opulent features that would be present in the tablet. We have already covered some of those attributes in the above section. But with robust features like those, the pricing can also jump sky high.

Now, this brings us to the overall effect on the consumers. History has proven that over $500 tablets can be commercially successful, with the induction of iPad 2. Though, it should also be noted that iPad is powered by iOS. Android tablets on the other hand have not shown the same amount of revenue generating capability with seemingly grandiose features. So, the bottomline remains: loyalists of the Android camp may look forward to a powerhouse of a tablet device. But a considerable number of newer customers might still be enticed by cheap alternatives such as the Nook or Kindle Fire.

Another Android or different

Finally, there is every chance that the Google device will be infused with Ice Cream Sandwich (Android 4.0). The first true 'collective' OS from the company that caters to both smartphones and tablets, this system is certainly a technological far cry from its predecessor: the Honeycomb, with richer widgets, improved application network and an advanced holographic interface. But among all of these, an Android system is lauded because of its inherent open source essence, with an enhanced level of freedom for users and developers alike. This is where Google can actually take its biggest 'source' of inspiration. So, at the end of the day, we would all expect the Google tablet to be openly expansive in the realm of apps.