Android Tablet Update

Google has made the full video of Chairman and former CEO Eric Schmidt’s Mobile World Congress keynote available for your viewing pleasure on its YouTube channel. I haven’t had a chance to watch the keynote for myself just yet, but Mr. Schmidt spends over an hour talking about the future of technology and how Google will play a prominent role in how that future will be shaped.

From 1Gbps and beyond fiber networks, Chrome and Android, to driverless cars to holographs and support for small businesses, it can all be found in Schmidt’s talk, which is embedded below. We’d love to hear your reactions to what Mr. Schmidt had to say in Barcelona. Be sure to drop us a note in the comments.

Recently, Eric Schmidt has suggested that Google is working on a tablet of their own branding to enter the crowded Android tablet market. Considering Google’s history on the Nexus line of devices, we assumed Google was working on a Nexus tablet, a high-end device that features both the latest hardware and the latest version of Android.

A new rumor from Digitimes suggests that Google may be targeting the Kindle Fire as its main competition in the tablet market. Digitimes’ sources believe that Google is working on a device with a 7″ display, Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, and a sub-$200 price tag to directly compete with Amazon’s tablet, which has quickly become the best-selling Android tablet to date.

If this rumor pans out, Google’s tablet should launch sometime in the March-April timeframe, and could give the Kindle Fire a legitimate run for its money. After all, Android commands nearly 50% of the smartphone market, and a tablet that more closely resembles the smartphones people have come to know and understand at a price they can easily afford may catapult sales beyond what Amazon has been able to accomplish with the Fire.

We have good reason to be skeptical about Google even working on a tablet at all, however, as Digitimes also reports that Google Taiwan claims to have never heard about the company launching their own branded tablet.

So there you have it. The Google Tablet may or may not exist and may or may not be targeted at Amazon’s Kindle Fire. Clear as mud.

What do you guys think? Is Google working on their own tablet? If so, do you think it’ll be more of a “Nexus Tablet” or Kindle Fire?

Speaking to an Italian newspaper, Google Chairman and former CEO Eric Schmidt revealed that Google is hard at work on “a tablet of the highest quality,” and that it may be bringing this device to market as early as June 2012. Mr. Schmidt made it clear that the gloves are off in the tablet fight against the iPad, and Google’s tablet offering would be targeted to take the tablet reigns from Apple’s market-dominating tablet.

It’s unclear whether Google will be manufacturing the device in-house, or whether they’ll partner with an OEM to manufacture the device similar to what they do with the Nexus line of smartphones. We’re leaning toward the latter, with Motorola being the most likely partner due to the pending Google-Motorola merger. We hope this isn’t the case, though, as Motorola hasn’t exactly been making the most sleek and sophisticated Android tablets out there (looking at you, Xyboard). Personally, I’d like to see Google partner with either ASUS or Samsung, whose Transformer Prime and Galaxy Tab devices have been personal favorites of mine.

We must point out that the Italian translation is a rough one, so take the translation for what it’s worth. Still, Google is ready to push tablets running Ice Cream Sandwich, and they think ICS can finally dethrone the iPad atop the tablet charts.

Regardless, we’re happy to see Google fully embrace tablets, as the idea of a Nexus tablet has been exciting us here at Android and Me since the initial idea was introduced over a year ago. We’ll bring you more information on a Nexus tablet as we learn more. Meanwhile, be sure to leave a comment below telling us what you’d want to see in a Nexus tablet.