We have been hearing rumours that google were going to enter the tablet market in 2012, and some believe that they are quite close to actually achieving this, but what many were unsure about was what level of tablet they were going to produce.

A number of categories are emerging in the very crowded tablet PC arena, with google likely to go for the mid to upper tier.

So that would effectively mean an iPad rival right down to a Kindle fire rival, with the mid priced options skirting either side of this extreme.

Google 7 inch tablet:

It is reported in digitimes that people “in the know” are stating that the new tablet will be more of an Amazon kindle fire device, maybe of the seven inch variety.

On top of this, it will be built on Android 4.0, AKA, Ice Cream Sandwich, and will actually be delivered at an even lower cost to the consumer than the Amazon Kindle Fire.

Christ on a bike this surely can only be good for the average joe.

Technology convergence:

So with Google TV looking to rival Apple TV and Amazon not yet entering the TV market with an actual device, 2012 could be the year of the internet TV, as technology starts to morph into one, with Google and Amazon both needing a decent Siri rival to start looking like top dogs in this fast paced industry.

Amazon have already signed deals with Disney-ABC and FOX, and will be looking to rival Netflix with their own video on demand eco-system, so could it be that we see google bring in their own version of the Amazon Kindle Fire and Amazon bring in their own version of Google TV with both using their respective tablets as some form of TV controller perhaps with or without a Siri equivalent for voice control.

Exciting times ahead on this frontier that is for sure.

3D TV almost looks like black and white now!

In news from Italy, where many Nexus S owners are having problems with the Ice Cream Sandwich update after a seemingly early release of ICS which is full of bugs for many Nexus S owners.

The president of Google, Eric Schmidt, has stated in Corriere della Sera, an Italian newspaper, that Google will be entering the tablet market in 2012:

“marketing a tablet of the highest quality”

And this will arrive within six months from now, so seemingly a Summer release.

Who will build the new Google tablet?

Now we would like to know if Google are going to go this alone, or use Samsung or another manufacturer to build their device, that will likely compete with the iPad if it is going to be of “the highest quality”, as we admit that the cut price versions such as the Amazon Kindle Fire and Barnes and Noble Nook are not at the level that would warrant a term that extols the virtue of “the highest quality”, lovely as they are, they are not at the top of their game, hence the price tag.

So we have another question, will google aggressively compete with Apple’s iPad on price like Amazon have tried to do, or will they try to work together to differentiate their own products as more desirable and with a heftier price tag.

Google Nexus tablet?

And what will such a tablet be called? Rumours are that it will be a “Nexus” tablet, though one problem will remain for now, and that is the lack of quality Applications available on the larger screened Android tablets, and is the biggest bug bear for most people who have sampled Apples stunning eco-system of options when it comes to functionality for their tablets. And remember a tablet is only as good as what it can do, not how fast it can do it.

Kids turned off by Apple, confused by Android:

With a recent report coming out saying that “the kids” are bored with Apple but confused with Android, is it time for Google to rise up and say, hey, this is what Android stands for in the tablet space, yes we are a bit fragmented, but here is your real alternative to the iPad?

Would you get that message?