[Discuss] Google's Nexus 7

[Shirley Márquez Dúlcey]

On 7/10/2012 12:12 PM, Richard Pieri wrote:
>
> The fact that Google put their name on a 7" tablet says one thing:
> Google is afraid to go head to head with Apple. If Google wanted an iPad
> killer then we'd be looking at Nexus 10 at $279. But that's not what we
> have; we have yet another 7" tablet. The only serious competition are
> Amazon and B&N. For small values of "serious": Nexus 7 handily beats
> Kindle Fire and Nook Tablet which will give Google a solid second place
> in the tablet market, albeit a distant second behind Apple.

1. I'm not sure they could do a Nexus 10 at $279, in part because 
people's expectations of a tablet that size are higher. Aside from the 
bigger screen (and higher resolution; I think they'll need to do at 
least 1080p so the screen looks as good as the Nexus 7 screen) and 
bigger battery to match, a 10" tablet will also need to have more 
storage, as well as the second camera and SD slot that got left out of 
the Nexus 7. (Though they might take my suggestion about the Nexus 7 and 
only include those last two things in the step-up model.) That's 
sounding more like a $350 product unless Google is willing to actually 
take a loss rather than merely break even, though it would still 
undercut the $500 level that comparable tablets sell for now.

(Brief aside about the competition: the screen resolution of the Windows 
RT-based Microsoft Surface has only been talked about vaguely by 
Microsoft. I believe that if they come in at anything less than 1080p 
the product will tank; it just won't look good enough when placed next 
to a new iPad. MS is clearly trying to position Surface as a premium 
product with stuff like the VaporMG case; they need a display to match. 
I suspect the RT-based tablet will flop anyway because the market 
doesn't need a third OS in that space; the one with full Windows 8 has a 
chance because it will be seen as a more portable laptop replacement.)

2. ASUS is one of the few modestly successful Android tablet makers in 
the 10" space. They might not be interested in cannibalizing their own 
brand, which means Google would need to find another manufacturing 
partner. Maybe HTC would be interested; they badly need a successful 
product.

3. Who says that won't be Google's next product?

That approach makes sense to me. First, establish the brand with a 
product in a space that Apple isn't yet occupying. Later, introduce a 
brand extension that takes on the iPad more directly.