Apple iPad 2012
Apple iPad 2012

After Microsoft, it's Google that is taking on the Apple in tablet market. The search giant is reportedly launching its tablet on June 27 at Google I/O, an annual developer conference.

The report of Google's entry to tablet market came just a few days after Microsoft launched its tablet called Surface that is powered by operating system Windows 8 and two years after Steve Jobs unveiled iPad.

Google Tablet Specs

Google's tablet is likely to feature 7-inches screen size and run on Android 4.1 Jelly Bean.

It is rumoured that Google tablet will feature a 1280x800 IPS display, a 1.3Ghz quad-core Tegra 3 processor, a GeForce 12-core graphics processor, and 1GB of RAM. It will have a 1.2 megapixel camera on the front. Battery life is expected to last for 9 hours on a single charge. It may also feature near field communication (NFC) support besides Google Wallet.

Gizmodo Australia reported that an 8GB model of Google tablet will cost $199, while the 16GB version will cost $249.

The search engine giant may take time to compete with Apple in tablet market as iPad has already got a strong footing.

"Android tablets have so far failed to match iPad in terms of user experience. Apple has built a superior ecosystem around its tablet. With its tablet, Google is hoping it will be able to offer better user experience," Vishal Tripathi, a principal analyst with Gartner, told the Times of India.

Apple launched tablet computer iPad in April, 2010 and sold about 14.8 million iPads worldwide by the end of the year. iPad 2 hit the market in March 2011, selling 15.4 million iPads in the fourth quarter of 2011.

Microsoft launched Surface tablet last week. The tablet, which is powered by operating system Windows 8, has been seen as a competition to Apple's iPad. It sports a full-sized USB port and a 16:9 aspect ratio - the industry standard for HD. It has edges angled at 22 degrees, a natural position for the PC at rest or in active use, letting the hardware fade into the background and the software stand out.