Google Nexus 7 launch imminent?

Google is apparently all set to unveil its new tablet creation next week.

And the buzz on the grapevine is that the 7 inch device will be called the Nexus 7, and as expected, will be targeted at the low end of the tablet market. A sector which Amazon has seen much success in, following the launch of its cheap Kindle Fire slate.

Google’s tablet, produced by Asus, should be unveiled at Google I/O next week.

It will apparently be pitched at the $200 mark, although some corners have been cut to keep the price down. There’ll be no main camera (just a front-facing one for video chatting), and also no 3G option, so Digitimes reckons.

The Nexus7 is expected to boast a quad-core processor, and will be available as soon as next month (presumably with Ice Cream Sandwich on board).

The market obviously won’t be an easy one for Google to crack, though. The iPad holds the majority of market share, but the Kindle Fire has already established itself too – although there’s no reason why Google can’t attack it.

What might be more damaging is the launch of Microsoft’s new Surface tablet later this year, assuming the Windows RT version is relatively competitive in terms of pricing. And also, if the rumours about the cheaper iPad Mini turn out to be true, and that eventually comes out.

Whatever happens in the near future, it’s clear the tablet market is going to become busier still, and Apple’s iPad will have a tougher time of it, one way or another.

Not to mention Amazon’s Kindle Fire…