The first official Google-branded tablet might be released in as little as a couple months.
According to a report from manufacturing insider Digitimes, production of the device is already set, with 600,000 units being ordered for the initial launch.
It’s believed the device will carry the “Nexus” name, which has been used in the naming of every Android phone that Google has had an active hand in developing.
Although the Nexus phones are seen as one streamlined line of devices, they’ve been made by different manufacturers and available on different carriers so Google doesn’t look like it’s playing favorites.
It’s been rumored for some time that Google was also toiling behind-the-scenes to come up with a Nexus-branded tablet, but the question of which manufacturer would get the honors has been largely mysterious.
Earlier this year, it came out of the woodwork that Asus might the manufacturer of choice, since it is well known for creating low-cost electronics.
It was also reported that the tablet is likely to cost between $150 and $200. It’s widely believed the device will have a 7-inch display, making it a notably different product than the iPad, seeming to suggest that Google itself doesn’t see much hope in competing directly with Apple in this market.
It could, however, mean bad news for Amazon’s Kindle Fire, which is selling incredibly well but also getting a lot of criticism for its proprietary user interface and the ability to only download apps that Amazon has hand-picked as acceptable.
