If at first you don't succeed... Coming off an unsuccessful attempt to sell an Android smartphone back in 2010, Google is planning to launch an online store similar to Amazon and Apple to sell co-branded tablet devices, according to The Wall Street Journal.
Google's move comes as Apple has gotten a boost from its new iPad and Amazon has made a splash with its Kindle Fire tablet. Apple dominates market share of the category with Android devices a distant second.
In a recent VentureBeat review, Devindra Hardawar wrote of the new iPad, "It feels so much better than any Android tablet that I've tested (and that's a lot of tablets), that it's sort of embarrassing for Google."
Google's planned store will sell a variety of co-branded tablets from different manufacturers including AsusTek Computer, Motorola and Samsung, according to sources who spoke with the Journal. Google will help to subsidize the hardware for manufacturers who have yet to crack the consumer code on tablets in the face of the iPad's growing popularity.
A ZDNet blog by Christopher Dawson is less than bullish on Google's prospects as outlined by the Journal, but he thinks the company will at least "have the opportunity to heavily market the tablets and take advantage of its considerable reach online and, more recently, in traditional media, to capture potential customers and educate the market on the value of Android tablets."
- Google Heightens Rivalry With iPad - The Wall Street Journal
- Google to sell a branded tablet - Android game-changer? - ZDNet
- Google may sell its own tablets this summer, perhaps made by Samsung, Asus - The Washington Post
- Apple's new iPad: a stark reminder why few Android tablets matter (review) - VentureBeat