Google tablet priced to take on iPad

Google has announced a new tablet device that looks set to take on the iPad in the run up to Christmas.

The Nexus 10 has been built  in collaboration with Samsung and offers the highest-resolution display of any tablet on the market along with a ten-inch touchscreen. Google promises about nine hours of continuous video playback and about 500 hours of standby time. Despite being a Nexus device, the new tablet picks up on the design language of the Galaxy Tab 10.1 and Galaxy Note 10.1. It features a pair of front-facing stereo speakers on either side of the display (when it’s held in a landscape orientation) plus an 8-megapixel rear camera and a 1.9-megapixel front camera for video chats. Under the hood, there’s a dual-core processor, 2GB of RAM and built-in NFC. It also gets a built-in micro-HDMI port.

The device will ship with Android 4.2 Jelly Bean. One new 4.2 feature Nexus 10 users may enjoy is the ability to have multiple user profiles on a single device. Each user can store their own mail, music and reading preferejnces along with applications.

The Nexus 10 is encased in unibody plastic chassis, which Google say is an essential feature in order to ensure the device is as thin, light and affordable as possible. The tablet weighs in at just 603 grams, with a mind-boggling thickness of just 8.9 millimetres.

The only feature currently missing in the Nexus 10 is 3G or 4G LTE connectivity, meaning you’ll need to tether the tablet to a mobile hotspot or internet connected smartphone whenever a WiFi connection is unavailable. It’s possible Google will add 3G/4G models at some point in the future, like they have with the Nexus 7, but until then it’s WiFi only unfortunately.

The Nexus 10 does however support MIMO WiFi, a new technology that can theoretically speed up web browsing up to four times faster than traditional WiFi speeds can deliver. However, this remains to be seen. It seems Google are more interested in targeting the Nexus 10 towards families, designed for use in the home, rather than out and about. Referring to it as “the perfect couch or coffee table companion”.

You’ll be able to purchase a 16GB Nexus 10 for just £319, direct from Google’s Play store. That’s £80 cheaper than Apple’s cheapest fourth generation iPad. At £389 for the 32GB model, the price difference increases even further to £90.