Google Working With Verizon Wireless On Upcoming Tablet PC
We were a little surprised to initially hear this news, but should we be? Look at the mobile realm. Apple introduced the iPhone, and the iPhone OS crushed every other mobile OS on the market. A while later, Google introduced Android, and now Android is closing in on Apple's growth rate according to some statistics. Google and Apple have been quietly rivaling each other for the past few years, both looking to innovate just a bit more than the other guy. So when Apple comes out with an iPad, wouldn't you think that a Google tablet would be close behind?
We've heard of a few tablets from other companies shipping with Android onboard, but so far Google has remained silent on the matter. But a new Wall Street Journal report states that Verizon Wireless, America's largest wireless operator in terms of customer base, is currently working with Google on some sort of tablet computer. That's according to Verizon Wireless' chief executive Lowell McAdam, and the company is hoping to use this partnership to "catch up with iPad host AT&T in devices that connect to wireless networks." McAdam stated:
No one wanted to talk about a launch date or price, but if we know Google, they're pushing hard to have this ready as soon as possible. It's a real rat race to be second in line behind the iPad, and we're sure neither company wants this tablet coming out next year. Verizon is also in an interesting place with an LTE network coming later this year; will the tablet come early and support only CDMA (Verizon Wireless' existing technology), or will it ship later as one of the first 4G tablets on the market? Either way, we could seriously see this becoming the main "iPad killer" to watch for. Anything with Google's name on it is worth paying attention to.
We've heard of a few tablets from other companies shipping with Android onboard, but so far Google has remained silent on the matter. But a new Wall Street Journal report states that Verizon Wireless, America's largest wireless operator in terms of customer base, is currently working with Google on some sort of tablet computer. That's according to Verizon Wireless' chief executive Lowell McAdam, and the company is hoping to use this partnership to "catch up with iPad host AT&T in devices that connect to wireless networks." McAdam stated:
"What do we think the next big wave of opportunities are? We're working on tablets together, for example. We're looking at all the things Google has in its archives that we could put on a tablet to make it a great experience."
No one wanted to talk about a launch date or price, but if we know Google, they're pushing hard to have this ready as soon as possible. It's a real rat race to be second in line behind the iPad, and we're sure neither company wants this tablet coming out next year. Verizon is also in an interesting place with an LTE network coming later this year; will the tablet come early and support only CDMA (Verizon Wireless' existing technology), or will it ship later as one of the first 4G tablets on the market? Either way, we could seriously see this becoming the main "iPad killer" to watch for. Anything with Google's name on it is worth paying attention to.
