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Google launching a Chrome OS tablet on Verizon, goes on sale November 26
Yes, our source tells us that Google is building a Chrome OS tablet. It's real, and it's being built by HTC. No surprise there, since HTC churned out the Nexus One for Google.
Yes, they plan to offer it in conjunction with Verizon -- which probably doesn't come as a shock to anybody at this point. The two recently tag-teamed that Net Neutrality proposal and they've had plenty of discussions in the past about cooperating in some capacity.
As for the launch date of November 26th, well, that's all kinds of brilliant. It's Black Friday 2010 and the busiest shopping day of the year in the U.S. -- so what better day to have a shiny new tablet in the cabinet at Verizon kiosks and stores all over the country? You can bet Google's Chrome OS tablet will be heavily subsidized, and I'd go so far as to say it will be substantially cheaper than the iPad -- if not totally free -- with a Verizon data contract.
So what will the Google tablet pack for hardware? While our source didn't provide any specifics, my guess is that the device could be based on NVidia's Tegra 2 platform and sport a 1280x720 multitouch display, 2GB of RAM, minimum 32GB SSD, WiFi/Bluetooth/LTE connectivity, GPS, webcam, and possibly expandable storage via a multi-card reader. Again, these were not given to us by our source, but expect it to be every bit as geek-tastic as the Nexus One -- Google won't want to disappoint its early adopters.
Comments
56
Subscribe to commentsbookwormatAug 18th 2010 1:47PM
The (unlocked) Nexus One is a "Google Product" because it is Google who has the rights to the product, not because they used to sell it over their store.
Google is also responsible for support. Which is very good for customers, since Google is the only Android vendor who is interested in keeping their products up to date.
melgrossAug 19th 2010 12:48AM
Lee, the difference is that while Apple designs every aspect of their devices, and sweats all the details, Google didn't design the N1, HTC did. They commissioned the phone, but that's about it. It's really an HTC phone through and through, just like this tablet, if it's real, will be.
The fact that Google put its name on it doesn't change things.
And if this tablet has all the features you think it will, and it's the same size as the iPad (on which I'm writing this), then it will cost as much to make, less the $10 or so the OS would be worth if Google was licensing it. This is assuming that HTC would be using a high quality IPS screen like Apple is doing, which is doubtful.
If this is all true, then both Google and Verizon would be taking a bloodbath to offer this too cheaply, or especially for free, unless the plan was a very expensive one. If they did, Verizon would never make its money back, and of all the carriers, Verizon is the least likely to be willing to do that. I'm not so certain that Google would be either.
JJAug 18th 2010 10:50AM
I'm on my Ipad right now, and if google thinks that chrome os is going to compete thigh ios 4 their not on the right track
Gagandeep Singh SekhonAug 18th 2010 10:50AM
However google launched this tablet with eye-catching features, Windows 7 tablet is far more handy if compared among specs.
DanielAug 18th 2010 11:07AM
It makes zero sense for Google to release a tablet with 32GB memory when the entire chrome os is cloud based.... Theres nothing to save really... 32Gig of PDFs? There's no media player to speak of except youtube... That makes this entire post unbelievable.
Lee MathewsAug 18th 2010 11:07AM
Chrome OS has a built in media player, and it's going to have Extension Apps as well -- which can run offline. Also full games:
http://www.downloadsquad.com/2010/08/17/chrome-web-store-games/
Jon K.Aug 18th 2010 11:17AM
You might want to save pictures from your camera to your local pad, or other media creations that are app-based (eg. electronic music, etc). Also configurations, local saves, backups in case of network outages... lots of reasons to have 32 gigs onboard.
smartelAug 18th 2010 1:34PM
Euhhhh, what about books, music, video, photos, and even documents ?
Cloud computing is cool, but it means you need a wifi/3G access, which is not always the case for a tool such as this one used as much over the week-end, back in the country, that on week-days at work.
philAug 18th 2010 11:25AM
Greetings!
brian.gillespieAug 18th 2010 11:58AM
You have to think Google is thrilled to beat the flood of Android Tablets that will be out soon. Standalone apps and particularly paid apps drain eyes from web viewing of Google ads. I wonder if the half-hearted support of the Android Marketplace apps and their developers is also part the grand plan to drive everyone back to the web.
ThorAug 18th 2010 12:06PM
@ Lee "By this logic, then, the iPad is Foxconn hardware? HTC, Google. Call it what you want, eye of the beholder, etc!"
Well, it depends upon who is doing the engineering and design work. Apple clearly did this work for the iPad; Foxconn just bid for the contract to build it. Does Google have the ability to do that kind of work, or is it all done in-house by HTC? The latter is much more likely, even if there is a Google brand on the device.
PerspectiveAug 18th 2010 12:35PM
Since the Nexus One early adopters turned out to be the only adopters, I don't think the Nexus One is a product to emulate.
smartelAug 18th 2010 1:36PM
And what about Flash ? Any word on compatibility ?
Lee MathewsAug 18th 2010 1:36PM
Chrome already has the internal Flash plugin, so yep. It'll work.
ckeeganAug 18th 2010 2:11PM
There is absolutely no way that they should launch this without it being LTE capable. So what, they're going to launch their "4G" service in 30 markets, and release a "ground-breaking" piece of hardware on the biggest shopping day of the year without it being able to support it? I am definitely in the market for a tablet, but I will not buy one until it's ready for LTE. After all, I don't plan to upgrade a tablet every year like a smartphone.
MikeAug 18th 2010 2:42PM
Completely useless. Why would anyone want this, when it can't run the programs I need like a full OS. It's arrogant of them to tell me I can't install applications. How dare they limit my -- oh, wait. This has Google software, not Apple? Never mind.
EatmoldAug 18th 2010 3:15PM
As ChromeOS is built on Linux, do you think it will be long before someone from the hacking/modding community opens it up to allow installs?
AnonymoleAug 18th 2010 3:13PM
Google is going after the education market. They're teaming up with textbook publishers to put digital textbooks on the device, either supplied via online or download. Imagine putting all of a high school or college student's 5-15 text books on a notepad PC? It's the perfect platform for textbook content.
Telizent CommunicationsAug 18th 2010 5:06PM
Please let it support Microsoft Office - If it enables network access to office documents and/or local storage of office documents, as well as an Outlook like client (even OWA like), then this should be an excellent business solution. The iPad is simply too frustrating to use in this area... as pointed out by Galen Gruman, of InfoWorld yesterday http://www.networkworld.com/news/2010/081710-an-ipad-at-the-office.html?source=NWWNLE_nlt_wireless_2010-08-18.
Why won't Microsoft build an iPad app(s) for Microsoft Office?
kinkymunkeyAug 18th 2010 5:31PM
Boo.. where are the android tablets?