Google are to go it alone and launch a tablet rival aimed to assault Apple’s iPad and especially Amazon’s Kindle market domination, according to sources.
The revelation first made last month by Google Executive Chairman, Eric Schmidt, who outlined the Android makers plan to create a high quality tablet at a competitive price.

However, it is not the just the iPad heartland Google is looking to assault, which currently accounts for around three out of every four tabs sold worldwide.

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Supply chain sources believe the Google tablet will aim to knock the cheap-as-chips Kindle Fire 7 inch tablet, which also runs Android, off the top spot, according to industry publication Digitimes.

And Google Taiwan are denying any knowledge of the tablet scheme despite Schmidt’s firm declaration to the contrary (maybe they are so busy working they don’t have time to read the blogs).

“In the next six months we will bring to market a tablet of the highest quality,” Schmidt said last month.

The 7 inch Kindle Fire tab selling in the States for a knock down price of $199 has been revealed as Amazon’s best selling item ever and could account for as much as  50% of the global Android tablet market in 2012, according to analyst Robert Cihra at Evercore Partners, making it the most popular Android tab ever.

If Digitimes assertions is correct, we could see possibly a 7 inch Google tablet at a knock down price running Ice Cream Sandwich 4.0 – making iPad 2 and Samsung Galaxy Tab’s (both costing over $500) look overpriced – in March/April, say sources.

The Kindle Fire, which sold a whopping 1 million units per week during December is said to go on sale in Australia this year for around $250.

And Google’s schrewd move into the tab market is also very portent for one other reason – it has, it appears, ditched its partner Samsung, whom it has collaborated with on the creation of Google Nexus smartphone and several other projects.

Samsung is also is the most popular Android tablet and smartphone brand by miles – accounting for around 55% of all Google OS handsets sold – meaning it holds considerable sway over the green man.

Perhaps the tab move is a way for Google to shake off the considerable power held by the South Koreans as it also gets its claws fully into recently purchased $12.5bn Motorola, also an Android carrier, this year.

Samsung’s Galaxy Tab 10.1 went on sale here last month after the Apple instigated ban was lifted by the High Court.

Whatever happens, 2012 is clearly the year of the tab and with manufacturers including Lenovo churning them out in droves at CES, the race is most definitely on.