Waiting For Android 4 But Nexus Tablet More Important

We've seen the Android 4 and what it is doing with the Galaxy Nexus - and anyone without the Nexus  simply will have to wait, either for the hardware makers to make Android 4 available as an update or to wait for new hardware like the Samsung Galaxy III to be on the market.  And while Android has done great in the smartphone market, Android tablets have not.  In fact, it has been the Kindle Fire, which really isn't an Android tablet given what Amazon has done to the OS, that has helped stem the iPad tide.

This is why we need the Nexus tablet more than ever.  And there are many reasons why a Nexus tablet is so important.  Again, Apple continues to push ahead with the iPad and the next version, the iPad 3, is likely just weeks away.  And as much as I like the Galaxy Tab 8.9, Samsung for whatever reason is pricing them right up there with the iPad and has limited success as far as market-share goes.

Furthermore, Windows 8 is coming and if it does well, we are talking about Microsoft's OS becoming the default alternative to the iPad.  Keep in mind that after Honeycomb's release along with Xoom, we were all thinking it would only be a matter of time before Android overtakes the iPad.  Nowhere was Windows in the discussion.

And now, Android is in danger of fight for a second place, possibly a distant third.

Second, as a mobile fan, regardless which mobile platform you're using or a fan of, we need competition in the marketplace.  The harder Apple, Google, Microsoft, and even RIM or HP compete, innovate, and fight for our hard earned money, the better off we are as mobile warriors.  We'll get better tech and innovation faster than if it was just a one-horse race as it is now with the iPad.

Third, look at what the Nexus One did to the Android smartphone image.  Before that, it was my G1 from T-Mobile, the very first Android device, the original Google phone.  But it was really the Nexus One that served as a template on which others like the Droid and Galaxy S was built upon.

Essentially, Google said to its partners as well as the marketplace, "Make it as good as this or try to do better".  And Android devices have improved each year as competition with rivals as well as with the Nexus line.  After all, if the Galaxy line sucked, people, would would be turning to the Nexus devices.

Competition, innovation, and benefits to mobile users are all great reasons why we need Google to step up and make their tablet plans known as soon as possible.  Perhaps, we'll see it at the Mobile World Congress in Spain in a couple of weeks.  And if that happens, it could not happen fast enough.

Personally, I love to see a Nexus tablet with a quad-core chip, Android 4, 32 GB, Retina Display screen like those that we are expecting on the iPad 3, and 12-15 hours of battery life all weighing in at around one pound, which is just .2 lbs less than what the Galaxy Tab 10.1 weighs in or weighing 25% less than the iPad 2.

So, Google, show us your Nexus tablet already, ya?

Note:  I left out how much I think Google's Nexus tablet should weigh in at.  I honestly don't think anyone can keep up with Apple on pricing in the near term, like the next three to five years, because of the huge investment Apple is able to make on components and the supply chain.  Only Amazon is capable of competing with Apple in this regard and only because they're selling the Kindle Fire at a loss.