Google has conquered a number of markets in its lifetime. As a search engine it took over the internet, and it’s the Android OS is most widely-used in the world.
Rumours have been circulating for a while that we’ll see the tech giant take on the tablet industry, with the launch of a Nexus tablet.
And now it appears that Google is planning to launch an online store, to sell tablets directly to customers.
The news comes courtesy of the Wall Street Journal, which has cited ‘people familiar with the matter’ as sources. These sources claim that the new online store will be similar to the Apple and Amazon model of online tablet selling.
Second try for Google store
Those of you with good memories will remember that this isn’t the first time Google has tried to launch its own store to sell directly to the public.
Back in early 2010, the search engine giant launched a hardware store to sell the very first Android smartphone – the Nexus One.
It was a nice idea, but sales of the device through the online store were slow with customers preferring to buy through mobile operators and more established stores.
The online store was shut down less than a year after opening. But this time around, things are a little different. People are buying online now more than ever, and tablets don’t tend to be tied to a mobile operator.
Competition with Apple and Amazon
The news comes as Google launches Play – the new-look Android app store which incorporates all of Google’s content a-la Apple and Amazon.
So could we be seeing the start of a real assault on the likes of Apple and Amazon? There is certainly a lot of work to be done, given the success of both companies. But if anyone can do it, Google can.
