Google’s three-day developer conference is well and truly under way, with a string of new products announced on day one.
Rumours about a seven-inch tablet billed as a Kindle rival came true, in the guise of the Nexus 7. It is set to cost £199 for the 16GB version when it is released in mid-July.
Watch a video introducing the Nexus 7.
The tablet is set to be the first device to roll out with Android 4.1 Jelly Bean, which was also announced at the I/O conference.
However the new OS’s announcement was greeted somewhat cynically, with Google detractors eager to highlight the continuing fragmentation that exists across the Android ecosystem.
And such criticism is not without merit, as only seven per cent of Android users are currently using ‘Ice Cream Sandwich 4.0.’ The vast majority are still using ‘Gingerbread 2.2.’
Google also introduced the Nexus Q, a spherical streaming device designed to connect you and your devices to a wealth of cloud based entertainment.
The Nexus Q has been is being sold as requiring no downloads and no syncing. All you need is an Android device to activate it, $299 to buy it, to live in the US, and away you go.
At present the official line form Google is that there are no plans to release the Nexus Q in the UK. But this is likely to change following the US launch.
