Verizon Wireless says it is collaborating with Google on a tablet that would rival the iPad. Verizon’s chief executive Lowell McAdam told the Wall Street Journal Tuesday, “We’re working on tablets together,” although he gave no other details.
A month ago Google’s CEO Eric Schmidt told friends at a party that Google is working on a tablet running Android, said a New York Times blog.
It’s clear that Apple has its competitors scrambling to produce new user and app-friendly tablets to rival the iPad. HP has demonstrated a Windows 7 Slate but may switch to a Palm OS-based tablet. Microsoft may or may not offer a tablet of its own. Dell is also reportedly planning a family of Android-based tablets. Archos offers Android-based tablets starting at $199.
And once we consumers succumb to the temptation to own numerous 3G devices (a smartphone, tablet and netbook) 3G pricing plans may change. McAdam told the WSJ that pricing may shift away from an unlimited usage plan for each device to one plan for all devices that charges by total megabytes used. “The old model of one price plan per device is going to fall away,” he said, adding that he expects to charge instead by “bucket of megabytes.”
One blogger at InformationWeek says Verizon’s Google revelation is all bluster designed to give Verizon some buzz as recent rumors say AT&T will continue its exclusive deal with the iPhone for several more years.
Sources: Wall Street Journal, New York Times, InformationWeek and Engadget
Photo: And Android based tablet–the Dell Streak–due later this year.
