The search giant Google is teaming with Verizon (NYSE: VZ) Wireless to bring out an iPad competitor, according to a report from the Wall Street Journal.
In an interview, Verizon Wireless Chief Executive Lowell McAdam said this type of form factor would be the next big thing in the mobile computing space and that the two companies are working on a device.
The device will run the Android OS, and that’s about all we know about it so far–but Verizon says it’ll have more details later this week.
This gizmo will, of course, compete with Apple’s iPad. It joins the land rush of would-be iPad killers that don’t actually exist yet.Google could potentially integrate some 3D desktop elements it acquired in the BumpTop deal and this makes a lot of sense to me on a larger form factor like a tablet. Verizon has already shown with the $100 million marketing campaign for the Droid that it’s not shy about spending for ads. It will be interesting to see how Verizon prices its mobile data for this Google tablet because AT&T has a fairly reasonable rate for the iPad: no-contract plans that cost $15 a month for 250 MB or $30 for truly unlimited data.
It will be interesting to see how the tablet space emerges, as the iPad is already a success and we may soon see a webOS-powered slate from Hewlett-Packard (NYSE: HPQ). This Google-Verizon tablet just throws another contender in the mix.
