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Google to open online tablet store: report

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A Galaxy Nexus, the first smartphone to feature Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich and a HD Super AMOLED display, is displayed during a news conference in Hong Kong October 19, 2011. REUTERS/Bobby Yip

A Galaxy Nexus, the first smartphone to feature Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich and a HD Super AMOLED display, is displayed during a news conference in Hong Kong October 19, 2011.

Credit: Reuters/Bobby Yip

SAN FRANCISCO | Thu Mar 29, 2012 8:20pm EDT

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Google Inc is planning to open an online store to sell tablet PCs directly to consumers, according to a report in The Wall Street Journal on Thursday.

The online store would offer tablets made by Samsung Electronics Co and Asustek Computer Inc based on Google's Android software, according to the report, which cited anonymous sources and which Reuters was not able to confirm. Google declined to comment.

Google briefly sold a specially-designed Android smartphone - the Nexus One - directly to consumers in 2010, but closed the store after four months saying it had not lived up to expectations.

Google now relies on retail and carrier partners to sell Android smartphones made by a variety of handset makers and Android has become the world's No.1 smartphone operating system, ahead of iPhone-maker Apple Inc.

But Apple still dominates the market for touch-screen tablet computers with its two-year old iPad. Amazon.com's $199 Kindle Fire tablet is based on open-source Android computer code, but the device features a customized interface that does not use many Google services.

Google may co-brand some of the tablets sold through the store and has considered subsidizing the cost of future tablets to make them more competitive with the Kindle Fire, according to the Journal report. It is unclear when Google plans to open the store.

(Reporting By Alexei Oreskovic; editing by Andre Grenon)
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Comments (3)
FreedomRadio wrote:
On the one hand Google signals it wants to help it hardware partners with Android. It also appears Google wants to sell its own hardware. Must be confusing and scary for Google’s partners all the while not advancing Android.

Mar 30, 2012 1:50am EDT  --  Report as abuse
FreedomRadio wrote:
On the one hand Google signals it wants to help it hardware partners with Android. It also appears Google wants to sell its own hardware. Must be confusing and scary for Google’s partners all the while not advancing Android.

Mar 30, 2012 1:50am EDT  --  Report as abuse
bain wrote:
If they make it available outside the US they will beat Kindle Fire

Mar 30, 2012 3:42am EDT  --  Report as abuse
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