Tech News

Just over a week after Microsoft unveiled their potential iPad rival in the Surface, Google have tonight revealed a 7-inch tablet known as the Nexus 7.

Priced at just $199, the Nexus 7's biggest competitor is likely to be Amazon's budget-priced Kindle Fire device, currently unavailable in Europe but a big seller in the US since its launch last September.

The Nexus was unveiled alongside Android 4.1, also known as "Jelly Bean", while the tablet will also run the new operating software. Aside from its OS, the tablet boasts an 1280x800 screen, a front-facing camera, a Tegra 3 processor and nine hours of video playback.

Google also spoke tonight of a "powerful new recommendation engine" for the tablet - a widget that will recommend new entertainment options and get smarter the more you use it. The tablet will begin shipping in mid-July and includes $25 worth of credit to spend in Google Play.

In addition to The Nexus 7, Google's I/O conference in San Francisco also featured the first reveal of the Nexus Q, which is already being billed as the search engine giant's answer to Apple TV.

The Q is an Android-powered computer which connects to speakers and TVs and will provide a "cloud connected jukebox", with friends able to share their music library with their Q's owner. Like the Nexus 7, it will ship in mid-July - though for the US market only for now - and costs $299.