Google is on the verge of opening its own online tablet store to compete with the likes of Apple and Amazon according to reports out this week.
It’s believed the search engine giant would sell Android tablets made by manufacturers such as Samsung in addition to its own Google-branded tablet which has yet to be announced.
Launching its own online tablet store would put Google in direct competition with Amazon and Apple who already sell their respective Kindle Fires and iPads online.
In addition to upping the ante on its closest competition, Google is also opening its own online store in an effort to turn around sluggish sales of its Andriod-based tablets according to the Wall Street Journal.
It’s not the first time Google has attempted to break into the e-commerce market – in 2010 the firm decided to sell a specially designed Android-based Nexus One online, however the venture was short-lived after sales failed to live up to Google’s expectations.
It’s not yet known when Google will open its online tablet store, however it’s thought opening could tie in with the firm’s proposed $12.5 billion takeover of Motorola Mobility Holdings. Although the purchase has already been approved in the US and Europe, Google is still waiting to gain approval from the Chinese authorities.
Although Google is a long way off matching the runaway success of Apple’s iPad, figures show that their Android system is now the number one mobile operating system for smartphones ahead of Apple.
