For consumers who don't live and breathe Android, the market can be confusing. There are dozens of phone models, many running different versions of the Android operating system.
The Android tablet market is a little less confusing. There are fewer models out there, probably because slate makers haven't figured out how to make a decent buck selling the tablets. Amazon has found a way to move its Kindle Fire: Sell it at a loss.
Now that Google is poised to
enter the Android tablet market, a question that's being raised in many observers' minds is: Will this move reduce or augment market fragmentation?
Google is expected to start selling a seven-inch Android tablet sometime in
July at a price--$200--that will make it competitive with Amazon's Fire. The units would be sold directly to consumers through an
online store operated by Google. In addition to Google's tablets, slates from other manufacturers will eventually be sold through the store.