Google’s New Nexus Offerings

 Google is trying out a new pricing structure for its latest Nexus 4 smart phones, Nexus 7 tablet devices and the larger Nexus 10 tablet that features a new 10-inch screen.

Not to be outdone by Apple in the month leading up to the critical holiday gift and gadget giving season, Google has just taken the wraps off its a new Nexus phone, tablets and Android operating system in an effort to keep up with all the buzz that Apple has recently enjoyed with the release of its newest Windows 8, Surface, the iPad, iPad mini and iPhone 5. The new Nexus 4 will be the fourth Google phone to hit the market that has been designed and manufactured by its Android partner LG, although this time Google is trying something different in its marketing approach when it comes to pricing for the new devices which are slated to go on sale on November 13th at online outlets.

Google's Nexus phones have never quite matched the success of Apple’s phones, but with the launch of the new Nexus 4 phone Google is trying a new pricing strategy that will allow consumers to purchase the phone for just $299 without signing any contracts. The new price is less than half of what it costs for a similar, unlocked, high-end Apple smart phone iPhone5 that sells for about $650 in most places today. However, there is a bit of a catch in that Google has indicated that the $299 price only applies to the base model Nexus 4 that comes equipped with just 8 gigabytes of storage, an amount that is around half of the power that most high-end smart phones employ today. The more powerful 16 gigabyte model of the Nexus 4 will cost a bit more at $349, although T-Mobile customers can get the 16 GB version of the Nexus with a two-year contract for just $199. In the way of details, Google has not said a whole lot about the new Nexus phone except that it will have a super fast quad-core mobile processor and a larger 4.7-inch screen.

Google's latest Nexus devices will be offered in three sizes with the smallest being the phone, followed by the medium-sized Nexus 7 tablet and the much larger Nexus 10 tablet with a new 10-inch screen topping the list. The Samsung-built Nexus 10 tablet will feature 300 pixels per inch, a number that Google says is the highest-resolution screen for any tablet device including the new iPad with Apple's Retina display that offers a 264-pixels per inch screen.

The Nexus 10 will support multiple user accounts, enabling several different users or a whole family to share the device and still maintain separate apps and settings for each different user. The Nexus 10 will also come with built-in stereo speakers and a battery that will last up to nine hours. Again, Google is keeping a lid on the retail prices for the #10 tablet with the 16 gigabyte version going on sale on the Google Play store for $399, and the 32 GB model selling for $499, a price that undercuts a comparable iPad by about $100. The Nexus tablets will be dedicated to working on the AT&T network that is not compatible with the Verizon or Sprint networks. The Nexus 7 tablet will also get an upgrade with a new 32 GB version of the seven-inch Asus device available with AT&T's 3G-HSPA+ service that sells for $299. The pricing structures are something new for Google and as Andy Rubin, one of the firm’s Android gurus said in a recent blog post, "We think today's devices offer the very best that money can buy." Google announced the availability of its new devices in several blog posts instead of the formal launch event that had been planned to take place this week in New York, but had to be canceled due to the threat of severe weather on the East Coast from Hurricane Sandy.