Google's new tablet beats Apple's iPad

GOOGLE will fire a new weapon in the tablet war today, launching a revamped 7-inch tablet in Australian stores with a smaller form, greater resolution and cheaper price than Apple's newest tablet.

The inteet giant's tablet will also beat tablet leader Apple to the punch, with rumours swirling a new iPad announcement will not come until after the company's next iPhone announcement, now anticipated on September 20.

Google's new own-brand tablet, the Nexus 7 2013, will start appearing in Australian electronics stores today, and will feature the highest screen resolution of any 7-inch tablet, at 323 pixels per inch, will shave 50g off the previous model and 18g off an Apple iPad Mini, and will come in both wi-fi and 4G models.

The new tablet, manufactured by ASUS, will range from $299 for a 16GB wi-fi model to $439 for a 32GB 4G version, making it up to $180 cheaper than an equivalent iPad Mini in Australia.

Google's new tablet will cost significantly more in Australia than the United States, however, with prices between $70 and $90 more expensive.

Research firm Telsyte estimated more than 2.4 million tablets were purchased in Australia last year, a figure that will jump 50 per cent this year.

Telsyte research director Foad Fadaghi said smaller tablets, with screens between 7 and 9 inches in size, would outsell 10-inch tablets by 2014.