In December of 2011, Google chairman Eric Schmidt let out a big announcement in an interview, “In the next six months we [Google] plan to market a tablet of the highest quality”. I had a long discussion awhile ago with good friend and fellow blogger (Lasha of Onefusedlife.com) during the release of the first wave of Android powered tablets that Google, itself would have to enter. Google would have to do for Android tablets, as they had with Android smartphones with their Nexus line. Do them justice.

Over the last couple years, we have seen the high end of Android tablets with the Samsung Galaxy Tab, Asus Transformer and Motorola Xoom, and recently the low end with the Kindle Fire and Nook Tablet. I speculate that a Google Nexus tablet will fit comfortably right in the middle and that is the sweet spot.

Consumers want simplicity, great product support and most of all, affordable pricing. Most current, if not all, Android tablets only focus on one of these desires. Apple, the current king of tablets, has smartly met the first two wants but it comes at a premium price. With an Android 4.0 powered tablet with mid-range hardware at a price between $199 to $299, Google can deliver on all three fronts. It will be a Nexus branded tablet, so you’ll get software updates and with Ice Cream Sandwich, you’ll have the most user friendly version of Android yet.

Even if the Nexus tablet doesn’t become a runaway success, it will create a benchmark. Before the Google Nexus One, you had phones like the HTC G1. OEM’s didn’t truly harness the power of Android. After the Nexus One, we got phones like the HTC EVO 4G which could go head to head with the Apple iPhone. Google will once again show Android device makers what they can do with the mighty Android mobile OS and in that take precious market shares from Apple and their iPad.