Google has started selling its Nexus 7 tablet in the Indian market through the Google Play Store. At the time of writing this post, only the 16GB Wi-Fi version of the tablet is available on the store, at a price point of Rs. 15,999. The tablet will be shipped by 5 April if one places an order today. The price does not include shipping charges, which are calculated at checkout, but you need to pay through your credit or debit card. We did not see any extra shipping charges on the payment screen.
The development comes close on the heels of Google Executive Chairman Eric Schmidt's India visit during which he promised that Google will soon sell Nexus devices in the Indian market and that it wanted a fully serviced market.
Interestingly, this is not the first time that the tablet is being launched in India. In November 2012, Asus, the company that manufactures the tablet, had
started selling limited quantities of the device, through Croma Retail stores, for a price of Rs. 19,999.
The Nexus 7 was first showcased in June 2012 and went on sale from mid-July. At the time of its launch, the 8GB Wi-Fi version of Nexus 7 was available for $199, but it has since been replaced by a 16GB version at the same price. The tablet runs Android Jelly Bean (version 4.1) and is powered by the Nvidia Tegra 3 quad-core processor, which clocks at 1.3 GHz. The Nexus 7 comes with a 7-inch IPS display screen with a resolution of 1280x800 pixels and pixel density of 216 ppi. The tablet has 1GB of RAM, a 1.2 megapixel front camera and a 4325 mAh battery. It also includes NFC functionality.
The price of the Nexus 7 is a bit higher compared to the tablet's price in the US but there are other factors such as transit costs and import duties that have to be taken in consideration. It would be interesting to see if Google also starts offering the Nexus 4, its flagship smartphone, and the Nexus 10, the company's 10-inch tablet, in the Indian market.
Google Nexus 7 in pics