The tablet wars

Apple’s iPad is the undisputed champion of tablet computers, but two new heavyweights are stepping into the ring. Google, whose core business is web search, is moving further into the hardware business with the Nexus 7, scheduled to be released in July. The seven-inch tablet will be thinner and lighter than the competition, and Google hopes to attract customers with its $209 price tag. (Apple’s latest generation iPad starts at $499). Microsoft also unveiled a tablet this month. The Surface will have a built-in keyboard on the screen cover, though the software giant left out several key details at its unveiling, including the cost. Apple owns 62 per cent of the tablet market, but there is plenty of room for rivals. Global tablet sales are forecast to reach 119 million units in 2012, almost twice as many as last year, according to Gartner Inc. There’s lots left to fight over.

Correction: An earlier version of this article incorrectly stated that the Microsoft Surface would run on an Android operation system.