While the worldwide market for Google’s Android operating system (OS) based tablets continues to expand and give Apple (News - Alert) iPads tough competition, media reports indicate that the search engine giant is also contemplating its own blend of hardware and software solution for this growing space. Speaking to an Italian daily newspaper “Corriere della Sera,” Google (News - Alert) executive chairman Eric Schmidt revealed plans to directly manufacture tablet devices and launch them within next six months, wrote eWEEK.com reporter Nathan Eddy.

As per Eddy’s report, the search engine giant is prepping a tablet of highest quality that can compete directly with Apple’s latest iPads. According to this report, “the Google tablet would likely be marketed under the company's Nexus brand, which also includes smartphones.” Meanwhile, Google’s Android OS is presently powering tablets produced by makers like Motorola (News - Alert), Samsung, HTC and Lenovo.

Cutting edge technology trends site SlashGear reports that with the slower adoption of most Android tablets compared to the iPads, this move is no surprise. SlashGear reporter Shane McGlaun wrote that for Google to give iPads tough competition, it must tightly couple the tablet’s high-end hardware with the latest version of Android (News - Alert) OS, which is version 4.0.

Meanwhile, DigitTimes posted a report on its technology blog that said, based on unnamed sources, Taiwanese PC vendors are concerned about Google’s launch of its own tablet when the the company is also working with major PC vendors in launching Ice Cream Sandwiched based tablet PCs in the first half of 2012.

According to eWEEK.com, iPad maker Apple is rumored to be releasing the third version of iPad in March or April next year. For last few months, media reports have indicated that Apple’s next version of iPad will include a higher-resolution display similar to the “retina display” used in latest models of iPhones. A small-screen version for an upcoming iPad is also rumored for 2012, wrote eWEEK.com.