Google tablet confirmed by Asus Bloomberg earlier reported that Google would launch a tablet at its developer conference this week, taking direct aim at Apple Inc's iPad, citing two people familiar with the matter. One of the sources said the 7-inch tablet would showcase new features of Android. Price, specifications or launch timetable have not yet been confirmed. Google declined to comment. Apple's iPad had a 68 per cent share of the market in January-March, according to data from IDC. Amazon had a little over 4 per cent, lagging Samsung Electronics and Lenovo. Microsoft last week introduced its own line of tablet computers, marking a major strategic shift for the software giant as it struggles to compete with Apple and re-invent its aging Windows franchise. Google has previously worked with hardware manufacturers HTC and Samsung to produce co-branded Android mobile phones under the Nexus brand. This would be its first such tablet device. Commentators remained sceptical about Google's chances, however. "When you look at the tablet market, you have iPad - and others," said Rhoda Alexander, an analyst at industry researcher IHS iSuppli. Everybody is trying to figure out how to compete against the iPad. And I just see it as just one more experiment going down that road. Gartner expects the iPad to remain the global tablet leader until at least 2016, even as it loses some market share. The iPad will account for an estimated 46 per cent of shipments in 2016, down from a projected 61 per cent this year. Android may have 37 per cent by 2016, a gain from 32 per cent. Microsoft, which had zero per cent of the tablet market last year, is expected to capture 12 per cent by 2016.