Google’s new Nexus 7 tablet targets Kindle Fire

Will Amazon’s Kindle Fire feel the heat of Google’s new Nexus 7 tablet, due out mid-July?

Google, in its first venture into the highly competitive world of tablets, announced Wednesday that its 7-inch screen Nexus 7, same size as the Kindle’s, will carry a price tag of $199, also same as Kindle’s.

It will run on a new version of Google’s Android operating system called “Jelly Bean” and will come with a front-facing camera, which the Kindle lacks.

The Nexus 7 also features a 1280 x 800 resolution screen for displaying books and other media available on Google’s Play service. It also features voice-activated typing and audio responses to verbal Internet searches.

The Google tablet, which the search engine company developed with Asustek Computer Inc., so far can be ordered on Google Play.

Kindle has the No. 2 tablet on the market behind Apple Inc.’s iPad, which starts at $399. Microsoft also recently unveiled its new tablet, Surface, which will operate off the new Windows 7 operating system and will feature a 10.6-inch screen.

In addition to the tablet, Google this week also unveiled a $300 device, called Nexus Q, that lets users stream content from its YouTube and Google Play services to Android devices.