Google just confirmed plans to release its own tablet computer, the Nexus 7, in partnership with computer maker Asus, based on the next version of the Android operating  system, Android 4.1 Jelly Bean.

With a 7-inch screen, the device will come in two models: 8GB for $199 and a 16GB version for $249. At those prices, it’s clearly more of a rival to Amazon’s Kindle Fire than to Apple’s iPad or Microsoft

The screen resolution 1280×800 HD. The device comes with a front-facing camera and a quad-core Nvidia Tegra 3 processor. It comes with with a $25 gift certificate for the Google Play store.

Google says orders start today for the $199 device, and it’s expected to start shipping in mid-July.

The company is unveiling the device at its Google I/O conference in San Francisco right now, but the official specs and pricing leaked earlier by way of an official video and product pages from the company that have since been taken down.

Update: Here’s the introductory video …

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