Google's Nexus 7 tablet is said to set the bar high among competitors, Apple iPad and Amazon Kindle Fire. Reports say that the gadget will release as early as this Thursday, July 12.

According to Jobs & Hire, Staples retailers said shipping for the Nexus 7 will begin between July 12 and 17, according to the retail product page. Also, customers who preorder the Nexus 7 by July 10 can expect a tablet within one to three business days, arriving no earlier than July 13.

According to Slash Gear, the tablets also have pre-orders set off for Office Depot, which also said that shipping will begin on July 12^th or after.

The Nexus 7 has a 7-inch screen and is good competition with rival Apple iPad. According to Jobs & Hire, the device has powerful hardware and a useful design to "bolster" customer experience. It's a very convenient size considering its dimensions, and it provides the same features as bigger tablets bringing the web, email, games, and social media feeds to users' fingertips. The device also brings to life a 1280x 800 IPS touchscreen, comparable to the third generation iPad.

The most attractive feature of the Nexus 7 is the affordable price tag. The tablet with 8GB of storage costs $199.99. The one with 16GB of storage costs $50 more. This compares to Apple's larger iPad, which costs $499.

The Nexus 7 also has great software performance. According to Jobs & Hire, Amazon's Kindle Fire and Barnes & Noble's Nook tablet are known for facing slow animations and screens, while Nexus 7 does not have those problems. It is the first quad-core 7-inch tablet, which smoothly and clearly loads magazines, books, music, websites, and apps with no problem.

In comparison with the Kindle Fire, both work only with a Wi-Fi connection, and the screens are the same size. However, the Nexus 7 has a resolution of 1280 x 800 pixels, while the Kindle Fire's has 1024 x 600, according to Bloomberg.

The Nexus 7 is also thinner and 18% lighter. It also has a camera and Bluetooth, both which the Kindle Fire doesn't have. The tablet also has a GPS.

Apple and Kindle will keep up with their rival Google competitor though.

Apple is coming out with a smaller iPad, the iPad Mini, which is expected to release this fall according to various reports. The iPad Mini will have a 7 to 8 inch IGZO display with 330 pixels per inch. They will also be more affordable than the current iPad. The price has yet to be determined.

Reports said that Amazon is coming out with Kindle Fire 2, which will be thinner and lighter than the original. The new Kindle will be fit to display a 1280 x 800 pixel resolution, which will make it sharper and more vibrant. No one knows the price as of now. This tablet is expected to release on August 7 of this year, reports said.