WASHINGTON — Google threw down the gauntlet boldly earlier this week with an announcement that proves once again Apple is the team to beat.

While speaking with an Italian newspaper, Google Executive Chairman Eric Schmidt said the new tablet his company plans to roll out in 2012 is an “iPad killer,” reports TheWeek.com.

“In the next six months we plan to market a tablet of the highest quality,” he said. “You will see a brutal competition between Apple and Google Android.”

But it’s going to be an uphill climb. Apple’s iPad made up almost two thirds of the tablet market last year, according to a report from The Guardian, selling 11.1 million units in 2011’s third quarter.

This isn’t the first time a tech powerhouse has tried to take on Steve Jobs’ handheld creation. The Kindle Fire and Barnes & Noble Nook tablet — both using Google’s Android operating system — were made available in time for Christmas. Their releases kickstarted Android’s wavering success to an expected 40 percent of tablets.

But TheWeek.com is dubious Google will be able to sink the Apple’s ship, particularly in an ever increasingly competitive market. Follow this link for the five points Google should consider, including its rocky history developing hardware, and potential to anger its partners.

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