While many expected Wal-Mart would be the next retail chain to break into the tablet game after the company dropped Amazon's Kindle Fire tablets from its stores, it looks like Best Buy has beaten them to the punch. The electronics giant will release its first tablet, the 9.7-inch Insignia Flex, exclusively through its stores on Nov. 11, according to Reuters.

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Citing an unnamed "source familiar with the matter," Reuters claims the Insignia Flex may sell for between $239 and $259.

If accurate, that price tag puts it just below its nearest competitors in the tablet market. The 8.9-inch Kindle Fire HD tablet starts at $299, the 9-inch Barnes & Noble Nook Tablet starts at $269.00, and Apple's iPad, which dominates the market, starts at $499.

Best Buy first announced its first ever in-house made tablet last week on Facebook through its Insignia brand. The company already makes home audio equipment, televisions, digital picture frames and tablet accessories under the brand.

The Insignia Flex will run Google's Android Ice Cream Sandwich - the second-latest version of the operating system - and will have a dual-core 1GHz processor. It also has a 10-hour battery life.

Best Buy seems to be teasing the exact specs of its device, releasing scant details on the product, but the details it has released don't seem to present too serious a threat to the iPad or Amazon's Kindle Fire HD.

Of course, Best Buy could always surprise everyone with some unique features, specs, or apps.

Overall the Flex looks to be Best Buy's assumption that there are plenty of consumers out there that want a larger tablet for browsing and reading, and not much more. Kudos to them if they can get people to pay that much for such a barebones tablet, but,  if the specs are accurate, we can't see the Flex legitimately competing with too many of the big boys, especially considering Google is widely expected to release a $99 version of its tremendously popular Nexus 7 tablet by the end of 2012.

Considering Apple is likely releasing its iPad Mini on Nov. 2, according to a report from GeekyGadgets, with a rumored starting price of $322, you really begin to wonder what Best Buy was thinking in pricing the Flex. If the current reports of the tablet costing between $239 and $259 are to be believed, it's not too much of a jump to assume customers already willing to pay that much for a  barebones browsing/reading tablet would also be willing to pay a little more for a device that can do the same and more.  Granted, Best Buy's prediction that a sizable niche out there is more concerned tablet size than price and features could be correct.

But, if the company is wrong it could leave Best Buy's device in a veritable dead-zone between more expensive tablets that have larger libraries of content and apps, and more advanced features, and cheaper, smaller-sized tablets that offer a "barebones" experience at half the price.

Google Nexus 7 Specs

The latest rumors indicate that Google could be deviating from its relationship with ASUS in order to release an even cheaper $99 version of its hugely popular Nexus 7 tablet. Google is scheduled to unveil a Nexus tablet model for $99 in the fourth quarter of 2012, according to Digitimes, citing Taiwan-based supply chain makers.

"The US$99 Nexus tablet is equipped with an ARM-architecture single-core processor 8950 developed by China-based WonderMedia Technologies, and a HUVA TN panel made by Taiwan-based HannStar Display, the sources said. The tablet will be produced by Taiwan-based Quanta Computer," said Digitimes

Display
Type - 7 in, IPS TFT active matrix - LED backlight
Display Resolution - 1280 x 800 ( 216 ppi )
Features - Scratch-resistant surface, Corning Gorilla glass

Operating System
Android 4.1 Jelly Bean

Processor
NVidia Tegra 3, Quad-Core

Memory
Flash Memory- 8 GB
RAM - 1 GB

Wireless Connectivity
NFC, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi

Camera
Front-facing Camera - 1.2 Megapixel

GPS Navigation
GPS receiver

Expansion and Connectivity
Interfaces - 1 x Micro-USB

Battery
Capacity - 4325 mAh
Run Time - 10 hour(s)

Miscellaneous
Sensors - Gyro sensor, Accelerometer, Magnetometer

Dimensions & Weight
Width 7.8 in, Depth 10.45 mm, Height 0.4 in, Weight 0.7 lbs

Amazon Kindle Fire HD Specs

Screen
1920x1200 HD display with polarizing filter and anti-glare technology for rich color and deep contrast from any viewing angle.

Audio
Exclusive Dolby audio and dual stereo speakers.

Under the hood
High performance 1.5Ghz dual-core processor with Imagination PowerVR 3D graphics core.

Wi-Fi
Dual-band, dual-antenna Wi-Fi for 40% faster downloads and streaming, when compared to iPad 3.

Extra
Over 22 million movies, TV shows, songs, magazines, books, audiobooks, and popular apps and games. Integrated support for Facebook, Twitter, Gmail, Hotmail, Yahoo! and more, as well as Exchange calendar, contacts, and email. Free unlimited cloud storage for all your Amazon content . Kindle FreeTime: a personalized tablet experience just for kids. Set daily screen limits, and give access to appropriate content for each child. Free on every Kindle Fire HD. Coming next month

Camera

Front-facing HD camera

iPad Mini specs

7.8 inch screen with 1,024 x 768 resolution. The resolution will probably not be retina display, but it is possible it would have the same ppi as found on the iPad 2. The tablet would be able to handle all the apps. The design will stick to the same aesthetics of the iPhone 5 with an anodized aluminum back plate rather than a plastic build.

It will have two cameras, one front facing, for FaceTime or other video chat applications, and another, higher resolution rear-facing camera on the back. Sports a lightning port connector, like the iPhone 5. Likely an A6 processor, although, some sites are suggesting it may be an A5 like the iPad 2.