When Apple unveiled the iPad Mini two weeks ago, it spent a good deal of time trashing the competition: Google's Nexus 7 tablet.

Most of the attention focused on Android's lack of tablet-optimized apps. (Many of the apps you use on Android tablets are blown up from the smartphone version.)

It's a valid point, expecially now that Google has a new 10-inch tablet, the Nexus 10.

In a Q&A with Brian Chen of the New York Times, Google's director of business development for Android, John Lagerling, goes into why there still aren't many tablet-sized apps for Android.

Here's the key part of his answer:

But before, I’ll be honest and say, yes, there was a lack of tablet apps that supported bigger screen real estate. But I’ll add that, I know we talked about the Cupertino guys, but obviously people who have smartphones are a huge target for us. If you look globally that’s something we worry more about, not so much about competing with other smartphones, but more about, how can we get more people onto the Internet on mobile phones? And that’s a big deal. That’s why low cost is so important.

Interesting answer.

It seems like Google feels smartphones are more important than tablets, which begs the question, "Why sell tablets in the first place?"

It sounds like Google is making excuses for its lack of big-screen apps. A few weeks ago it had to start coaxing developers to optimize their apps for tablets. That's not a good sign.

However, it seems like things are getting better. Lagerling also says the Nexus 7, which launched in July, has incited a new interest in tablets apps for Android.

Lagerling says a lot of cool things about Android in the interview, so you should read the rest on NYT >