AndroidTablets

Updated ASUS Nexus 7 expected for July introduction

nexus 7 front - for some reason we don't have an alt tag here

A little less than a year ago, Google released the original ASUS Nexus 7 a Google I/O. The tablet has been quite a hit, and is still one of the best value Android tablets on the marker. Of course, the usual one year refresh schedule would predict Google releasing a new Nexus 7 sometime this summer, and now two separate sources have given Reuters information suggesting that a refreshed Nexus 7 will in fact be released in July of this year, after Google I/O in May.

While the new Nexus 7 is said to still be made by ASUS, the latest reports confirm a previous rumor that the tablet will be powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon processor, replacing the Tegra 3 currently used in the device. The change may have been motivated by the lower power consumption of the Qualcomm chip, meaning that the new Nexus 7 should have even better battery life than the previous version.

In addition to the change in processors, the new tablet is said to have a higher resolution (not specified as 1080p) and thinner bezel, both of which have been rumored before and are logical upgrades for the device. Although previous information says that the new Nexus 7 will run an updated version of Jelly Bean, it is still possible that Google will release Key Lime Pie with the new Nexus 7, or at least mention the update.

The two sources didn’t agree on a price, with one claiming the new Nexus 7 will start at $199 and the current generation will drop to $149, and the other claiming that the new tablet will start at $149 and the old model will be discontinued entirely. While it would certainly be nice if the new Nexus 7 was priced at only $149, I think it more likely that the new tablet will occupy the same price brackets as the current tablet. This would probably result in the current Nexus 7 being sold at much lower prices, especially if Amazon releases a cheaper 7-inch tablet.

Most of the information provided by these sources seems reasonable and matches up with previous rumors we have heard, so I wouldn’t be surprised to see the new Nexus 7 in July. I’ll be interested in whatever Google announces, but my wish list for the new Nexus 7 includes only a 1080p display and rear camera. Key Lime Pie would obviously be great, but we will just have to wait and see what Google decides to do in terms of software.

[Reuters via The Verge]
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Aaron Orquia

Aaron Orquia is an associate editor at Pocketables. He has been using Android and Linux since he bought his first computer years ago, and his interest in technology, software, and tweaking both to work just right has only grown stronger since then. His current gadgets include a OnePlus One, a Pebble smartwatch, and an Acer C720 Chromebook.

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