Google's Nexus 7 tablet has been one of the most successful Android tablets to hit the market in recent times. It has the Nexus branding, which guarantees it will be the first to receive an Android update whenever Google chooses to release it. Nexus 7 also has a very attractive $199 price point. And now, a new report claims that Google will announce a new Nexus 7 in July and it will be priced slightly higher - $229.
When Google entered the tablet market last July with its Nexus 7 tablet, it took a different approach than Apple; it offered a smaller and less expensive tablet than Apple was offering. Consumers and Android fans alike were very impressed by the Nexus 7; it included some high-end specs, Nexus branding, and probably its most popular feature was its $199 starting price point.
It was widely believed that Google would follow up with a new Nexus 7 at last month's Google I/O Developers Conference, but the company didn't deliver. A new report now claims that Google will announce an updated Nexus 7 at a press event it will hold in July, just as it did last July by announcing the original Nexus 7.
DigiTimes is reporting that Google will unveil the second-generation Nexus 7 in July. The 16GB tablet will reportedly be a little more expensive than its predecessor - starting at $229. The source claims the reason for the price increase is due to Google not wanting to compete directly with entry-level Android tablets.
"As first-tier brand vendors have been trying to expand their sales through price cuts, Google is not looking to follow suit, but will instead focus on defending the US$199-249 segment of the 7-inch tablet market and target competitors such as Amazon and Apple," DigiTimes cited its sources as saying.
According to DigiTimes, Apple's iPad mini 2 (which is expected to debut this Fall) will focus on the high-end of small size tablets, while Google's Nexus 7 will address the mid-range market. Samsung will set its tablet sights on the mid- and entry-level market, and both Acer and ASUS will cater to the entry-level with their Android tablets coming in below $150.
Per the latest rumors, the new Nexus 7 will be the first tablet to run Android 4.3, and is expected to feature a 7-inch 1920 x 1200 display and will be powered by a 1.9GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon processor. It will also feature a 5-megapixel rear-facing camera, a 4000 mAh battery, and include Qi wireless charging out-of-the-box.
