It’s no secret that rumors pretty much sustain the tech news industry. We keep our ears open, listening for all the juicy tidbits and then we whip up a lovely little feature when we learn something. That’s essentially how this all works. It should come as no surprise then that the following report is based on a series of unconfirmed reports.
Google is supposedly gearing up to create the next generation of their infamous Nexus 7 tablet if they haven’t already. Many seem to believe that it will launch later this year, probably sometime close to the annual Google I/O Developers conference. As always, the I/O is set to kick off in May, which means if Google is readying a new Nexus 7, they better move fast.
So far, we believe the Nexus 7 may be equipped with a 1080p full HD display, and a quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon processor. This time around, we might actually see 4G LTE support integrated into the Nexus 7 also. Wouldn’t that be something? Where is this rumor coming from, you ask? Where did the NVIDIA Tegra chipset go, you ask?
According to Digitimes, Google and Asus decided not to use NVIDIA’s Tegra processor this time around, simply because Qualcomm’s chipset includes an integrated 4G LTE radio. If that’s the case, then it looks like they certainly have 4G support planned.
Even though, NVIDIA did just announce the Tegra 4i processor, which includes integrated LTE support, it’s likely that they won’t be ready for a commercial release by May, which would be the ideal launch time for Google.
Furthermore, if Google and Asus decide to ditch NVIDIA, the company may encounter some tough times ahead in regards to unit shipments. Analysts predict that NVIDIA could even see shipments drop by as much as eight million units. Ouch.
If Google does, in fact, decide to use a Qualcomm chipset in the next generation of the Nexus 7, will that prevent any of you from purchasing one? Would you rather go with another Tegra powered tablet? Weigh in with your thoughts below!
To be perfectly honest, I’m not sure which chipset I would rather see in the next gen Nexus 7.