The 2013 model of the Nexus 7 might have only just launched but, that hasn’t stopped rumors of the 2014 model starting up. In fact, we’ve already heard that LG are looking to produce the next Nexus 7 but, Lenovo and Samsung are new names to us. It’s clear that Google have good relationships with both LG and Samsung but, Lenovo? Well, Lenovo might be known for laptops outside of Asia but, that’s about it. While they make some quality smartphones for the East, like the K900, they’ve not broken into the States, let alone Europe.
According to DigiTimes Google is already eyeing up partners for their next Nexus 7 with three vendors vying for the deal, which is presumably going to be released in 2014. That’s hardly surprising, the Nexus 7 has proved itself as a brand that Google are confident enough to “refresh” every 12 months or so but the idea of partnering with Lenovo is a strange one. It’s not that Lenovo aren’t capable of creating decent products, in fact we just reviewed the IdeaTab A1000 and while it’s not great, it’s a solid offering to say the least. Could Lenovo create a Nexus 7 to rival the quality of this year’s model? Undoubtedly but, will Google want to partner with a relatively unknown brand? It’s an interesting question for sure.
When it comes to it though, we don’t think Google really cares who they partner with when it comes to the Nexus devices. LG had a great platform in the Optimus G and Google worked with them to create the Nexus 4, supply issues aside I’m sure those with a Nexus 4 are more than happy with it. As for ASUS and the Nexus 7, they had a decent platform that ticked all of the right boxes while still keeping the price down. It had a great display, okay build quality and was quick enough. This time around they’ve excelled themselves.
2014 is a long way off, and while it’s more than likely Google will be introducing a new Nexus 7, we have no idea who’s going to be building it, and frankly we don’t think it matters all that much. It’s not as if Google would choose a vendor that’s not capable of rising to the challenge.