A report from Digitimes has suggested that ASUS and Google’s highly anticipated follow-up to the Nexus 7 could be launched as soon as late this month, with the tech blog citing "Taiwan-based supply chain makers" in forecasting a July-August release frame. The second-gen slate could, continues the report, feature a 7-inch 1980×1200 resolution display, a Qualcomm Snapdragon 600 SoC and unlike the first version, a rear-facing camera. More details can be found right after the jump.
The Google-branded ASUS Nexus 7 has been something of a revelation since releasing in the middle of last year. With an HD display, powerful quad-core processor and Android Jelly Bean out of the box, it was not only powerful, but with a price point comparable to a mid-range devices, many consumers rushed out to grab the 7-inch slab.
Despite offering so much for such an economic price, the device did have its faults. As an owner of the original Nexus 7 myself, I have always been disappointed by the build quality, but that isn’t the main issue here. In packing only a front-facing camera, the two companies behind the tablet missed a trick, particularly in this Instagram Age of taking and sharing photos every five minutes. The front snapper was okay to all intents and purposes, but such are the limitations of front-facing cameras due to lack of space, that its performance is below par at best.
The Digitimes report suggests its successor will be seeing a 5-megapixel rear camera, which would allow the growing army of amateur photographers to enjoy a more pleasant experience, and with the Wi-Fi models expected to hit the price point of between $199 and 249, it will be just as affordable as the current Nexus 7.
With Digitimes being famously hit-and-miss with these scoops, we’ll wait for some solid evidence before making our plans for future tablet purchases. With that said, we’re at around the period of the year in which Google began selling the Nexus 7 in 2012 over at the Play Store, so we keenly await further information or, if the report is legit, an official announcement.
The only thing that makes this report somewhat credible is the fact that we saw a similar report back in January of this year that a 1080p display Nexus 7 is definitely on its way, but would see a May release. May is long gone, let’s mark our calendars for July / August.
If the new Nexus 7 is a more powerful device with a stronger processor and rear camera as touted, would you consider picking one up? Do share your thoughts below!
(Source: Digitimes)
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