14 DAY TRIAL // Google is apparently working on the third-gen Nexus 7, but recent information shows it won’t be an 7-incher but an 8-incher (Nexus 8) instead.
The Google Nexus 8 has been spotted in an ad for Android 4.4 KitKat ever since last year, and since then we have been hearing about it on and off.
A new tip coming to us via DigiTimes claims Google has been working on an 8-inch model instead of a 7-incher, blaming increased competition in this category and market saturation.
According to sources familiar with the matter, the tablet should be ready by the end of April with initial shipments set for two million units.
Apparently, due to the fact the second-gen Nexus 7 sales haven’t been what Google has expected them to be, with less than 3 million units being shipped worldwide, the search giant has decided to refocus its interests.
Thus, the third-generation Nexus 7 will be the Nexus 8 and Google is very likely to continue the collaboration with long-time manufacturing partner ASUS.
It has recently been speculated that the Nexus 8 might come out of Lenovo, since Google was rumored to be getting ready to axe the Nexus brand name in favor of the Play Edition moniker, or something else completely different altogether.
We have previously told you that the Nexus 8 is expected to follow today’s trend and incorporate an Intel Bay Trail-T chip, which might lower the price of the device.
Currently, the Nexus 7 2013 is priced at $229 / €169 and even at this affordable rate, the tablet sold lower than expected, especially compared with the first gen that managed to grab the attention of six million customers worldwide.