Google is reportedly working with Huawei on a new-generation Nexus 7 tablet that could make its debut as early as May 2016.
The company launched two generations of the Nexus 7 slate so far, both made in collaboration with ASUS. The second-generation Nexus 7 launched back in 2013 and no new model has hit the scene since, but that could well change next year.
Google will reportedly release a new Nexus 7 (2016) in May, and this time it will work with Huawei rather than ASUS. Google and Huawei already launched a device together, introducing the Nexus 6P earlier this year, and apparently had a fruitful collaboration if a second device is in the cards.
None of it is official for now, but reports of an upcoming Google Nexus 7 (2016) tablet from Huawei started making rounds recently and are now intensifying. The fact that the current Nexus 7 (2013) got hefty discounts further adds fuel to the fire.
Not too long ago, the ASUS-made Nexus 7 (2013) dropped its price to just $99.99 on Groupon, marking a massive discount. That offer is no longer available now, but the Nexus 7 (2013) is still affordable, as the current price on Groupon is $119.99 instead of $218.
The next-generation Nexus 7 (2016) is expected to come with flagship specifications and the latest version of Android, drawing inspiration from the recently-released Google Pixel C tablet.
After we reported that the Google Pixel C benchmark surfaced ahead of its official launch, Yibada took it as a hint toward the upcoming Nexus 7 (2016), expecting similar specs for the unannounced Huawei tablet.
International Business Times, however, recently reported that the Nexus 7 (2016) may pack Huawei's Kirin 950 chipset (we previously heard of a Kirin 930), while its 7-inch display should sport a resolution of 2,560 x 1,800 pixels. That's where things get confusing. If the Nexus 7 (2016) will be based on the Google Pixel C, it may have an Nvidia Tegra X1 processor rather than a Kirin one.
Moreover, if the Nexus 7 (2016) does share some core specs with the Google Pixel C apart from resolution and processor, that could also mean only 2GB of RAM and not 3GB as previously rumored. On the software side, the next-generation Nexus 7 tablet should run Android 6.0 Marshmallow out of the box, just like the Pixel C.
It's all still a bit hazy for now, and with no official confirmation it's even tougher to determine just what specs the Nexus 7 (2016) will offer. Judging by the existing Nexus 7 tablets, the upcoming model should maintain the affordability aspect while offering quality performance, but take all speculation with a grain of salt for now.
