The highly anticipated Nexus 7 (2016) could make its debut as soon as this month, at Google's upcoming developer conference.
Google I/O 2016 is scheduled to take place on May 18 to 22, and the latest Nexus could become official on the very first day of the conference.
While Google unveiled previous Nexus devices during the fall, the possibility of an earlier unveiling is not too farfetched. In an ever competitive market, companies are racing to push their products first so they get a head start against rivals. Samsung released its Galaxy S7 earlier than initially expected, and the strategy proved so successful that it reportedly plans to pull a similar early release scheme with its Galaxy Note 6 as well.
When it comes to upcoming Nexus devices, things are still a bit hazy for now as various reports hint at different expectations. Nevertheless, International Business Times now reveals that Google will take the wraps off the Nexus 7 (2016) at Google I/O this month, likely shooting for a commercial release by summer.
Further bolstering the claim of an imminent unveiling of a new Nexus is the fact that the HTC-made Nexus 9, which hit the scene back in 2014, was recently removed from the Google Store.
There's not a lot of solid information currently available regarding the upcoming Nexus 7 (2016), as the rumor mill spins a myriad of different theories. What we do know, however, is that it will serve as a launch vehicle for the new Android N, and it may have force touch capabilities baked in, as core OS codes previously revealed.
When it comes to the OEM that will be making the Nexus 7 (2016), current rumors hint at either Huawei or HTC. As a reminder, Huawei recently trademarked the Nexus 7P name, sparking speculation that it's cooking up a new device in collaboration with Google.
Opinions are mixed regarding just what that device may be. While some expect a tablet, succeeding the two Nexus 7 generations from Asus, others expect a smartphone that would come as the Nexus 6P successor.
When it comes to specifications, the Nexus 7 (2016) is rumored to sport a 7-inch QHD display and pack a Snapdragon 820 processor, 4 GB of RAM, expandable storage support of up to a whopping 2 TB, and the aforementioned pressure-sensitive display feature baked into Android N. Other rumors, meanwhile, claimed the device would feature an Nvidia Tegra X1 processor, not a Qualcomm one.
It remains to be seen just what the Nexus 7 (2016) will bring to the table and whether it will indeed be ready to break cover later this month, but we'll keep you up to date as soon as we learn more. In the meantime, take everything with a hefty grain of salt.
