A new Google Nexus 7 is in the works and Huawei is likely to manufacture it. (Photo : Reuters/ Stephen Lam)
Google's Pure Android flagship phones made a huge jump last 2015 with the Nexus 5X and 6P. The devices debuted to critical acclaims that triggered speculations the Nexus tablet will take on the same route this 2016 - the slates will unbox packed with specs and features that will match the industry leading iPad Mini 4 and Air 2.
As early as last year, rumors have emerged saying that Google has a new Nexus tablet blueprint that will produce a compact and premium tablet. The device is aimed to end the iPad monopoly and that a Chinese manufacturer will be a partner to the project. Huawei is said to have been picked for its impressive work on the Nexus 6P. For now, the device is codenamed Nexus 7 2016 as it is likely to sport a 7-inch screen profile.
However, a recent report by GreenBot is stretching the Nexus tablet scenario a bit. The story floated the idea of a Nexus 2016 tablet release that is similar to that of the Nexus 2015 smartphones. There will be two models and taking a direct page from last year they will be named Nexus 7X for the 7-inch build and Nexus 8P for the more premium finish with an 8-inch display panel.
The 7X, GreenBot said, is expected to implement some form of restraint when it comes to the hardware spec as it will be the more affordable option. The build material, like that of the Nexus 5X, is plastic but with premium finish, which will be made possible by the use polycarbonate. It will be powered by a Snapdragon 808 and 2GB of RAM with the screen resolution set to 2K. And it would not hurt if the rear shooter is equipped with a 5-megapixel sensor.
The Nexus 8P, on the other hand, is a slight step up as proposed by GreenBot. The main engine has to be the SD 820 with 4GB of minimum RAM provision. The display is Quad HD with the main camera shooter no less than 8MP. This slate is the high-end flavor to it has to wrapped in metal and glass, and since the 8P will mostly likely end up as the scaled up version of the Nexus 6P Huawei will be the best candidate to put the device together.
As for the Nexus 7X, Google can always tap OEMs previously involved with the Nexus projects and the likes of Asus, HTC and Lenovo quickly come to mind.
And to really make the next-generation vanilla Android tablets more compelling than in the past, Google needs to make sure that Android N, rumored as the sequel to Android Marshmallow, is fully optimized for tablet computing experience. Among the bumps that should be part of the next Android for tablet is fingerprint scanner, the GreenBot report said.
Google has confirmed that its 2016 I/O Developers Conference will kick off May 18 and the occasion will likely introduce the Android N or version 7.0 final cut. Rumors say the same event will introduce the Nexus 7 2016 tablets, which somehow hints that release date could follow as early June.
