Google is rumored to issue a 7-inch Pure Android tablet this year that is known for now as Nexus 7 2016. The latest reports indicate that the device will not only unbox with premium build and design but also with game-changing features that are optimized for maximum productivity.
That the third Nexus 7 was designed for business use was already hinted in the first preview build of Android N, the Google mobile operating system rumored to debut with the device. Among the features revealed by the Android N beta build are Split Screen and Picture in Picture that essentially permit the running of two or more applications at the same time.
The feature upgrades encourage multitasking but according to 9to5Google more productivity features will be hardcoded with the Android Marshmallow replacement. The report pointed to the latest discovery of Ars Technica, which shared screenshots of a feature called Freeform Mode.
Freeform Mode is Android N boasting of desktop-like functions seen more optimized for use on Android tablet due to their large display. The feature when activated enables users to "open apps as resizable windows by going to the Recent Apps view," 9to5Google reported.
All the apps in use come with button that when clicked will make them float just like in a Windows user interface. And like in a desktop environment, the floating apps can be resized and dismissed when needed.
As mentioned, Android N's Freeform Mode is best experienced with powerful devices with supersized screens, which indicate two things for the Android crowd - that the next Nexus family of devices will continue to gain in terms of screen size and powerful inner components.
The Nexus tablet, for instance, will have to pack a mighty processing chip that according to rumors is a toss between Snapdragon 810 and 820. And to best handle extensive multitasking chores, the RAM provision of the vanilla Android tablet is likely no lower than 4GB.
Google has yet to provide the details on the rumored Nexus 7 2016 but speculations are rife that Huawei has already locked in a deal on the device that many imagined as the 7-inch version of the Nexus 6P. But HTC is believed to remain a solid contender on the project as the company is also rumored to manufacture Google's signature smartphones.
Google has set the I/O 2016 to start May 18 and the occasion is seen as the launch pad for Android N that likely will become version 7.0 of the OS. Following shortly is the Nexus 7 2016 release date as the device will be the showcase of the next Android.