An Asus support executive has apparently been extremely liberal with information on the next-generation Nexus 7, a tablet co-produced with Google, revealing that it will be released this month and describing its specs in detail.
According to a report from NDTV Gadgets (via Focus Taiwan), a support executive from Taiwan-based Asus said the tablet will launch in July this year and leaked details of the Asus K009 – a rumored codename for the next-generation Nexus 7 – via live chat with an interested customer (who posted screenshots on his Google+ page).
The new version of the 7-inch device – which will apparently run on Android 4.3 – is reported to have a resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels, and will be powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 600 quad-core processor along with 2GB of RAM, according to the ASUS staffer.
It will also come with 32GB of internal storage and will be compatible with connectivity options including Wi-Fi, BlueTooth and LTE. Photos-wise, the new Nexus 7 will come equipped with a 5-megapixel rear camera and a 1.2-megapixel front-facing camera.
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It is impossible to verify this latest report, and it seems odd that a customer service representative would leak such details ahead of official confirmation, but it appears to be corroborated by news in April that said the new version of Nexus 7 could launch as early in July and would include a significant change under the hood with a Qualcomm chip replacing the Nvidia Tegra 3 of the original Nexus 7.
Back then, Reuters had reported that the tablet could be priced as low as $149 per unit — with the original Nexus 7 then discontinued — or it could retain the $199 price tag, in which case the cost of the original Nexus 7 would be reduced to encourage competition with Apple’s iPad range (which retails at upwards of $300) and Amazon’s Kindles (which start at $159).
Though the Nexus is probably due for a new launch, it remains to be seen if the speculation will prove correct. Apple is likely to be unveiling new products later this year (after releasing iOS 7 in beta last month), so Google could be a step ahead of a new iPad version – if one is forthcoming.
Image Credit: Jung Yeon-Je via Getty Images
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