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Rumors of a refreshed Nexus 7 have been making their way around the net for quite sometime now. In fact, we’re positive it’s coming. Soon. What we aren’t sure of is exactly how Google and ASUS are planning on refreshing the popular tab.
The latest rumor making the rounds is from the Taiwanese site Economic Daily who seems to have it on good authority that the device is looking towards a late July release. This date was also reported by Reuters in April and the oft hit-or-miss Digitimes back in June. Digitimes also mentioned that a 16GB model would be offered for $230. What’s interesting about the latest rumor is that they’re still going with the Snapdragon S4 Pro processor, as opposed to the Snapdragon 600 given by an ASUS support rep.
Perhaps the only spec we can be sure of at this point is a 5MP camera and LTE connectivity, both leaked in an FCC filing back in June. In either case, rumors have begun escalating that an iPad Mini refresh is also due out soon and if Google wants that competitive edge (aside from rock bottom low pricing), they’d better get a move on.
[EMSOne | Ggsoku | via GottBeMobile]
i have given up on the SD slot..I Just want the Full HD screen. i dont care for rear camera,i dont care for lcd vs led, i dont care for processor (as long as its better than Tegra3), i just want 1080p and at least 16gb with 32gb option..
Need at least a 32GB option or it’s not going to be considered here…
It needs more than 16GB if there’s no micro SD card slot. 32GB minimum, especially on a tablet.which I would use to store all my media files, like music and movies, IF I HAD ONE!
:(
I agree. 16gb w/o an SD card will fill up fast. Games aren’t stored in the cloud, they’re stored on the device. The same goes for other apps that I’ve DLed on my Androidified PalmPad (aka HP Touchpad)
1080 display?
Verizon LTE please!
Until Verizon screws it all up, and then you are complaining that you will never buy another Android device because it was a horrible experience. Google Nexus ring any bells?
Galaxy* Nexus, and for those who are tech-savvy, which I would argue most here are, it doesn’t matter, throw a custom ROM on it based on the latest version. You may get it later than the GSM devices, but you’ll get it earlier than Verizon gives it out. I can guarantee you that.
But if I am buying a Nexus device, and I want regular updates, then I don’t want to have to use ROMs. I have the Nexus 4, and I love it. If I had to use customer ROMs to get updates, I would be irritated.
One thing that keep me wondering until now is why people want higher resolution on a tablet? 720p on nexus 7 looks fine to me. Well this is honest question, is there advantage going for higher res for tablets? All i know high resolution can make the performance become sluggish. I read a review between HTC butterfly vs Samsung S3 that while the HTC were using much better processor than S3 the experience are much smoother on S3 because it only use 720p res instead 1080p on butterfly.
such a test cant be made properly when comparing two different skins. You’d have to compare two same skinned or non skinned devices… the best processor comparisons always happen when a manufacturer releases different versions, ex. snapdragon 600 vs exynos in galaxy s4 or tegra3 vs s4 in the HTC one X.
His comparison actually has merit though. It is known that phones which have a 1080p display require more processing power than those using 720p. It is also known that 720p screens give better battery life, partially because the processor doesn’t have to work as hard to process the content. If the processor has to work harder to produce the content, it is a fair conclusion to say a S4 Pro running a 720p display could run as well as a newer chip running a 1080p display. He isn’t trying to compare the processors, but the experience.
i guess i didnt word it as such, but the processor thing was just an example. My comment is still the same, and even more so for “experience.” You can’t accurate judge the experience of a 720p touchwhiz device running exynos vs the experience of a 1080p sense device using a snapdragon and different sized screens… there are just too many variables.
My point is the amount of you dont know “how taxing” 1080p vs 720p is… it could be incredibly minimal, especially if the screen is the same size.
The only true way to have a real test is to run a 720p stock device with a 7 inch screen vs a 1080p stock device with a 7 inch screen both with the same processor, other wise you cant say how much a 1080p device will slow down your phone./tablet.
I thought the same thing… now that I’ve had my Nexus 7 and Galaxy Nexus for quite some time, looking at the N7 is just flat-out unpleasant. Everything seems dimmer, blurrier and more washed out. I’m not even comparing it to the Nexus 4 or the GS4, just my lowly Galaxy Nexus, which isn’t known for having the greatest screen in the world.
Definitely looking to upgrade. Might consider 10″ this time and treat it as more of a laptop replacement (except for work stuff, which is why I still have a work computer).
Nexus 10, set a high standard not met by the 7
A higher PPI makes sense for those with the eyes to notice it, especially if you tend to hold your device closer to your face than average.
I want 1080p next because I’ve seen the diff in person, and I don’t want my 1080p vids downscaled to 720.
But are you watching 1080p videos? A 16GB model doesn’t even have enough room for 1 blu-ray quality video! You can compress it lower, but then you’re losing more quality anyway. You could get a bit better storage with better codecs, but not that much. I find it amusing that tablets, what should be ideal portable video players (in 2009 tablets were called “media players”, after all), come with high resolution displays but are stunted by lack of storage – 32GB max for the Nexus 7, no microSD – yet 10 years ago, a tiny mp3 player could have over 100GB with a small hard disk…
Streaming is no good either for most people’s data allowances, unless you’re on wifi. And if I’m at home, I’d rather use the big TV.
I’ll probably make do with USB OTG to get more storage, but most of my videos are in SD let alone 720p, and I’ll be in no hurry to want higher quality, when the tablet has so little storage.
This. I’ve been saying this for a year. A high resolution 480, think DVD, is about 4-5GBs. High resolution full 1080 is more like 30GB. If you’re putting a bunch of 1080 movies on a mobile device, you’re kidding yourself if you say you’re doing it for the quality. You can’t store those files high res, nor can you stream them. You’d have to go with a very compressed image. You’re stuck on a number, and the rest is placebo.
I would say it depends on what you’re using it for (and how good your eyes are). If you use it for a lot of reading and browsing and aren’t zooming, the extra resolution could make for a better experience.
While I wouldn’t want to do it on a 7″ screen, I’ve used an old 10″ tablet (1280×800 same resolution as my old 14″ laptop) w/ an external mouse/keyboard for some light coding if I’m out and about. I would love to see what that looks like on a Nexus 10. I bet using browsers/editors/IDEs/reading in general on 720 vs 1080 would be like night and day. It is when I have the laptop hooked up to a 1080 monitor.
I watch an even mix of 1080p and 720p from “various sources”. 1080p are mostly 5 to 10GB movies, and 720p are mostly 2 to 4GB 50min TV shows like Game of Thrones and Mythbusters.
And, yeah, I almost always stream it at home from our 3TB RAID NAS, when the TVs and computers are off at night, and everyone’s in bed. It’s mostly when traveling or showing off that having more storage for 1080p onscreen or output via hdmi is wanted.
To everyone complaining about storage space: OTG cables can help you
they allow you to connect a USB flash drive (also requires rooting or additional software)
Most of us would rather not have an annoying dingleberry hanging off our tablutt if we don’t have to.
Which would also increase the odds of dmging the usb port.
Bluetooth connectable hard drive works great too.
I have an 8GB N7 and it works great. I don’t know what people need so much storage for when everything is on the cloud these days.
Not everyone has unlimited data contracts. People might like to use tablets when on places like the underground. Then there’s going on holiday, with roaming fees.
What does a data contract, roaming or being underground have to do with Bluetooth?!?
Nothing, but the poster who mentioned Bluetooth also mentioned cloud storage.
I run out of room on SGN2 which has 11 GB dedicated to “internal Storage” (according to my Apps screen) and I’ve had to uninstall several Apps because of not enough room. An 8gb Tab, as you can see, will not work for me. Cloud works for Docs, but not for Apps.
launch, or be announced? Doing them simultaneously could be disastrous
Yeah, the Nexus 7 is a YEAR OLD…. Time for an update, I agree. 32GB option is essential as well. I am still rocking my 32GB touchpad with cm10, which doesn’t fill up completely, but certainly uses more than what would be on a 16gb.
I have to be honest, I’d be a bit disappointed with a snapdragon S4 Pro. It was great when I got my N4, but as much as I hate to say it, it’s kinda old now.
Well I doubt they are going to go with the latest and greatest if only to keep costs reasonable.
The Snapdragon 600 has been in the HTC One since march. It’s not really all that “new” anymore. It looks like the tegra 3 was out about half of a year before the original N7 came out. If they went with the 400, they’d be going with a processor over a year old. I’m still hopeful for the 600.
Well the Tegra 3 wasn’t technically the latest and greatest when the N7 came out, but I was arguing more on the side that the S4 Pro chip is similar to the 600 in benchmarks but not battery life so I’d assume they would go with a cheaper version to help keep costs down if they are upgrading the screen and adding a back camera. Sorry I wasn’t a little bit more clear.
True, I didn’t really account for the 600 being close to the Pro. Well, if it’s 1080p, I’m still in.
s4 pro processor? oh common Google.
1080p on a 7″ screen is a big wank. Understandable perhaps on a 10″ screen. S4 Pro should be ample power with 2GB RAM on a 720p screen.
1080p is smartphone territory now, 7″ tablets should be at least the same or what’s the point of having it?
What’s the point of having it on a smartphone anyways since most people can’t tell a difference? It’s a spec for specs sake so MFGs can say their phone has it.
Why are you guys bitching about the lack of an SD slot? Have you never heard of an OTG cable so you can connect a flash drive to your device?
Someone mentioned above they didn’t want an annoying dingleberry hanging off their tablet.
I’m getting rumor fatigue. Announce it already!
some people are claiming this will be $299 for the full HD screen and other higher end specs. If be happy with a 720p screen, new quad core and 2gb of ram for the same price.
i would buy this tablet if it had the 600 or s4 pro, i would not mind for either one.
Still waiting for a $300 8″ 1080P quadcore tablet!
i have been waiting for this mother flower for almost 3-4 months now. I was planning on buying a Nexus 7 before i move overseas because of the USAF and right before i was going to the store to buy i searched on the internet and there were rumors of the new Nexus 7 to be released sometime may or june, and so far nothing yet. Hurry up google and release this god damn tablet already.
S4 Pro.. not sure anymore if i want to get it.
Asus transformer pad infinity 2013 may crown the winner for me!
This tablet is more elusive than the Scarlet Pimpernel.
Front Facing Speakers or no thx.
They better have fixed the sluggishness problem on the new one. My old one is unusable most times, and I’ve tried all the supposed tricks and secrets out there, stuff that doesn’t work and shouldn’t have to be done in the first place. I had to reset that thing 20 times. Worked great for 6 months and then came to a slugs crawl.