Asus and Google may be getting ready to launch a next-generation Nexus 7 tablet. The original Nexus 7 was one of the best tablets money could buy when it launched last year. But the NVIDIA Tegra 3 processor and even the low $199 starting price are starting to show their age. Faster and cheaper devices abound these days.
Now it looks like a next-gen Nexus 7 may have passed through the FCC.
A new tablet called the Asus K009 showed up at the FCC website this week, and if you dig down into the test reports, the tablet is wearing the Nexus brand. The test reports also spill some of the details on the new tablet’s specs.
It’s expected to feature a 1.5 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro quad-core processor, WiFi, Bluetooth, and 4G LTE support, and front and rear cameras. The original Nexus 7 had only a front-facing camera.
There’s no word on the screen size or resolution, but Notebook Italia points out, the 4000mAh battery would seem to suggest that this is a 7 inch tablet. Models with bigger screens tend to have (and need) bigger batteries.
FCC
Meanwhile, some industry analysts suggest the new tablet could have a 1920 x 1200 pixel display and could ship in July for around $229.
Brad, are you sure this isn’t one of the two versions of the Asus Memo Pad FHD 10 inch tablet shown here: http://reviews.cnet.com/tablets/asus-memo-pad-fhd/4505-3126_7-35782641.html
You also talked about it here:http://liliputing.com/2013/06/asus-memo-pad-fhd-10-lte-tablet-to-sport-a-qualcomm-snapdragon-cpu.html
The Memo Pad FHD 10 has two versions…one Intel Atom Z powered, the other Snapdragon S4 Pro powered (wifi vs. LTE). Specs seem to line up and the label placement seems more in line with this 10 incher than a 7 inch Nexus 7. The only thing that’s throwing me off is the battery. Your thoughts?
Yeah, I’m with you on the drawing… but the drawings on these things aren’t always entirely accurate, and the 4000mAh battery and “nexus” wording in the test docs are suggestive.
Ultimately we probably won’t know for certain until Asus and/or Google makes an official announcement.
Ok, I’ve done some snooping and I think I’ve pretty much confirmed that these are indeed Asus MemoPad tablets and not the Nexus 7. If you dig up the old FCC certification for both the original Nexus 7 and the original Asus MemoPad 7 you’ll see that the MemoPad device ID is MSQK001 while the Nexus 7 is ME370T. The full Device ID on the tablet above is MSQK009…thus it is a MemoPad. A Nexus 7.2 would probably have a Device ID as ME470T or similar…starting with ME, not MSQ.
After some more research I think I’ve come around and do believe this is the new Nexus 7. I’ve accounted for all the new Memo Pad tablets with other FCC IDs…and now that the Bluetooth SIG image came out with the Snapdragon 600 mentioned it fits. Also read on one blog that this new N7 is 7.5mm thick compared to the old one which was over 10mm thick…so looks like this will be almost as thin as the iPad Mini.
oh noooo…, please use tegra 4 instead of snapdragon
It’s gonna be a Snapdragon 600…not the S4 Pro.
That is the same processor as in the nexus 4? I wonder how much ram, if it can output surround sound and 1080p from a port, if it supports aptx Bluetooth, among other things.
I was hoping for a Tegra 4, Miracast and an HDMI port.