New Nexus 7 tablet to launch in July: report

An Asus technical support executive accidentally confirmed the upcoming launch and the internal specifications of Google's next tablet.

An Asus technical support executive accidentally confirmed the upcoming launch and the internal specifications of Google's next tablet.

According to ndtv gadgets, the Asus employee revealed the details to an interested customer during a live chat (that the customer subsequently posted to their Google+ profile as a series of screen grabs).

The information appears to confirm earlier reports that the display will be bumped up to HD standards, that it will have a Qualcomm chip (which will enable it to access 4G LTE mobile internet) and that it will have both front and rear-facing cameras (the original Nexus 7 only had a front-facing camera for making video calls).

Other specs include 2GB of RAM and 32GB of internal storage but no way of expanding the memory: traditionally, Nexus devices don't feature a MicroSD Card slot and it appears the new tablet is no exception. The original Nexus 7 was launched in June 2012 and essentially created the 7-inch tablet market. Its popularity is believed to have been one of the driving forces behind Apple's decision to enter the market with the iPad mini in October 2012.

In terms of pricing, Google is expected to sell the device for around $200 for fear of being caught up in a price war with an ever-growing number of cut-price tablets. However, there are also persistent rumors that the company may also continue to sell the original Nexus 7 at a dramatically reduced price.