Google tablet delayed till July?
There’s been lots of talk about the first official Google tablet, but it looks like we’re going to have to wait a bit more for an unveil. Earlier reports had the tablet being announced at the CTIA Wireless Show in May, but it now looks like we won’t be seeing the device until July.
According to The Verge’s sources, the Google/ASUS co-tablet won’t be available till July at the earliest due to attempts at reducing prices. Google’s expected price tag was in the $149-$200 range, but in its current state the tablet has apparently been unable to dip below the $249 mark. As a result, some additional time is being taken to modify the device, which falls in line with what has been rumored about Google wanting to creep in on the $199 Kindle Fire market.
Unfortunately, it doesn’t look like the delay will bring Android 5.0 Jelly Bean to the device, as the sources indicated that the tablet is designed for Android 4.0 and anything else would cause a very significant delay. On the other hand, the hold-up may be indirectly linked to reports of a mini-iPad, and while we’re sure Google would like to know about possible competition, there has been no confirmation of that fact.
As it stands, the Google tablet is a joint venture with ASUS that will supposedly feature a 7” screen, an NVIDIA Tegra 3 processor and will not feature 3G. There is no official name for the tablet yet, though the Nexus moniker has been thrown around, and we’ll definitely be keeping our ears open for more info.