Google has set a high target for the second serving of Nexus 7 come its rumoured release date on July 2013: For the Android tablet to sell eight million units by the end of the year.

According to Reuters, Google is all set to start shipment of second-gen Nexus 7s by start of Q3 2013, with a pre-determined goal of distributing the slates to eight million owners around the world.

Its appears that the internet giant is brimming with confidence on how it has cooked up the new Nexus 7, which will replace the 7-inch tablet that the firm had released last year.

The first Nexus was greeted with critical acclaim and relative commercial success, getting the nod of tech experts as the best Android tablet to come out in 2013 for its powerful specs and affordable price tag.

Consumers also rushed to scoop up the compact slate in big numbers, which caught Google by surprise. The company struggled to meet the heavy demands, thus tempering what would have been record sales for the Nexus 7.

This time around though, Goole is upbeat that it will do much better.

The company is keeping Asus as its manufacturing partner for Nexus 7, which rumours said will rollout in a Full HD 1080p display technology and better camera capabilities both in the software and hardware departments.

Sources also revealed that a Qualcomm chip will be the power behind the new Nexus 7 and it will be a choice between Snapdragon 600 and Snapdragon 800, CPUs that will be prominently used on top-notch smartphones to be released this year.

Yet the one thing that would really boost Google's chance of reaching the 8-millon sales mark for the Nexus 7 is the pricing.

It is likely that the tablet will sport a price tag similar to the first Nexus 7, at $US199. Or Google would be more aggressive, according to Gotta Be Mobile, and would price the slate at $US149 to thwart attempts by other manufacturers to undercut it market presence.

The Nexus 7 is expected to meet tougher competition by the second of the year, with tablets from giants like Apple, Samsung and Amazon coming out in successive waves of releases.