Nexus 7 Build Number 3 Will Drop the Asus Brand, Google to Tap LG for the Rumoured Nexus 7 3 with Retina – Analyst
Google is training its eye this early for the third version of the Nexus 7 tablet, likely with high-resolution Retina panel, but its two-year partnership with Asus of Taiwan will probably end in the latest iteration, a new report said.
Fresh from the second Nexus 7 release date last week, the tech giant is reportedly drawing up plans to build the third edition 7-inch Android slate, coveted for its affordable pricing, upscale components and native Android rendition, which is Jelly Bean 4.3 in the case of the latest output.
Obviously, Google is buoyed by the reception generated by the latest Nexus toy but the positive feedbacks so far pouring in are not stopping the company from revising the existing Nexus 7 model.
In fact, according to Ming-chi Kuo of KGI Securities, there is a possibility that Google will switch from one manufacturer to another for the 2014 Nexus 7 model. That means Asus is winding down its collaboration with the tech giant beginning this year. The Asian device maker assembled the first two Nexus 7s with mixed results.
While it earned plaudits for cooking up a gadget with the right components that Google can retail at attractive price points, the build quality of the major iPad Mini rival some was put into question. In the first undertaking, there were claims that the device was dying out too soon because Asus installed cheap memory chips on the tablet.
Then in the latest version, reports emerged that the Nexus logo printed at the back was warping following some minutes of charging.
But none of the above reasons were cited by Mr Kuo for Google's impending shift. It appears that the Nexus maker is looking to improve on the screen display technology that will be deployed with the 2014 build of the compact tablet, the KGI analyst told 9to5Google.
And one company is able to meet such requirement - LG through its division LG Display, which is one of Apple's major suppliers for its supposedly Retina-laced iPad Mini 2 and iPad 5.
According to Gotta Be Mobile, Mr Kuo "specifically notes that the company may choose LG based on its ties to LG Display which would allow for Google to source lighter and thinner displays for a new Nexus 7 3 design."
LG is also pinpointed as the strongest candidate to put together the Nexus 5, which Android watchers said will be based on the LG G2, the company's new flagship smartphone that is set to hit the markets in August.
The Nexus 5, on the other hand, is believed set for a worldwide rollout in October 5, with Google using the gadget to debut Key Lime Pie or Android 5.0.