The next version of the 7-inch Google Nexus Tablet will in all likelihood be powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 processor rather than an Nvidia Tegra 4 chip, even though the current Nexus 7 is powered by a Tegra 3 chip. According to a memo by market analyst, Michael McConnell, the Nexus 7 will use the Qualcomm Snapdragon APQ8064 (S4 Pro) chipset and will ship in second quarter of 2013.
While talking to financial news website Barron’s, McConnell explains that Google decided to go ahead with the shift to Qualcomm because of “competitive pricing” and more efficient integration between the actual processor and the built-in 3G/4G modem. Evan Wilson, an analyst who follows Google, predicts that Google will manage to sell 10 million units of the next Nexus 7 by the time 2014 rolls in.
Images of what is supposed to be a budget version of the 7-inch Nexus tablet have already leaked on the Web. Asus is expected to manufacture the device and sell it for $99 (Rs. 5,300 approx.). The budget tablet is rumoured to be powered by a VIA processor, 1GB of RAM and will sport a 7-inch IPS display with a resolution of 1024×600 pixels.
Source: Barron’s