Google may introduce a $99 tablet by Q4 2012

While all eyes are pointing towards New York at the Google Android event scheduled to take place in the next few days, a rumour of a new Nexus tablet has recently emerged. As per a recent report by Digitimes, Google is preparing another tablet. This time around Google is set to price it in the sub-$100 category.

As per the report by Digitimes , sources have informed it that Google will showcase a Nexus tablet model that will be priced at US $99, and the unveiling is set to take place by the fourth quarter of this year. This information was provided to them by supply chain makers based in Taiwan.

A budget model coming soon

As per the report, the authors Aaron Lee and Adam Hwang stated, “The US$99 Nexus tablet is equipped with an ARM-architecture single-core processor 8950 developed by China-based WonderMedia Technologies, and a HUVA TN panel made by Taiwan-based HannStar Display, the sources said. The tablet will be produced by Taiwan-based Quanta Computer. However, Quanta declined to comment and Asustek Computer, a Taiwan-based vendor developing Nexus 7 through cooperation with Google, indicated that it has no plans to launch US$99 Nexus.”

The move by Google could decimate the competition as India is currently loaded with tablet manufacturers selling their wares at prices that cater to different budgets.

The Nexus 7 , which was recently launched by Google and manufactured by Asus, is one of the most successful tablets in recent history. Google has added a lot of high-end hardware to the mix, and has kept the price down to a minimum by pricing it at $199 for the base model, which comes in a storage capacity of 8GB. This tablet, manufactured by Asus is designed to not only take on Apple’s highly successful iPad, but will also pose a stiff threat to the Amazon Kindle Fire and Google aims to tackle the competition better with its pricing strategy. The Google Nexus 7 tablet is available in two storage capacities - 8GB and 16GB - and the brand has priced it extremely competitively at $199 and $249, respectively.

As far as connectivity is concerned, there Google Nexus 7 tablet does not come equipped with 3G connectivity, in order to keep the price to a minimum. The connectivity options found on this flagship Google Nexus 7 tablet, include Wi-Fi a/b/g/n, Bluetooth and NFC capabilities. This tablet also comes with Google Wallet pre-installed. As for the camera featured here, it comes as no surprise that Google has just added only a front-facing camera that can be used for video calls, but what is interesting is that this camera can shoot HD 720p videos.

When it comes to the size, this 7-inch tablet measures 198.5 x 120 x 10.5mm and weighs 340 grams. These dimensions allow it to go head-to-head with the Amazon Kindle Fire. The Google Nexus 7 was the first device running on Google’s latest operating software, which is Android v4.1 (Jelly Bean).