Report: Google Prepping $99 Nexus 7 Tablet
A report coming from a source in Asia claims that Google is working introducing a cheaper, thinner Nexus 7 tablet in 2013.
With Christmas just days away, the tablet wars are still in full swing as shoppers snag devices like the iPad, Kindle Fire, Nexus 7, or . While all of these devices offer rich user experiences, final decisions often boil down to price sensitivity. A report out of Taiwan indicates that Google is planning to further disrupt the tablet market by introducing a $99 version of its Android tablet next year.
The Nexus 7 has been widely praised as the best tablet next to the iPad, thanks to its $199-$299 price tag. However, according to Taiwan's Digitimes, Google is hoping to open the flood gates to higher user adoption by releasing a cheaper Nexus 7 tablet that will be priced between $99 to $149 some time next year. The report claims that Google and Asus are working with touch-screen maker Shenzhen O-Film Tech to introduce the cheaper Nexus 7 using glass-film-film (GFF) technology that will also help to make the device thinner.
A significantly cheaper, high-quality tablet like the Nexus 7 could be the next frontier for capturing tablet consumers if recent reviews of the competition are any indication. The is popular, but by its non-Retina display and heftier, $329 starting price.
The report claims that Google's cheaper Nexus 7 will first target emerging markets, with initial shipments in the range of 500,000-600,000 units. The new model is reportedly scheduled to ship some time in the first or second quarter of 2013.
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