Perennial product leaker Evan Blass claims that a new Google tablet is on the way. Huawei will apparently be building a 7-inch tablet for Google, making the device a follow-up to the Nexus 7. Blass says the device is due out before the end of the year.
Huawei-built "Nexus 7" rumors have been floating around for some time. Last year, TechTimes reported on a Huawei-made Nexus 7 that would launch in 2016, but the site's suggested launch time of "Google I/O" didn't pan out. Blass' comments are definitely the most reliable source of Nexus 7 rumors we've seen yet.
Of course "Nexus" probably won't be the name of this device. Google is undergoing the Great Hardware Unification of 2016, and according to a report from Android Police, the Nexus line is going away to make way for a unified "Pixel" line. The two upcoming Google phones are reportedly going to be branded "Pixel" and "Pixel XL." If that report holds true, this device would probably be branded a "Pixel," too.
We last saw a 7-inch Google tablet in 2013, when the Nexus 7 was released as a follow-up to the original 2012 version. Both of these were built by Asus and were well-received thanks to their novel (at the time) 7-inch widescreen form factor and low price (~$230). Google's tablets since then have all trended toward "big, square, and expensive," with the $499 Pixel C having a 10.2-inch display with a 1:1.41 aspect ratio, while the earlier Nexus 9 was a $399, 8.9-inch, 4:3 device.
Rumors point to Google having a big launch party on October 4, where it's expected to launch the new Pixel phones, a new Chromecast, and its Daydream VR initiative. Maybe throw in a tablet, too?
