Google chairman Eric Schmidt revealed in December that the company was working on its first own-brand tablet, and the “Nexus 7” slate will finally be unveiled next week during the Google I/O developer conference, according to multiple reports. The last reaffirmation comes from DigiTimes, which has reported a number of details surrounding Google’s upcoming tablet that will seemingly prove accurate. The site’s anonymous supply chain sources have previously stated that Google’s next major Android release, Jelly Bean, would come in the second quarter, and it reported later that Nexus tablet shipments would begin in June ahead of a July launch. As is the case with Microsoft’s Surface tablet, which was unveiled on Monday, it remains to be seen how Google’s own hardware efforts will impact its Android partners, some of which already seem to be exploring different ways to separate themselves from the pack or even ramping up efforts with new platforms. Google I/O begins on June 27th.

Read

Zach Epstein has worked in and around ICT for more than 15 years, first in marketing and business development with two private telcos, then as a writer and editor covering business news, consumer electronics and telecommunications. Zach’s work has been quoted by countless top news publications in the US and around the world. He was also recently named one of the world's top-10 “power mobile influencers” by Forbes, as well as one of Inc. Magazine's top-30 Internet of Things experts.