Google I/O 2012: Nexus tablet set to make its debut today

The Google Nexus tablet had been part of discussions, since late last year, i.e. when Google Executive Chairman Eric Schmidt revealed to an Italian newspaper that by mid-2012 they will launch a tablet of the highest quality. Since then rumour mills have been abuzz and though one can take it as a given, it is yet to be officially confirmed if the brand will be unveiling their flagship tablet at this year’s Google I/O event. Adding fuel to the rumours is a report by The Wall Street Journal that has stated that anonymous sources have informed them that Google will indeed take the wraps off a Nexus-branded tablet today.

The report states, “Google s expected this week to show off a tablet running its newest mobile software and a service for companies to rent computer servers to store data, according to people familiar with the matter. The unveiling of various new devices and Web services is part of Google's annual software-developers conference, where the company hopes to win over mobile-app creators and device owners in a continuing battle with Apple.”

Is this is what it could look like?

The report states that Google’s Chief Executive Larry Page will not be attending the event, this year as he has been suffering from an undisclosed condition, which has caused him to lose his voice. The Google I/O is a three-day event, which will be starting today and apart from the Nexus tablet, the brand is expected to raise the curtains on their next major operating software update, called Android Jelly Bean. As of now, although there is no official word on the version number that is to be associated with Jelly Bean, indications are pointing to the fact that it will feature the Android 4.1 version number, as opposed to Android 5.0. However, this is yet to be finalized and in a few short hours all this and more will come to light.

The report goes on to state, “Google, of Mountain View, Calif., is expected this week to unveil a co-branded tablet made in partnership with device maker Asustek Computer Inc. that will be sold directly to consumers at Google's online store, now called Google Play. The device is expected to compete more directly with Amazon.com Inc.'s Kindle Fire tablet, whose screen is seven inches in length and costs around $200.”

The tablet is expected to be called the Google ASUS Nexus 7 and the 7-inch tablet has already been captured in leaked benchmark showing off some of its specifications, which include a display featuring a resolution of 768 x 1280, Nvidia Tegra 3 quad-core 1.3GHz Cortex A9 processor and Nvidia ULP GeForce GPU. The Google ASUS Nexus 7’s price is set to be kept at a minimum as the brand will not include 3G connectivity, and only Wi-Fi for connectivity. The tablet will also be without a rear camera with only a front-facing camera for video calling. An earlier report has pointed out that the device will also be preloaded with Google's Chrome browser, with compatibility issues having been resolved to allow smoother operation for some software applications.