It looks like NVIDIA’s Tegra 4 won’t be making an appearance in the next-generation Nexus 7. At least, according to ZD Net who are citing Pacific Crest analyst Michael McConnell. So why the change from NVIDIA to Qualcomm? Well, although Tegra 4 is quite powerful, it doesn’t have an integrated 3G/4G modem. Instead there’s a separate modem which will ultimately bump up the cost slightly.
Qualcomm’s Snapdragon S4 Pro (APQ8064), however, has its 3G/4G modem built right into the chip — making it the more attractive choice for Google. The S4 Pro can also hold its own in terms of raw power in comparison to Tegra 4 which boasts high levels of performance.
The next-gen Nexus 7 is expected to start shipping the second quarter of 2013. We can reasonably expect an announcement/teaser at Google IO in May, and then perhaps a 4G Nexus 7 soon after that.
