A new leak has appeared overnight for specs of the upcoming Asus built Nexus 7 Mk II which most people anticipate will be announced at a breakfast event at Google next Wednesday – Thursday 2am AEST – there has also been a second leak which gives a retail launch date of the 31st of July.
The leaked specs confirm and add details to a video which was leaked to AndroidCentral on Thursday. Engadget received the screenshot from an anonymous source but it confirms the earlier leak adding that the device will support Slimport video out – the same as found on the Nexus 4, wireless charging and will come with Android 4.3.
With the addition of these specifications, the spec list for an updated Nexus 7 is so far looking pretty good :
- 7″ Screen – possibly 1920×1200.
- 1.5GHz Snapdragon S4 Pro Quad-Core CPU.
- 4GB of RAM.
- 16GB-32GB On-board storage.
- Dual cameras – 5MP rear/1.2MP front.
- Slim Port video out.
- Dual Speakers – unfortunately from the Android Central Video they appear to be rear facing.
- Android 4.3
- Wireless charging
The wireless charging is likely to be Qi based, as was the wireless charging on the Nexus 4, however Google has flirted with the Powermat wireless charging consortium previously. Sticking with the Qi charging standard however would make more sense, as owners of the Nexus wireless charging Orb could possibly use that accessory for both devices – perhaps we may see it released here in Australia – although with an output of 5Vdc/1.0A the wireless charging orb falls short of the 2.0A power that most tablets usually require.
The Slimport video-out is certainly a very attractive option for a number of people who criticised the lack of video-out on the original Nexus 7 and I imagine there will be a brisk trade in Slimport adapters very shortly. Personally Miracast would be preferable however any video-out option is welcome as far as I and most others are concerned.
The leak with regards to a July 31st release date has come via an internal document from office supplies chain store ‘Staples’ which advises staff that the tablets will arrive in-store from 24th of July but will not be available for sale until the 31st.
This is similar to what happened with the launch of the Nexus 7 last year where retail stores began receiving – and selling – stock before some orders had been received by people who ‘pre-ordered’ from the Google Play Store, hopefully there will not be a repeat of this.
Pricing for the device has not seen any further leaks so will remain as USD $229 for the 16GB version and USD $269 for the 32GB version. This pricing will obviously be more when the device hits Australia and if you purchase from Google Play, you will expect to pay shipping costs of around $20.
The Nexus 7 has been a very reliable tablet for me, although some people have experienced some slow downs and are perhaps looking to see a refreshed device to replace what has been one of the most popular Android tablets to date.
Will you be getting an update Nexus 7? Is it time to get a Slimport adapter?
