Google Rumored To Be Working On A New 7-Inch Tablet That Will Be Built By Huawei

A new rumor has surfaced claiming that Google is planning on releasing a new 7-inch Android tablet before the end of 2016. The device will apparently be built by the Nexus 6P manufacturer, Huawei, and it may just be the successor to the Nexus 9.

The rumor of a new Google Android tablet first popped up on Twitter thanks to notorious leaker, Evan Blass (@evleaks). Blass claims that the new Huawei-built 7-inch tablet will come with 4GB of RAM and that it will be released before the end of the year. As of this writing, Blass hasn’t given any additional information about the tablet.

It was reported last week that Google’s upcoming smartphones this year will be called the Pixel and Pixel XL, completely dropping the Nexus name. This has also led to speculations that the new tablet that Blass is talking about may not be marketed as a Nexus device and may be called something else.

Previous reports have indicated that the upcoming tablet may be the Huawei 7P, a name that was discovered to have been trademarked by Huawei back in April. In late 2015, Google was also rumored to be planning on making a new tablet with Huawei that would combine the best parts of the 2013 Nexus 7 and the Pixel C.

In 2014, Google released the Nexus 9, the successor to the Nexus 7, and it was built by HTC. In 2015, the company released the Pixel C, a premium Android tablet that comes with an optional magnetic keyboard. The Nexus 9 is now rocking hardware that’s out of date and it’s considered as a lackluster successor to the Nexus 7, while the Pixel C is not that affordable with its $500 price tag.

It would be apt for Google to release a new tablet this year considering that there hasn’t been much competition lately, particularly in the affordable range. If Blass is accurate with the 7-inch size, then it looks like Google is trying to replicate the success of the Nexus 7, which is considered by many users as the ideal Android tablet, as pointed out by The Verge.

Google will be holding a major hardware event on October 4. The Pixel and Pixel XL smartphones are expected to be announced at the event along with the new Chromecast, the Daydream VR headset, and now, possibly a new 7-inch Android tablet built by Huawei.