New Nexus 7 Release Date: LTE Device Pegged For Late July Launch And 8 Million Unit Sales Goal

The new Nexus 7 tablet could hit Taiwanese markets by late July; with other markets receiving the device soon after, if reports out of Asia are correct. Many enthusiasts have their eyes on the Nexus 7 sequel, which is expected to bring several updated specs including LTE connectivity.

Currently, there are conflicting reports on sales projections for the new Nexus 7. Some analysts predict that the device will sell eight-million units this year, while other industry insiders are worried that the new Nexus 7 will suffer in sales due to the large amount of competitors expecting to release devices around the same time.

The first-generation Nexus 7 was notably a consumer favorite due to its high quality specs matched with a fairly inexpensive price tag. Named “Gadget of the Year” and “Tablet of the Year” in 2012 by T3 magazine and “Best Mobile Tablet” at the 2013 Global Mobile Awards, the Nexus 7 sold an impressive 4.6 million units in 2012 after being released in July of that year.

Asus and Google reportedly want to capitalize on the Nexus 7’s success, as rumors have suggested that the Wi-Fi variant of the second-generation Nexus 7 will likely share the $199.99 of the original. However, with added specs, will come a greater price tag for the new Nexus 7. Spec reports also indicate that the second-gen device will likely feature LTE connectivity, for which the 16GB variant is expected to sell for $229, while the 32GB variant is expected to sell for $299. The higher price can also be attributed to the larger internal storage capacity, as the original Nexus 7 shipped with only 8GB of internal storage, some of which was already occupied by system files. The original Nexus 7 also only shipped as a Wi-Fi model.

Between sightings at the FCC, an internal spec leak from and Asus representative and other recent reports, the new Nexus 7 under the model number ASUS K009/ME571K will likely feature either the Qualcomm Snapdragon 600 chipset or the Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 processor, a 7-inch 1980 x 1200 LED display, 2GB of RAM and internal storage up to 32GB of ROM a 5-megapixel rear camera and 1.2-megapixels front camera, LTE, Wi-Fi a/b/g/n, Bluetooth, NFC connectivity and a 3950mAh battery. The new Nexus 7 may also run the rumored Android 4.3 Jelly Bean operating system, which will also reportedly release in July. Google is known for releasing Nexus devices in conjunction with new Android operating systems.

All rumors remain unconfirmed; however, if they are true we will likely be seeing the new Nexus 7 as well as Android 4.3 in about two weeks.

Do you think the new Nexus 7 will release in July and sell eight million handsets? Let us know in the comments below.

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