Google is reportedly planning to release the second generation of its 7-inch tablet – the Google Nexus 7 by July of this year according to reports from Reuters.

The Nexus 7 which was Google’s first entry to the now highly competitive tablet market has received mostly positive feedback from consumers thanks to its very capable Nvidia Tegra 3 chipset that packs a 1.2GHz quad-core Cortex A9 processor and ULP GeForce GPU. However, its most striking feature is its price.

The Nexus 7 was the result of the collaboration between Google and Asus. And unlike other Android tablets from Asus, Google’s influence on the Nexus 7 was not isolated on the software used by the tablet but rather the competitive pricing of the device.

Google was one of the few manufacturers who dared to challenge Apple’s iPad not only in terms of hardware specifications and software but also in the pricing category. With its $199 initial price it’s almost half the cost of an iPad mini of the same capacity and specs. So it’s very interesting how Google will follow this act.

For starters, reports suggest that the new Nexus 7 will ditch the Nvidia chipset in favor of a Qualcomm Snapdragon. Furthermore, the new tablet may also have a higher resolution display and a smaller bezel compared to its predecessor. And of course, in true Google fashion, the release of this new tablet may also coincide with a new Android version - Key Lime Pie.

In terms of pricing Reuters say the Google might choose to sell the new Nexus 7 for $199 at the same time giving a discount to the old model; or they might sell the tablet for around $149 which will effectively kick the old model out of the market. The next generation Nexus 7 is rumored for launch on July 2013.

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Last week, Apple and Microsoft took center stage and announced their newest line of products. Apple made headlines last Tuesday when they introduced the iPad mini alongside the 4^th generation iPad, the new iMac, Mac Mini and the 13-inch MacBook Pro with retina display. A few days after, Microsoft stayed true to its promise and released the Microsoft Surface tablet and Windows 8 & Windows RT.

Google was supposed to hold a special Android event Today (October 29, 2011 – PST) in New York City, but was cancelled due to hurricane Sandy. But lo and behold, the power of a hurricane isn’t enough to stop Google from announcing their newest set of Nexus devices to compete head to head with what Apple and Microsoft unveiled last week.

Here is a quick rundown of the specs of each device starting with the Nexus 4, followed by the Nexus 10 and the upgraded Nexus 7.

LG NEXUS 4

The Nexus 4 will be manufactured by LG and is based on the LG Optimus G. It will feature a 4.7-inch True HD IPS Plus capacitive touchscreen with a resolution of 768 x 1280 pixels, will have a pixel density of 318 pixels per inch, protected by Corning’s Gorilla Glass 2.

The phone’s internal memory is set at 8GB or 16GB and there is no expansion card slot. In terms of connectivity, it will have speeds of up to 21 Mbps (HSDPA), Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n connectivity, Bluetooth 4.0 with A2DP and support for NFC.

It will have a rear 8MP camera capable of capturing images with a maximum resolution of 3624x2448 pixels and will have autofocus, touch focus, geo-tagging, face detection, photoshere and LED flash. The phone will be powered by a 1.5Ghz Quad-core Krait processor – Qualcomm’s APQ8064 Snapdragon chipset with Adreno 320 GPU and will run on Android 4.2 Jelly Bean.

The Nexus 4 will also have an accelerometer, gyro sensor, proximity sensor, compass and barometer. It will also have A-GPS with GLONASS support, HTML 5 support for the browser and active noise cancellation with dedicated microphone. This device will be in direct competition with Apple’s iPhone 5 and other Microsoft Windows Phone 8 devices like the HTC 8X and the Samsung Ativ S.

SAMSUNG GALAXY NEXUS 10

Created by Samsung for Google, the Nexus 10 will directly compete with the 4^th generation iPad and the slew of Windows 8 tablets. It is expected to be available by November 2012 and will sport as the name implies a 10.1-inch Super PLS TFT capacitive touchscreen with a resolution of 2500x1600 pixels, will have a pixel density of 299 pixels per inch and will be protected by a Gorilla Glass panel.

Just like the Nexus 4, this device will not support card expansions and will have an onboard internal storage of either 16GB or 32GB. It will have of course support for Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n with Wi-Fi direct, Bluetooth 4.0 with A2DP, USB 2.0 and NFC.

There’s a 5MP camera at the back capable of capturing images with a maximum resolution of 2592x1936 pixels. The camera also features geo-tagging, touch focus, autofocus, face detection and a LED flash. There’s a 2MP front facing camera for video conferencing and the back camera can capture videos at 1080 pixels at 30 fps.

This tablet will run Android 4.2 Jelly bean and will be powered by a 1.7Ghz Cortex A15 Dual-core processor – Exynos 5250 chipset and Mali-T604 GPU. Sensors available on the tablet include an accelerometer, a gyro sensor, a proximity sensor and a compass.

NEXUS 7 HSPA+

Google also unveiled an upgraded version of the Nexus 7 tablet. This time the device will have additional connectivity options, HSPA+ connection to be specific. Specs-wise this new version of the Nexus 7 will share almost identical features as the original Nexus 7, namely: the 7-inch IPS LCD capacitive display, Nvidia Tegra 3 chipset with the 1.3 Ghz Quad-core Cortex-A9 processor and ULP GeForce GPU.

Google has also announced that they will be slashing the prices of the existing Nexus 7 tablets with the 32GB version now at $249 and the 16GB version at $199 while the 32GB HSPA+ version will retail for $299 once it’s released next month.

So, which Nexus device caught your eye? Tell us by leaving a comment below. You can also add us up on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Google Plus or subscribe to our blog for more Filipino lifestyle stories about gadgets, technology, fashion, travel and food.

Hello everyone. The tech world is once again buzzing with news tidbits, rumours and leakages especially now that the big three are preparing their respective events for this month to announce their latest goodies just in time for thanksgiving and of course cyber Monday. So in this week’s edition of Tech Tuesdays on TFL, we’ll be talking about the big three – Apple, Microsoft and Google and the events that they will be hosting in the coming days.

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HOST: Apple

DATE: October 23, 2012

VENUE: California Theatre, San Jose, California

What to Expect: Apple’s event tomorrow will likely feature the announcement of either the 13-inch MacBook Pro with retina display or the iPad mini which most people would probably expect. For several weeks now, numerous rumours and leaked images of parts and components of the alleged iPad mini has surfaced on the Internet which made the announcement of the device even more sensational.

Based on reports, the iPad mini will have a 7.85-inch screen, 3G and 4G cellular connectivity, at least 8GB of internal storage, a lightning connector, a battery rated at 4490mAh and will run iOS6. Prices are expected to start at $320.

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HOST: Microsoft

DATE: October 26, 2012

VENUE: New York City

What to Expect: Microsoft has sent out invites for its October 26 event in NYC where it will be officially announcing the launch of Windows 8 and probably Windows RT. The launch was already announced back in September by Microsoft’s Head of Windows Steven Sinofsky.

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HOST: Google

DATE: October 29, 2012

VENUE: New York City

What to Expect: Google is expected to announce the much anticipated next generation Nexus phone created by LG. Dubbed as the Nexus 4, the device is based on LG’s Optimus G and will feature a 4.75-inch IPS+ panel, a 1.5GHz quadcore processor – Qualcomm’s APQ8064 Snapdragon chip with at least 2GB of RAM. It will also most likely run on Android 4.2 which was first believed to be called Key Lime Pie.

Aside from the Nexus 4, Google is also expected to announce two new version of the Nexus 7, including the previously leaked 32GB version with 3G HSPA+.

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So are you excited with these events? If you are, then you’re definitely not alone. Which device are you most excited about? Tell us by leaving a comment below. You can also hit us up on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Google Plus or better yet, subscribe to our blog for more Filipino Lifestyle stories.