Next-gen Nexus 7 to have two cameras, Qualcomm processor

Computerworld - The second-generation 7-in. Nexus 7 tablet, which Google may unveil next week, includes two cameras and is expected to run Android 4.3 (Jelly Bean), according to leaked photos and video.

AndroidCentral showed the new Nexus 7 device with a 1.2 megapixel front camera and a 5-megapixel rear camera. The original Nexus 7 only had a front camera.

The original also ran an Nvidia Tegra 3 processor, but the upcoming model will feature a Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro processor, if the leaked photos with stats prove accurate. The Qualcomm processor was first reported by the Reuters news service, citing unnamed sources, in April.

Asustek will make the upcoming tablet, as it did on the first go-round. The rumored Android 4.3 version in the new model is an update to the Android 4.1 version in the existing tablet. Because it is a Google device, it presumably will be the "pure Android" mobile operating system without bloatware added by third parties.

Neither the old nor the new Nexus 7 comes with a storage expansion slot, although rival brands such as Samsung's Galaxy Tab 3 devices include such slots. Internal storage on the new device comes in two versions, 16-GB and 32-GB options, up from 8 GB or 16 GB in the original. Other tablets on the market offer internal storage of as much as 64 GB.

Earlier predictions said the new Nexus 7 will start at $200, while the price for the original model will drop from $200 to $150.

There's no guarantee that Google will disclose the new Nexus 7 at its event in San Francisco, although the event is hosted by Sundar Pichai, Google's head of Android and Chrome, who would be close to any pure Google Nexus product or updated Android software.

Matt Hamblen covers mobile and wireless, smartphones and other handhelds, and wireless networking for Computerworld. Follow Matt on Twitter at @matthamblen or subscribe to Matt's RSS feed. His email address is mhamblen@computerworld.com.

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