What to expect from Google’s Android announcement Monday
Google has a media event scheduled for Monday, and although it’s not receiving Apple-type hype, the company is expected to unveil a lot of new gadgets.
Rumors have it that the Mountain View, Calif., tech company will announce everything from a new phone to a new tablet. Here’s what we think Google might have coming.
Nexus 10 tablet
The headliner of Google’s event is expected to be a 10.1-inch version of its Nexus 7 tablet, which came out this summer.
The Nexus 10 tablet’s screen is expected to have a 2,560-by-1,600-pixel resolution with a density of 299 pixels per inch. The tablet is is said to run on a 1.7-GHz Samsung Exynos dual-core Cortex-A15 processor and include both a front-facing camera and a 5-megapixel rear camera.
The unconfirmed Nexus 10 tablet is also expected to have dual speakers, include near-field communication technology and have 16 GB of storage. GigaOM speculated that the tablet’s price will start between $379 and $429.
The evidence supporting the rumors are pictures of the tablet posted online by BriefMobile as well as pictures taken and posted on Google+ by Vic Gundotra, Google’s senior vice president of engineering. If you look at his recently posted pictures, such as this one, collapse the comments and open “Photo details,” the listed camera says “Nexus 10.”
32-GB Nexus 7 tablet
Also expected to be announced is a 32-GB Nexus 7 tablet. Rumors of a Nexus 7 with more storage have been floating around for about a month, and for good reason: It’s been spotted all over the world. Now it’s just a matter of Google confirming the device and revealing its pricing.
Google is expected to sell the 32-GB Nexus 7 for $249. The 16-GB Nexus 7, which currently sells at that price, is expected to be brought down to $199. The 8-GB Nexus 7 is expected to either be cut or have its price lowered as well.
$99 tablet
Various reports also say Google is readying a tablet to sell at $99 that would undercut its competitors. This could be a price-reduced 8-GB Nexus 7, something different altogether or nothing at all. There isn’t much detail on this product other than rumors that it might happen.
Nexus 4 smartphone
More likely to be announced is a new Nexus phone in partnership with LG. Rumors, partial specs and pictures of this device -- expected to be called the Nexus 4 -- have surfaced on the Web in the last month.
This week, details for the phone were revealed on a pre-order page put online prematurely by British phone retailer Carphone Warehouse. The page has since been removed, but a screen shot can be seen on MoDaCo.
The Nexus 4 will have a 4.7-inch screen with a 1,280 by 768 pixel resolution and include an 8-megapixel camera, according to the MoDaCo page. It will use a 1.5-GHz Qualcomm quad-core S4 processor, according to the Telegraph.
Android 4.2
Expected to power the rumored Nexus 10 and Nexus 4 is an updated version of the Android operating system. Google is expected to announce Android 4.2, which should still be called Jelly Bean.
Check back Monday for the official announcements.
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