Google and Asus may be in a cozier relationship than many thought, if recent reports are true. Rumor has it that Asus - which just helped Google produce the 2nd generation Google Nexus 7, or Google Nexus 7 2 - has been chosen to create the 2nd generation Google Nexus 10, or Google Nexus 10 2, as well.
The report comes from Geek.com, which cited "multiple sources" as saying Asus had been chosen to create the next 10-inch Google tablet. The Google Nexus 10 2 will be the 2nd generation of Google Nexus 10. The first Google Nexus 10 was manufactured by Samsung, but if Geek.com's reporting is correct, the South Korean company has been dropped for the next version. This would be yet another success for Asus, as the company helped the Mountain View giant create the Google Nexus 7 and Google Nexus 7 2 as well.
The Geek.com report contradicts recent information from a former reporter for the Wall Street Journal, who just recently tweeted that Samsung would be making the Google Nexus 10 2, according to CNET.
Expect to see new 10-inch Nexus 10 Android tablet (made by @Samsung) in the near future, Google's @sundarpichai tells me
— Amir Efrati (@amir) July 24, 2013
However, Geek.com has a screenshot of a retail listing, which shows the "Google Nexus 10" under brand "ASUS." Other information, like the "In Stock Date" and the product dimensions are inaccurate, but look like placeholders.
Some other information from the Geek.com report contradict previous rumors, but that's not surprising, given how many (contradictory) rumors fly before the release date of any highly-anticipated gadget. According to Geek.com, the Google Nexus 10 2 will have Android 4.3, instead of Android 5.0 "Key Lime Pie", which many anticipated the 2nd generation Google Nexus 10 to run right out of the box.
The report also states that the Google Nexus 10 2 will have a release date and be available "on the Google Play Store as well as Best Buy retail stores in time for the holiday season." Speaking of contradictory rumors and Android 5.0 Key Lime Pie, the timing of this release with Android 4.3 would mean that either Google wasn't planning on releasing a flagship-level tablet with its most recent Android version, or that Google will not be releasing Android 5.0 this fall, as many have expected. Or it could mean that the Geek.com report is a red herring.
Other details were reported by Geek.com's anonymous sources, including a hardware spec. The report says "it's not hard to guess that we'll see a Snapdragon chipset," given Asus and Google's recent work with Qualcomm, and the display is expected to have a 2560 x 1600p resolution. In the retail leak picture, the Asus Nexus 10 is shown to have 16GB internal storage and to likely be a WiFi-only device (but, with most tablets, the WiFi-only version is usually released before wireless carriers offer LTE versions of the device).
Take this report with a healthy grain of salt, as rumors have been circulating faster than ever regarding Google's 2nd generation Nexus line. Recently, another industry insider said that the Google Nexus 5 - the next rumored smartphone in the Google Nexus line - would be made by Motorola, flying in the face of rumors that it was to be manufactured by LG.
Stay with Latinos Post Tech for more information, as we follow leaks, rumors, and speculation around the Google Nexus 5 and Google Nexus 10 2.