No new Nexus devices were announced during the Google IO keynote, but a new source says a new tablet is still very much on its way.
Despite the Nexus 8's absence this week, CNET has learned from a source familiar with the device that the HTC-made device is still on its way. Other than its existence, the source didn't reveal any additional information about the device, a potential release date or a price.
From what we've gathered, the Google/HTC joint will use an 8.9-inch tablet with a 2048 x 1440 display. A leaked spec sheet revealed the device would come with a desktop class Nvidia Tegra K1 64-bit processor and 2GB of RAM.
The device could also come with a thin body measuring 0.31-inches thick and weigh 418 grams. All together the device would still be chunkier and heavier than the iPad mini 2 with Retina, but the rumored Nexus 8 could still be a light device.
Bold new world
It's been two years since Asus produced the last Nexus 7 tablet. Since then the small-size tablet market has seen some high-resolution changes and major upgrades in power.
The iPad mini finally received its 2048 x 1536 resolution Retina display upgrade in October 2013. Even more impressive, Samsung has bumped up the resolution on its Galaxy Tab S 8.5-inch tablet to WQXGA levels and 2560 x 1600 pixels.
By now the two-year old Nexus 7 looks like a relative fossil with its 1920 x 1200 screen resolution.
If the rumors are true the HTC's Nexus 8 will close the gap but not completely catch up with the competition. On the plus side, the Tegra K1 could give HTC the juice it needs to set its tablet apart.
Hopefully the Taiwanese company will produce a new device that follows its track record of superb industrial engineering as evidenced by the HTC One (M7) and HTC One (M8).
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