Much speculation surrounds the possibility of a “true” Android tablet – a Nexus branded slab of technology which with no doubt be an impressive collaboration between OS maker Google and an as-of-yet unnamed, but suitably reputable hardware provider. Today we hear that the mystery tag-team partner could well be ASUS, the maker of the recently launched tablet-cum-laptop, the Eee Pad Transformer Prime.
The Hasbro-bothering Transformer Prime was release in December and was the first quad-core tablet of its kind, and the first to feature new mobile/tablet crossover operating software Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich. Word has emerged that it will be the slate’s maker ASUS who will carry Google’s Nexus brand into its first foray into the heavily contested global tablet market.
“Sources” suggest that ASUS will provide the 7” tablet hardware to support Google’s OS platform and new Google Play store (formerly the Android Market) and the product of this lucrative partnership could be seen as soon as May. So presumably again this will carry ICS – unless Google are planning to fast-track version 5.0 which ASUS confirmed is to be named “Jelly Bean” – but we believe this will be saved for later in the year to support the launch of the new Nexus smartphone, which currently lists HTC as a potential running buddy. But that’s another story entirely. The ASUS / Google Nexus tablet is estimated to surface in the wallet-friendly sub-£200 mid-market arena.
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Tags: Android, Asus, Eee Pad, hardware, HTC, Ice Cream Sandwich, ICS, Jelly Bean, Laptop, Launch, May, nexus, Operating, OS, Partner, price, Prime, Quad Core, rumour, smartphone, Software, System, Tablet, Transformer
