The latest rumor circling the fabled 7-inch Nexus tablet claims that ASUS will soon be ramping up production of the tablet and will ship roughly 600,000 units of the device in June in time for a July release. According to the report, the Nexus tablet is expected to sell between two and two and a [...]]]>

The latest rumor circling the fabled 7-inch Nexus tablet claims that ASUS will soon be ramping up production of the tablet and will ship roughly 600,000 units of the device in June in time for a July release. According to the report, the Nexus tablet is expected to sell between two and two and a half million units between July and the end of the year.

Originally, the Google Nexus tablet was expected to launch in May, but the tablet launch was postponed to make changes to the design and find way to reduce hardware costs even further.

While there have been plenty of Nexus tablet leaks over the past months, Google has never officially acknowledged that they are working with ASUS on developing a tablet. Our assumption is that Google will keep things under wraps as best they can before officially unveiling the device during Google I/O in late June.

Originally, the Nexus tablet was rumored to be based off of the $249 ASUS MeMo 370T which was shown off at CES, but more recent reports indicate that Google may want to reduce the price even further by not including a quad-core processor, though we now expect that the Nexus tablet will likely ship with NVIDIA’s quad-core Kai platform.

We may not know exactly what Google has planned for its budget friendly Nexus tablet, but we’re sure that it will force Samsung, Sony, Asus, Acer, Motorla and other OEMs to produce basic tablets which will directly compete with the likes of the Amazon Kindle Fire and Barnes & Noble Nook Tablet.

How many of you already own an Android powered tablet? How much would you be willing to pay for a decently spec’d 7-inch Nexus tablet?

“At $199, you can just about buy a tablet at a 7-Eleven,” said Jen-Hsun Huang, NVIDIA CEO, when he was discussing the future of tablets powered by his company’s quad-core Tegra 3 processor. We have been discussing rumors of a $199 “Nexus tablet” for months and now it appears that could become a reality soon.

This June is going to be huge for mobile operating systems. Not only is Google hosting I/O, where they should be announcing several exciting things, but Microsoft will be announcing products and services at the Windows Phone Developer Summit, and Apple will be detailing iOS 6 at WWDC. I plan on going over some of [...]]]>

This June is going to be huge for mobile operating systems. Not only is Google hosting I/O, where they should be announcing several exciting things, but Microsoft will be announcing products and services at the Windows Phone Developer Summit, and Apple will be detailing iOS 6 at WWDC. I plan on going over some of the things I think we’ll see at I/O in another post, right now I want to talk about the competition.

Windows Phone could very well be on the verge of taking off. The Lumia 900 is reportedly selling well here in the States. Big name developers are finally gravitating towards Windows Phone. And the platform is about to receive a huge push from carriers like Verizon and AT&T. Knowing this, it’s still hard to tell what to expect from Microsoft at WPDS.

We know that Microsoft is going to try and lure developers at the conference. How? Showing off “Windows Phone 8,” as it’s rumored to be named, and giving away free devices to attendees are good bets. Boasting more carrier support might also be in the set list.

Back in late April, Reuters reported that Verizon was going to put some serious weight behind Windows Phone. Saying that the US’ largest carrier was working closely with Microsoft like they did with Google on the original Droid. For developers, this news is huge. Some of the original developers making apps for Android right before the Droid dropped are still the most popular apps today. If Microsoft were to announce nothing more than Verizon’s plans for just how seriously they’ll be supporting Windows Phone 8 devices, the Windows Phone Developer Summit would still be a success.

Even if Microsoft did announce something huge, like the Lumia 900 coming to more carriers in the US or Verizon as a launch partner for Windows Phone 8 this fall, these kind of events are rarely covered in-depth by anybody other than technology publications. So the general public is rarely immediately affected by the things announced. In other words, don’t expect Android’s market share to take a sky dive this June. I do, however, think the Windows Phone Developer Summit will be the next phase of Microsoft’s rise to relevancy.

As for Apple, no one knows anything. Even going by past years at the Worldwide Developers Conference, or WWDC, we’re still just guessing. In the past, Apple has announced the next iPhone at WWDC. Last year they waited until the fall though, and just spent the conference discussing software changes. There’s good reason to believe that will be the case this year. But unlike Microsoft, the things Apple could announce may be immediately disruptive to Android and Google. Especially since Apple likes to announce a product, and get it out as soon as possible.

The two most popular rumors surrounding iOS 6, expected to be detailed at WWDC, include maps and social networking.

The social networking rumor is new this week, but carries a lot of weight. According to the Wall Street Journal, Apple will be updating iCloud to include photo sharing. Allowing for comments, likes, etc. on iCloud will essentially turn Apple’s cloud based storage service into a full-blown social network. With the amount of people already using iCloud, they’d have a ton of users right off the bat. And more would undoubtedly want to join. I could see entire families switching to iOS just so everyone can use the photo sharing feature built right into iCloud. All it would take is one member of the family already using it and everyone else would be sucked right in (I’ve seen it happen with things as small as Facetime. True story.).

It’s hard to imagine the full scale of damage iCloud photo sharing could have on Android. There may be an exodus of people looking to get in on Apple’s exclusive social network, or it may do nothing at all. It’s certainly worth keeping an eye on though.

The other half of the two most popular iOS 6 rumors will be crazy huge for Google. But it might not be all bad.

Apple is expected to announce a new maps app in iOS 6. One that has nothing to do with Google. Yes, seriously. Even though Google Maps is largely regarded as the best thing since sliced bread when it comes to geography, Apple will be ditching the service and releasing their own competing service. The immediate thing this means for Google is that as soon as Apple throws the switch and their maps app hits iOS devices everywhere, Google will lose millions upon millions of users in a flash. The damage there will be instantaneous. But it could go even further.

Let’s say for a moment, that like the Mac Press would have you believe, iOS 6 maps is going to blow your mind. There’s supposed to be some awesome 3D technology implemented in the app, and it’s supposed to be super reliable. If the app is good enough, Apple may actually be able to lure in customers it. If it’s not amazing, then it works to Google’s advantage. Google will be able to lure in customers by boasting the leading name in mapping software, Google Maps. No matter what happens, Apple’s maps app will have an effect on Android. There’s no doubt about it.

Those are just some of the things I expect to see detailed at Microsoft and Apple’s developer conferences this June. Who knows what else could be detailed, and how they can affect Android. What kinds of things do you expect Microsoft and Apple to announce at their developer conferences this June? Any new services or products? Let us know in the comments below.

Welcome to another new weekly column where we round up all the Android-related rumors and discuss the validity of each one. Everyone seems to love our original rumor reports, but we thought it would be fun to examine the rumors from around the web and share our thoughts on the possibility of them coming true. [...]]]>

Welcome to another new weekly column where we round up all the Android-related rumors and discuss the validity of each one. Everyone seems to love our original rumor reports, but we thought it would be fun to examine the rumors from around the web and share our thoughts on the possibility of them coming true. Read on for this week’s latest Android rumors.

Google Drive finally coming this April

Leaked Google Drive logo.

Rumor: Om Malik of GigaOm reports that Google Drive will launch sometime during the first week of April.

Our thoughts: Rumors of Google’s cloud storage service go all the way back to 2006, but we know the service is currently in testing because the first screen shots were leaked in February. Om has been in the business for a long time and we trust his sources, but it’s always hard to pin down an exact release date for Google products. We think a Google Drive launch is pending, so an April release sounds likely.

Probability: 80%

Jelly Bean to launch in Q3

Rumor: Taiwan newspaper Digitimes reports “Google may release its new platform, Android 5.0 (Jelly Bean), in the third quarter of 2012.“

Our thoughts: Based out of Taipei, Digitimes often has access to information from supply chain sources that are based in Taiwan. We are fairly confident that the next version of Android is codenamed Jelly Bean (as first reported way back in 2010), but we don’t know what version number Google will assign to it or when it will launch.

The popular belief is that Google will unveil the first details about Jelly Bean during their Google IO conference on June 27-29th. Google always talks about the future of Android during this show, so that’s pretty much a given.

Right now we believe there are two options. First, Google could announce that Jelly Bean is a minor update, call it Android 4.1 or 4.5, and immediately release it for their Nexus line of phones and tablets. Second, we could learn that Jelly Bean will be a major update, be called Android 5.0, and be released in Q4 on the next flagship device.

Google has a pattern of releasing one major update to Android every year, so we still expect Android 5.0 sometime in Q4, but there is no way to know if that is Jelly Bean, or the next version codenamed Key Lime Pie.

Probability: 50%

“Nexus tablet” to be given away at Google IO

Rumor: We speculate that Google will give away the ASUS “Nexus tablet” to every attendee of Google IO.

Our thoughts: Every year Google gives away a free Android device to all the attendees at their Google IO developer conference. Three years ago it was the Google Ion (HTC Magic), two years ago it was the HTC EVO 4G, and last year it was the Galaxy Tab 10.1 and Samsung Chromebook.

This year we believe they will give away the rumored 7-inch “Nexus tablet.” Android chief Andy Rubin recently said, “2012 is going to be the year that we double down and make sure we’re winning in that [tablet] space… we’re going to do a better job at making people understand what ecosystem they’re buying into.”

Combined with the new Google Play Store, this Google tablet fits into the “double down” tablet strategy and it will further evolve the tablet ecosystem with a focus on more optimized apps.

Another possible giveaway device could be the rumored Android Hub (or maybe it’s called Play Hub now?). Google just filed a new trademark application for Showy, which is described as “Downloadable software which allows users to use their computer, tablet device, or mobile phone as a remote control to operate video display devices and televisions; and downloadable software which allows users to remotely control the content on internet-connected digital signage.”

It sure sounds like the 7-inch tablet and home entertainment system will be tightly integrated, so maybe both will be given away.

Probability: 75%

Samsung Galaxy S III to be launched this weekend

Rumor: Multiple sites report that Samsung could unveil the Samsung Galaxy S III on March 30th after Eurodroid spotted a Samsung teaser in the window of retailer Phones 4U.

Our thoughts: Another week, another rumored unveiling for the Galaxy S III. Last time it was a Samsung event in Africa that turned into a TV announcement and now this.

Stuart Miles of Pocket-Lint already debunked this rumor. It turns out Phones 4U is opening up a Samsung store-within-a-store on March 30th.

Probability: 0%

T-Mobile to raise prices next week

Rumor: David Beren of TmoNews reports that T-Mobile will raise prices on Classic Unlimited 5GB and 10GB data features beginning April 4th

Our thoughts: We only call this a rumor because it’s not officially confirmed by T-Mobile, but we believe this to be true. As David points out, this is an “obvious move to drive customers into the hands of waiting Value Plan opportunities.” T-Mobile’s Value Plans save their subscribers money because the cost of the subsidized phone is not part of the monthly service fee. Customers have to pay the full price of the phone up front, or over the course of 20 months, but they save money over the life of the contract.

Probability: 99%

Got any juicy rumors?

Find any hot Android-related rumors that we failed to cover? Just contact Taylor or leave a comment below and we will evaluate them next week.

Registration for Google’s annual developer conference opens today, and we expect it to sell out within the hour. The 2009 event sold out in 90 days. The 2010 event sold out in 10 days. Last year’s event sold out in 59 minutes.

At approximately 7:00 AM PT, users can attempt to register for Google [...]]]>

Registration for Google’s annual developer conference opens today, and we expect it to sell out within the hour. The 2009 event sold out in 90 days. The 2010 event sold out in 10 days. Last year’s event sold out in 59 minutes.

At approximately 7:00 AM PT, users can attempt to register for Google IO 2012 using their Google+ account. Payments will be accepted through Google Wallet, so make sure your account is already setup to save time.

This year the conference was extended one day and moved to June 27-29th. We expect Google to share the first details about the next version of Android, codenamed Jelly Bean, and learn more about the next version of Google TV.

Google raised the general attendee fee from $450 to $900, so make sure you really want to go if you plan to sign up. Pretty much all of the keynotes and sessions will be available on YouTube, so you won’t be missing out on much of the information that gets released. Google is also hosting free viewing parties around the globe.

The main benefits to actually being there in person are the networking with your peers and the free devices that Google gives away every year. Last year they gave away a Galaxy Tab 10.1, Sony Xperia Play, and a Chromebook. This year we think they will give away the rumored Nexus tablet.

If you plan to attend, please let us know. I’ll be heading back to the Moscone Center for my fourth year in a row and I’d love to meet up with whoever will be in San Francisco.

Bonus video: Check out the screams of 5,000 nerds when Google gave away the Galaxy Tab 10.1 at last year’s show.

Update: It appears tickets are gone in record time – under 30 minutes. Academic tickets are now sold out and General Attendee tickets are unavailable.

Consider yourself lucky if you got a ticket.

Update 2: Google’s terms and conditions state, “Tickets may only be used by original purchaser. Tickets may not be resold. The resale of a ticket will render the ticket null and void without any responsibility to Google.” That hasn’t stopped people from placing them on eBay, where one has already been sold for $2,000.

Recently there’s been rumblings that Google will release a 7-inch “Nexus tablet” in the first half of 2012, but many have doubted that Google would actually enter the hardware business. Several people have rightfully pointed out that Google traditionally partners with an OEM on these “Google Experience Devices”, just like they did with Motorola [...]]]>

Recently there’s been rumblings that Google will release a 7-inch “Nexus tablet” in the first half of 2012, but many have doubted that Google would actually enter the hardware business. Several people have rightfully pointed out that Google traditionally partners with an OEM on these “Google Experience Devices”, just like they did with Motorola on the Xoom tablet. Read on for the latest rumor surrounding who might produce Google’s 7-inch tablet.

The Rumor

Google has partnered with ASUS to release a 7-inch tablet that will become a pure Google Experience Device. The tablet will retail for $199, include a quad-core Tegra 3 processor, and ship with stock Android 4.x Ice Cream Sandwich.

The Sources

This rumor comes from two different industry sources that I spoke with in person at Mobile World Congress. They have provided reliable information in the past and I find them to be trustworthy. As with most of these rumor reports, the sources wish to remain anonymous.

One Android Insider’s take on the rumor

Consumers want cheap tablets and the $199 Kindle Fire has proven this. Amazon shipped an estimated 5 million units in Q4 of last year and it quickly became the best selling Android tablet.

The Kindle Fire is a great product, but it lacks all of Google’s mobile services including the Android Market. Some would think that Google would be happy with Amazon’s success, but our sources say that Google sees Amazon as a threat in the tablet market. Amazon replaced Google’s ecosystem with their own, so Amazon earns all the long-tail profits from content and services, while Google gets nothing.

There have already been multiple reports that Google would release a $199 tablet that features a 7-inch 1280×800 resolution display, enters production in April, and ships around June. The main details that have been absent include the OEM partner and the processor type.

ASUS previously announced their $249 MeMo 370T tablet at CES, which included a quad-core Tegra 3 processor. The tablet won several best of show awards and our sources say that Google was so impressed with the device that they approached ASUS to see if they could reduce the bill of materials and reach that magical $199 price point. Barnes & Noble reduced the price of their Nook Tablet from $250 to $199, so why can’t others?

Details about the ASUS MeMo 370T have been scarce, but we believe that product will be very similar to the Google Experience Device that gets released. It sounds likely that ASUS and Google might have reduced the internal storage to bring down the retail price to $199. Potential users would rely on the upcoming Google Drive to store their content online.

Android chief Andy Rubin recently told Nilay Patel of The Verge that he wants to win the tablet race and Google was planning to do something about it. Rubin said, “2012 is going to be the year that we double down and make sure we’re winning in that space… we’re going to do a better job at making people understand what ecosystem they’re buying into.”

Selling a full featured Android tablet with all of Google’s mobile services and a quad-core Tegra 3 processor for only $199 would certainly turn some heads. As crazy as it sounds, a possible 10-inch version might also be in the works with a target price point of $299.

We are still unsure of the final product name, but Google Play is a possible candidate. A slew of recent domain names have been registered by MarkMonitor, which Google regularly uses to buy up URLs.

Our sources were not able to confirm the target release date, but we speculate that it could be rolled out to Google IO attendees on June 27th.

ASUS has a strong relationship with Google and I’ve been extremely impressed with the Transformer Prime, so I think this 7-inch Google Experience Device could sell very well. If Amazon shipped 5 million units of their $199 tablet in one quarter, then I predict that Google could move over 10 million units in the second-half of 2012.

If all this information turns out to be true, how many of you would spend $199 on a 7-inch tablet with a pure Google experience?

Google Chairman and former CEO Eric Schmidt hinted at a Nexus tablet last year and then Digitimes confirmed the report in January with their supply chain sources. This week Richard Shim, an analyst with DisplaySearch, provided additional details on the rumored device.

Shim claims the 7-inch tablet will feature a 1280×800 resolution and enter production [...]]]>

Google Chairman and former CEO Eric Schmidt hinted at a Nexus tablet last year and then Digitimes confirmed the report in January with their supply chain sources. This week Richard Shim, an analyst with DisplaySearch, provided additional details on the rumored device.

Shim claims the 7-inch tablet will feature a 1280×800 resolution and enter production in April. This lines up with earlier rumors that Google would bring the device to market in June. Shim also thinks the initial production run will be 1.5 million to 2 million units.

It’s still not clear how Google will position the device. Shim said, ”I don’t know how they plan on marketing it. If it’s going to be a premium device, or if it’s going to be a Kindle Fire type competitor.”

Given the rumored 7-inch display and $199 price point, we expect Google is going directly at the Kindle Fire market. Amazon shipped an estimated 5 million units last quarter, which makes it the best selling Android tablet to date.

Google recently pushed back their annual Google IO developers conference from May to late June, so that’s the best chance we will likely hear more about this device. If Google decides to announce Android 5.0 Jelly Bean, it’s possible that this Nexus tablet could become the flagship device for the latest OS.

ASUS is planning to launch their $249 quad-core MeMo 370T around the same time, so we hope that Google will be able to match those specs.

It feels like most of our hardcore audience prefers the larger 10-inch tablets, so I’m curious how many would be wiling to purchase a 7-incher from Google. What features would Google need to include in order for you to fork over $199?

Today the Wall St. Journal reports that Google is working on a “home-entertainment system that streams music wirelessly throughout the home and would be marketed under the company’s own brand.” They don’t mention the name of the device, but a separate source tells us it is being called Android Hub.

The Journal also says [...]]]>

Today the Wall St. Journal reports that Google is working on a “home-entertainment system that streams music wirelessly throughout the home and would be marketed under the company’s own brand.” They don’t mention the name of the device, but a separate source tells us it is being called Android Hub.

The Journal also says that people briefed on the company’s plans think Google’s box may stream other digital media besides music and they expect it to be unveiled later this year. We would wager at Google IO from June 27-29.

Last year at Google IO, Android@Home was given a brief demonstration. Google said they had partnered with “several industry players” to build a home automation framework that could “work with any device, from any manufacturer.”

From what we have gathered, it sounds like this Android Hub product will be Google’s next-generation of Google TV, minus the actual “Google TV” branding. Google recently sent a request to the FCC to test some entertainment devices that contained WiFi and Bluetooth, and we think Android Hub is one of those.

Google TV failed pretty miserably, but we know that Google plans to revive it with new hardware powered by low-cost ARM processors. I think some consumers were actually confused by the Google TV name, so calling it Android Hub would make sense.

My speculation is that Android Hub will be a set top box, that is WiFi, Bluetooth, and NFC enabled. Look for it to be sold at a mass market price around $99-149. The device will run the latest version of Android and have limited internal storage. Media will be streamed from Google’s services and personal media will be stored in Google’s upcoming cloud storage platform. It will have full access to the Android Market for apps, movies, music, and other goods.

Hopefully some more information will be dug up over the coming days. We will update this story when we have additional details to report.

The Android platform has been evolving rapidly, and Google keeps growing with its many services and products. These are two of the main reasons why Google I/O has become one of the biggest events in the tech industry. Last year, tickets sold out in less than an hour, and things are becoming quite difficult [...]]]>

The Android platform has been evolving rapidly, and Google keeps growing with its many services and products. These are two of the main reasons why Google I/O has become one of the biggest events in the tech industry. Last year, tickets sold out in less than an hour, and things are becoming quite difficult for our fellow coders. We definitely expect this Google I/O 2012 to be a huge event as well.

Google knows this event is very important for developers and has decided to extend the event by one day. The event will now last three days (instead of two), so attendees will be able to spend more time learning what makes the Google world spin.

Sadly, though, this extension comes with a bit of a down side. Those who are eagerly waiting for next year’s Google I/O will have to wait a bit longer. Google I/O usually takes place in April, but this has also been changed. Next year’s Google developer conference has been pushed a couple months back. Next year’s event is scheduled for June 27-29, so get ready to see what is to come. This is Google’s advice:

In the meantime, be sure to brush up on your coding skills. They’ll come in handy when the new application process opens in February. That’s all we can tell you for now, but we’d advise against making travel arrangements until then.Monica TranGoogle Inc.

The event will still be held in San Francisco, CA, at the Moscone Center. There ya go, guys. Get ready for some coding awesomeness (and free stuff!). What do you guys think we could see at next year’s Google I/O? Maybe Android’s next version, Jelly Bean?

It may be a bit early to start talking about this. And with all the Ice Cream Sandwich and Nexus hype, many of you probably don’t want to worry about it yet. Nevertheless, Google has announced the dates for the 2012 Google I/O. The event will be held in San Francisco and [...]]]>

It may be a bit early to start talking about this. And with all the Ice Cream Sandwich and Nexus hype, many of you probably don’t want to worry about it yet. Nevertheless, Google has announced the dates for the 2012 Google I/O. The event will be held in San Francisco and is scheduled for April 24-25.

We still cannot predict what will come from next year’s Google I/O, but it is Google’s biggest yearly event covering everything related to the Search Giant. With Android as the strongest smartphone OS in the world, we’ll surely be covering some exciting smartphone news. Google TV will also be featured. Who knows, maybe we’ll hear about the Android version coming after Ice Cream Sandwich?

Those who’d like to attend the event will have to compete against every developer and tech reporter out there. This year tickets were sold out in less than an hour. It can only be expected that the next conference will see much fiercer competition. Prices are still not announced, but we would assume they’ll be quite similar to this year’s. In 2011, registration cost between $450-$550, depending on the date. So be ready to pay at least that much.

Who’s planning to go to Google I/O? You’d better be ready to sign up right when registration opens. What do you guys think we could be seeing in terms of the Android platform?