Asus

A new report claims the next-generation Nexus 7 tablet is just around the corner. According to Digitimes, Google and ASUS are planing to launch a second-generation Nexus 7 in late July or early August. The tablet will reportedly feature an upgraded 7-inch display with 1980 x 1200-pixel resolution along with a quad-core Snapdragon 600 processor, a 1.2-megapixel front-facing camera and a 5-megapixel camera on the back. It has been estimated that Google could sell as many as 8 million units worldwide, however some analysts are skeptical because of the increased number of low-cost tablets available today. The second-generation Nexus 7 is expected to be priced between $199 to $249 for the Wi-Fi only model.

Google (GOOG) doesn’t reveal sales figures for its Nexus smartphones and tablets, however that hasn’t stopped people from speculating and trying to figure out just how many devices the company has sold. Mobile industry analyst Benedict Evans crunched numbers from ASUS (2357), the manufacturer of the Nexus 7, and found that Google likely sold between 4.5 million to 4.6 million units of its flagship 7-inch tablet. The estimates were derived using overall tablet sales reported by ASUS and various statements from the company’s CEO. While sales of nearly 5 million units is respectable, it falls significantly short of the competition. Evans estimates that despite being released in November, Apple (AAPL) may have sold around 10 million iPad mini tablets and Amazon’s (AMZN) new Kindle Fire likely “outsold the Nexus 7 as well.”

Google (GOOG) announced last month that it was discontinuing the 8GB model of its popular Nexus 7 tablet and reducing the price of the 16GB model by $50 to make room for a larger 32GB model. The Internet giant’s announcement didn’t sit well with early adopters who essentially felt duped. ASUS (2357), the tablet’s manufacturer, has now stepped in to make things right, at least for European buyers. For those who bought a Nexus 7 directly from ASUS or Google before the October 29th price drop, the Taiwanese manufacturer is offering customers a €25 voucher after they give a proof of purchase. The offer is available for all of Europe and runs through November 30th, while the voucher, according to The Verge, is valid through December 31st.