Director of Product Management at Google Hugo Barra shows the Nexus 7 tablet at a promotional event for the device, in Tokyo. (Reuters/Kim Kyung-Hoon)
Stories about a 32GB Nexus-7 tablet have been doing the rounds for at least two months. The supporting evidence, from photos to
specification info and even stock lists from a number of retailers in the US, Japan and the UK, suggest that this device is a certainty and will be on sale before the end of October. However, The Next Web claims that the tablet will also include 3G connectivity (a first for a Google tablet) and will be joined by a bigger 10-inch brother.
Other rumors include the first demonstration of the latest iteration of Android 4.2, or Key Lime Pie as it is being called. A hoaxer successfully managed to fool a number of tech journalists at the start of October, convincing them not only that its launch was imminent but that it would contain a raft of brand new features. However, although server records show that Android 4.2 does exist, it is most likely to be a minor upgrade that irons some of the bugs out of Jelly Bean (Android 4.1, available since July 2012) and will be optimized for running on the 10-inch tablet.
What won't be on show is a Nexus phone from Sony. When pictures of it first appeared on October 13 on a number of photo sharing sites, it generated a lot of blog posts and column inches. It, like the fully revised version of Android, has been revealed to be a hoax. However, the Nexus G, a Google Android handset based on the LG Optimus G, will be officially unveiled.