An attendee uses Google Map on a Google Nexus 7 tablet during Google I/O 2012 Conference at Moscone Center in San Francisco, California. Credit: Reuters/Stephen Lam
Stories started resurfacing Wednesday that Google is set to launch a new entry-level tablet that could retail for as little as $99 in time for
Christmas. When rumors first started circulating on September 27, ASUS, Google's hardware partner denied the story. This time Digitimes (which was also the source of the initial claims) claims that a supply chain partner source has validated the rumors and has revealed that the tablet is being designed by ASUS and will use a single-core ARM processor.
What does seem certain is that a bigger, 32GB version of the Nexus-7 tablet is on its way with more and more evidence to the fact appearing every day.
If both stories do turn out to be true, these tablets could help Google to consolidate its position in the seven-inch tablet segment, prove to be serious competition to the upcoming iPad Mini and could also spoil Microsoft's big plans regarding the launch of its own tablet, the Surface RT on October 26.