Google's 2014 Model Nexus 7 Tablet May Have Intel Inside
Google would be foolish not to release another Nexus 7 tablet in 2014, so let's go ahead and assume the Mountain View company will keep the good times rolling with yet another winning product sometime next year. That still gives us plenty to speculate about, such as whether or not ASUS will once again build the device for Google, and what System-on-Chip will be found inside.
The latest web chatter suggests that the next Nexus 7 model will sport an Intel processor. Specifically, the 2014 model Nexus 7 is likely to wield a Bay Trail chip such as the Z3740 or Z3770. One thing Google wouldn't have to worry about is Asus' ability to implement the hardware, as it already has experience working with Bay Trail, which is featured in the company's T-100 convertible Windows tablets.
Intel is certainly focused on the mobile market these days, and getting its hardware into the Nexus 7 would be a major win. It wouldn't be enough to turn the tide against ARM in and of itself, but it would certainly give Intel momentum and might make other tablet makers more likely to consider an Intel foundation.
It remains to been if the Z3770 is powerful enough for a next generation tablet. There are benchmarks floating around cyberspace (including our own) that show it's a strong overall performer, but will it hold up until the third quarter of 2014 (and beyond), which is when the next Nexus 7 model is rumored to launch? That's a question Google and Asus will have to answer.
The latest web chatter suggests that the next Nexus 7 model will sport an Intel processor. Specifically, the 2014 model Nexus 7 is likely to wield a Bay Trail chip such as the Z3740 or Z3770. One thing Google wouldn't have to worry about is Asus' ability to implement the hardware, as it already has experience working with Bay Trail, which is featured in the company's T-100 convertible Windows tablets.
Intel is certainly focused on the mobile market these days, and getting its hardware into the Nexus 7 would be a major win. It wouldn't be enough to turn the tide against ARM in and of itself, but it would certainly give Intel momentum and might make other tablet makers more likely to consider an Intel foundation.
It remains to been if the Z3770 is powerful enough for a next generation tablet. There are benchmarks floating around cyberspace (including our own) that show it's a strong overall performer, but will it hold up until the third quarter of 2014 (and beyond), which is when the next Nexus 7 model is rumored to launch? That's a question Google and Asus will have to answer.
