New Asus tablet on GLBenchmark could be $99 Nexus

Over the last couple of months there have been rumours surrounding a new, cheaper Nexus tablet by Google and Asus, and adding more weight to these rumours is an Android tablet running Jelly Bean that recently appeared on GLBenchmark. The screenshots show a device with the model name Asus ME172V, which could be the next Nexus tablet with its $99 price tag.

The benchmark shows that the tablet has a 1 GHz processor and a display with a resolution of 1025 x 600 pixels. The benchmark also reveals that it features a Mali 400 GPU and runs on Android 4.1.1. As of now, there is no word on the number of cores found here, but if this device is to be categorised in the sub-$100 price range, we suspect it will be powered by a single-core processor.

A cheaper Nexus from Asus could be in the works

In October, prior to the announcement of the new Google Nexus devices, a report claimed that Google would introduce a $99 version of the Nexus tablet. This budget-friendly Nexus is expected to be unveiled in the fourth quarter of the year.

Commenting on the tablet, the report stated, “The US$99 Nexus tablet is equipped with an ARM-architecture single-core processor 8950 developed by China-based WonderMedia Technologies, and a HUVA TN panel made by Taiwan-based HannStar Display, the sources said. The tablet will be produced by Taiwan-based Quanta Computer. However, Quanta declined to comment and Asustek Computer, a Taiwan-based vendor developing Nexus 7 through cooperation with Google, indicated that it has no plans to launch US$99 Nexus.”

If Google decides to launch such a tablet, it could decimate the competition as India is currently loaded with tablet manufacturers selling their wares at prices that cater to different budgets.

While the benchmark could be a good indicator of the device being in the works, the possibility of faking a benchmark is quite high as well. As of now, we suggest you take this information with a pinch of salt.

Google took the wraps off its first Google branded tablet, the Nexus 7 at the Google I/O in June this year. Talk of the price being paramount to the tablet’s success had been going on since then. Google added a lot of high-end hardware to the mix, and kept the price down to a minimum by pricing it at $199 for the base model (8 GB).

As for the specifications, Google’s Eric Schmidt said  last year that the Nexus 7 would be a high quality tablet, and Google has delivered on all counts. The tablet comes equipped with a 7-inch IPS display that boasts of a resolution of 1280 x 800 pixels, and is powered by a 1.3 GHz quad-core Tegra 3 chip. It has a 1 GB of RAM, which should enable it to match up with the best in the business. Google has touted it to as a serious gaming device and it brings a 12-core Nvidia GeForce GPU to the fray.

The connectivity options found on the Google Nexus 7 tablet include Wi-Fi a/b/g/n, Bluetooth, and NFC. This tablet also comes with Google Wallet pre-installed. As for the camera featured here, it comes as no surprise that Google has just added only a front-facing camera that can be used for video calls; interestingly this camera can shoot HD 720p videos.

When it comes to the size, this 7-inch tablet measures 198.5 x 120 x 10.5mm and weighs 340 gm.

The Google Nexus 7 was the first device running on Android 4.1 Jelly Bean.