New Google Nexus 7 Rumored to be Launching Soon

The second generation of Android-powered tablet from Google—the Nexus 7—is rumored to be right around the corner, according to a post on CNET.  The news comes by way of Ricky Park from IHS, a market research firm that predicts a release sometime in June or July. We last heard about the supposed successor to the first generation of Nexus 7 back in March. We hoped that we’d get a glimpse of the thing at Google’s I/O conference last month, but that didn’t quite happen. Hopefully that’s not a sign that it’ll be delayed…

Park says that the new tablet is scheduled to be manufactured by Taiwanese electronics-maker Quanta, while the display will be handled by Japan Display Inc. and AUO.

“As far as I know, JDI and AUO didn’t start to supply this panel to Quanta yet,” Park is quoted as saying. “However, they are saying it will start from June and July.” The post notes that the first generation of Google’s Nexus 7 was launched last July, so another July launch a year later makes a lot of sense.

The post also offers up estimates for the new device’s vital stats, particularly its 7-inch screen-size and its 1920×1200 resolution. Apple’s iPad Mini launched in November of last year, just a few months after the Nexus 7, and analysts expect a follow-up to that device in the fourth quarter of this year as well.

All this talk about small tablets raises the question: what’s really the ideal size for portable computing? My current laptop is monstrous, with a 17.3-inch screen. My HTC EVO phone is similarly gigantic…as such, the smaller-than-usual Nexus 7 and iPad  Mini hold very little appeal for me. When it comes to tablets, for me, it’s go big or go home.

What kind of tablet do you prefer? Or should we just do away with separating laptops and tablets altogether and focus on fully functional computers in tablet form? I’m looking at you, Surface Pro.