Nexus 7 with 4G LTE hits Google Play for $349

When the next-generation Nexus 7 dropped back in July, we were told that a 4G LTE-enabled version of Google’s tablet would follow sometime in the future. It seems that time has finally come, as the Nexus 7 with LTE is officially available in the Google Play Store at a price of $349.

What do you get for spending $120 more than the Nexus 7’s entry-level Wi-Fi model? For starters, the storage space on the slate gets a bump from 16 GB to 32 GB. That means more space for apps, music and other types of media. T-Mobile has also struck a deal with Google, packing a T-Mobile SIM card into the package along with an offer for one free month of LTE data, which has a cap of 2 GB.

Once you’ve used up that T-Mobile data, you aren’t stuck with that carrier. The Nexus 7 with LTE comes unlocked, so you could feasibly take to any GSM carrier that supports the following frequencies:

LTE (700, 850, AWS, 1900 MHz)

HSPA ( 850, 900, AWS, 1900, 2100 MHz)

GSM/EDGE/GPRS (850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz)

All in all, it’s a good deal for consumers, who can pick up an LTE-enabled tablet with a good amount of storage and a high-resolution display at a very good price. The LTE version of the Nexus 7 is just $20 more than the 16 GB Wi-Fi version of Apple’s popular iPad mini, which can’t boast a PPI (pixels per inch) count anywhere close to the Nexus 7. The iPad mini is expected to receive an upgrade in the next month or two, though it’s unknown at this point if the display will be improved.

The shipping time for the Nexus 7 with LTE is currently 1-2 business days, though that could change as word gets out and LTE-starved Nexus 7 fans start ordering the device.

Do you plan on picking one up? Let us know.