It is expected that Google will come out with a new 7-inch tablet before the year ends as a follow-up to the highly-successful Nexus 7. However, instead of an Android platform, speculations suggest that the new slate will run on Google's new Andromeda OS.
Rumor has it that with the supposed specs of the new slate, it is expected that the tablet will be a flagship lineup. Alleged specs and features of the upcoming Google tablet include a 7-inch AMOLED display, a Snapdragon 820 processor, 4 GB of RAM, and 64 GB of native storage. With this specs list, it is said that Google is positioning its new tablet to be a task-intensive slate rather than a multimedia device. This means that there is high chance that Google will feature its own hybrid platform, the Andromeda OS, rather than the Android Nougat, onboard.
The Andromeda OS is said to be a hybrid of the Chrome OS and Android platform. The new hybrid OS brings new features to mobile devices, including desktop capabilities. This means that a 7-inch tablet running on Andromeda OS will have full desktop features rather than mobile-limited ones.
In connection with the new hybrid OS, Google is said to include the Andromeda platform in the new tablet as part of its rebranding. In a previous exclusive from 9to5Google, it is mentioned that instead of a Nexus 7 refresh — since the original runs on stock Android — the Andromeda OS-run slate will be positioned as part of the Pixel lineup, likely as the Pixel 7. Google has already done it with its recent smartphone flagship. Previously rumored to launch as the successor to the Nexus 6P, the tech giant instead rebranded the new flagships as the Pixel and the Pixel XL.
Meanwhile, although the upcoming slate will launch with flagship specs, it is expected that it will come out with competitive price tags, as Google has reportedly partnered with Huawei — known for its modestly-priced flagships — to make the tablet.
