HTC's Nexus 8 tablet to be an Android L poster boy: 64-bit Tegra, 4 GB of RAM and 8 MP camera
The HTC-made Nexus tablet is expected to be a more premium device than Google's current Nexus 7 tablet, as we would expect from HTC. There should be a metal chassis wrapping an 8.9" 2560x1600 pixels display. The current leak also claims a 64-bit Tegra processor, paired with 4 GB of Elpida memory in 2x2 GB configuration will be in store, making it the first Android device taking true advantage of Android L's 64-bit backend. A Qualcomm-made LTE modem will be in the models with cellular connectivity, and, as claimed above, an 8 MP rear camera, too. All this breathtaking goodness is unlikely to come as cheap as we've come to expect from the Nexus line, though. Google's poster slate is speculated to have a price tag north of $300, but, given that Samsung's Tab S 8.4 with the same resolution retails for $400, the Nexus 8 will likely be priced lower than that, perhaps in the $350 region.
In fact, Rhoda Alexander, director of tablet and monitor research at IHS Technology, recently confirmed the speculation, saying that the Google Nexus 8 is likely to be a "high-performance" device, with "volume production expected to start in July or August." She also adds that "this will be a lower volume product, carrying a premium price tag to support the specifications."
As for a release date, we had a tipster claiming that the tablet won't star at the Google I/O conference, as was previously thought, but will be announced at a later event, just like last year. This jibes with the claimed Q3 announcement, while the July/August production ramp-up indicates that the Nexus 8 could be unveiled next month, in time to steal some thunder from both the IFA expo, and the Apple product announcements then.
Nexus 8
