Google is rumored to be working on a 10-inch Nexus tablet that could seriously challenge Apple's dominance with the iPad at that size. The slate will be co-developed and co-branded with Cupertino rival Samsung and is expected to carry a higher pixel density than the new iPad, according to a report from CNET.
The Retina display on Apple's latest tablet features 264 pixels per inch (PPI) at a resolution of 2,048 x 1,536 - the highest among existing tablets by a long shot. The proposed 10.1-inch Nexus tablet would topple that with a display rated around 299 PPI and a resolution of 2,560 x 1,600, if analyst Richard Shim from NPD DisplaySearch is to be believed.
He says the bigger Nexus tablet will definitely be a high-end device. The decision to partner with Samsung is interesting in its own right. If you recall, Google worked with Asus on the Nexus 7 tablet, a $199 slate that hit the market in July.
Google and Samsung aren't strangers, however, as the duo developed the Galaxy Nexus smartphone. The high-end handset launched late last year and has been one of the more successful Android phones introduced in recent memory.
Shim gathered intelligence about the 10-inch Nexus tablet from sources in the supply chain. This isn't always the most reliable method but more often than not, information from suppliers can be used to predict future releases.
For what it's worth, the analyst also says Google will begin production on a budget-minded tablet in December. He expects this tablet to be priced at just $99.