Google Nexus 7
The new Nexus 7 tablet is announced during a Google event at Dogpatch Studio in San Francisco, California, July 24, 2013. Reuters/Beck Diefenbach

Google Nexus 7 2017 is a highly-anticipated device for the Android community and fans believe Google must refresh the tablet this year. However, Google has kept things under wraps, though a codename “Taimen” has leaked, pointing towards the elusive tablet.

Fan’s interest in the device has been declining steadily due to lack of updates, and many believe that the tablet is simply a rumour. However, a recent codename leak suggests otherwise. Some tech experts have claimed that the leaked codename “Taimen” is in fact the Nexus 7 tablet. In total, three codenames have been leaked, Walleye, Murkie and Taimen. Many are speculating that the three codenames are for the Google Pixel phones of 2017. However, Google releases two Pixel phones. The third could be the Nexus 7.

Google released Pixel and Pixel XL in October 2016, and it’s following the same marketing tactic as Apple and Samsung of releasing two versions of their flagships every year. There are rumours that the Google Nexus 7 2017 will be the successor to the Pixel C tablet. It is interesting to note that the search giant is still not ready to drop its Nexus branding, despite its total focus on the Pixel category. The reason why the tablet is causing a rage is because it is expected to come packed with amazing hardware, specs and features, write GigJets.

A Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 chipset is expected in the device. It is one of the most-advanced processors currently in the market. Fans are also expecting at least 6-8GB of RAM. It is very difficult to know the exact configuration of the tablet. It is totally on Google to reveal some information. It’s high time. Google was in fact expected to release the tablet in 2016. However, this did not happen due to reported fallout with Huawei. The latter is out of the picture now and Google may develop the tablet on its own.

The leaked codenames have been spotted on Google’s own Android Open Source Program Gerrit. As regards the operating system, most rumours point towards the Andromeda OS and not Android OS. The Andromeda is a combination of Chromebook OS and Android OS. Andromeda could soon become Google’s universal platform, similar to Microsoft’s Windows 10. The tablet is already being compared to Samsung’s Galaxy Tab S3 that Samsung unveiled during the MWC 2017 event.

The Samsung 9.7-inch tab has a Super AMOLED capacitive touchscreen with a 72.7 percent screen-to-body ratio, 264ppi pixel density and a resolution of 1,536 x 2,048 pixels, Android 7.0 Nougat operating system, Android 7.0 Nougat operating system, Qualcomm Snapdragon chipset, 4GB RAM and 32GB internal storage, expandable up to 256GB via microSD card and 6,000 mAh non-removable battery.