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Google to co-brand 10-inch Nexus tablet with Samsung

Web giant will co-brand its first high-end tablet with Samsung, an analyst tells CNET.

Brooke Crothers Former CNET contributor
Brooke Crothers writes about mobile computer systems, including laptops, tablets, smartphones: how they define the computing experience and the hardware that makes them tick. He has served as an editor at large at CNET News and a contributing reporter to The New York Times' Bits and Technology sections. His interest in things small began when living in Tokyo in a very small apartment for a very long time.
Brooke Crothers
Google's Nexus tablet.
Google's Nexus tablet. CNET

A Google Nexus 10-inch class tablet is in the works, CNET has learned.

The 10.1-inch tablet will boast a pixel density that is higher than Apple's third-generation iPad, said Richard Shim, an analyst at NPD DisplaySearch.

The 2,560x1,600 display will have a PPI (pixels per inch) of about 299, said Shim. That tops the 264 PPI on the 9.7-inch 2,048x1,536 Retina iPad.

"It's going to be a high-end device," Shim said -- in contrast with Google's $199 Nexus 7 and upcoming $99 tablet.

But probably the biggest news is the partnership with Samsung. "They'll partner with Samsung and cobrand it with Samsung," Shim said.

To date, Google has partnered with Asus on the Nexus 7 tablet.

A co-branded tablet with Samsung would be a significant broadening of Google's relationship with Samsung. Google already cobrands the Galaxy Nexus Samsung smartphone.

Shim characterized his information about the 10.1-inch Nexus as "supply chain indications," which typically indicates a high likelihood that the product will come to fruition, according to Shim.

Shim also confirmed that Google will start production on a $99 tablet in December.

Back in July, the DisplaySearch analyst correctly predicted the new Kindle Fire tablets that launched in September.

CNET has contacted Google for comment and will update this report when we learn more.