Google Nexus tablet slated to be $200 7-inch slate this July

Rumours are gathering pace that Google is about to unveil its first Nexus tablet. The 7-inch tablet is set to be built by Asus to show off Jelly Bean, the next version of Android -- and it could be with us as soon as next month.

The Asus 7-inch Google Nexus slate is reported to be powered by an Nvidia Tegra 3 processor, and could cost less than $200 (£130) to rival the Amazon Kindle Fire.

The folks at brilliantly named tech blog Techno Buffalo claim a trusted source reveals the tablet will make its debut at Google I/O, the Big G's annual developer conference kicking off on 27 June. At last year's conference, Google handed out a Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 to all 5,000 attendees -- could this year's visitors walk away with a 7-inch Nexus?

Industry blog DigiTimes reckons suppliers will build around 600,000 of the 7-inch tablets in the first batch to go on sale in July, after a delay from a planned May release.

Each new version of Android is showcased on a flagship Nexus phone, packing pure software untainted by any of the extra features added by phone builders and networks.

Previous reports suggest that Google is planning no fewer than five Nexus phones and tablets for the next update, Jelly Bean. That's a whole line-up of sequels to the Samsung Galaxy Nexus, Nexus S and the original Google Nexus One to show off the next generation of Android, including this first Nexus tablet.

The current version of Android is Ice Cream Sandwich, which despite making its debut on the Galaxy Nexus last year is still only on 5 per cent of Android phones. Launching several Nexus phones and tablets could help spread Jelly Bean much faster, but they may also struggle to differentiate themselves.

What would you like to see in a Nexus tablet to help it stand out from the crowd? Can a £200 Nexus tablet see off the all-conquering iPad? Tell me your thoughts in the comments or on our Facebook page.