In 2012 Google released the original Nexus 7 that was made by ASUS. The company then followed up with another Nexus 7 in 2013 that was also made thanks to a partnership with ASUS. However there was no word of a Nexus 7 in 2014, and given that we’re almost at the end of 2015, it seems unlikely that we will see a Nexus 7 this year either.
So what does that mean? Is the Nexus 7 officially dead in the water? In an interview with TrustedReviews, ASUS chairman Jonney Shih revealed that creating a third Nexus 7 is not completely off the table. According to Shih, it sounds like both ASUS and Google are could be in talks on how to make the tablet more exciting than its predecessors.
Shih was quoted as saying, “So for the [first-generation] Nexus, I think that both parties feel that this will be an exciting product, with this kind of…price and this kind of functionality and quality. Even [the second-generation Nexus 7], we moved to the Full HD screen, and we still believe in this kind of beauty. It still makes sense. But then the next one actually takes a lot of discussion.”
This is by no means a confirmation that we will see a 3rd-gen Nexus 7, but if you’re a fan of the small form factor, take comfort in knowing that ASUS isn’t completely opposed to creating a third Nexus 7, but the question of when is anyone’s guess.