Although I had no idea that such a rumor existed, it appears that ASUS is now denying that they’re working with Google on yet another Nexus tablet, this time one priced at $99. The initial speculation said that the companies are actually working on an upgraded new Nexus 7, priced at $99 and a $99 entry level unit. ASUS denied everything today.
Nexus 7 is already generating strong sales and it has a long way to go before it becomes obsolete. Also, Black Friday is coming and its price may go down on its own, without the need for a new product in the entry level area. The idea of the speculation regarding the new devices was to counter the new Amazon slates and possible iPad Mini. ASUS shipped around 1.4 million tablets in the first half of the year and is estimated to ship over 2 million units in Q3.
For the total of 2012, the company is expected to pass shipments of 5 million units and even reach 6 million units. That’s far from the iPad figures, but still a respectable amount. If every Google partner sold as many units, they wouldn’t have to worry about the iPad at all…
