After undergoing a price cut and then a brief delay, NVIDIA finally launched its Android-powered SHIELD gaming handheld late last month. That may not be the only piece of NVIDIA-branded hardware that we see this year, though, as some new information has popped up to suggest that the company may be prepping a tablet of its own as well.
Chinese site MyDrivers recently shared photos of a black tablet with the words "Tegra Tab" inscribed on its backside. The device looks quite a bit like ASUS's Nexus 7, which was powered by an NVIDIA Tegra 3 processor, but it's speculated that this device is actually made by Shenzhen Homecare Technology. Interestingly, that company recently announced that it was building a Tegra 4-powered tablet and even shared an image of the device, which looks somewhat similar to the Tegra Tab.
The Verge notes that Shenzhen Homecare Technology also recently took meetings with NVIDIA executives and documented the process in photos. Additionally, NVIDIA filed for the trademark to the name "Tegra Tab" in the U.S. back in April 2013. The application includes a lengthy list of products that NVIDIA could apply the name "Tegra Tab" to, and included in that list is a "tablet computer."
When it comes to the Tegra Tab itself, there aren't a whole lot of details available quite yet. The device appears to be in the 7-inch size range, and we can see a headphone jack, USB port and possibly a micro-HDMI port on the side of the unit. On the opposite side is what looks to be a stylus slot, which would line up with the image posted by Shenzhen Homecare Technology that includes a stylus.
While still a rumor at this point, I could see NVIDIA launching its own small, Nexus 7-like tablet. The company wasn't chosen by Google to power the new Nexus 7, and so it may have decided to go out and craft its own tablet that's similar to the Nexus 7 but is powered by its own Tegra chipset. This could allow NVIDIA to showcase what its Tegra 4 chipset can do while using the knowledge it gained from Project Kai to create an affordable tablet that has features that Google's new Nexus slate doesn't. What do you think of this Tegra Tab? Would you be interested in a 7-inch stylus-equipped tablet from NVIDIA?
Via The Verge, MyDrivers, Shenzhen Homecare Technology (1), (2), USPTO
