Google's line of co-branded Nexus devices were produced in partnership with various manufacturers. Models from this range have become popular mainly because it offers pure Android experience and always among the first to receive upgrades whenever new Android versions are released.
We have already come across literally dozens of rumors and leaks about the Big G's upcoming Nexus smartphones in the past weeks. The company's Nexus 5 and 6 replacements are said to be manufactured by LG and Huawei, respectively.
So for this year, we can safely assume that the company will launch two handsets with different sizes. But is it possible that Google will also launch a new tablet? The tech behemoth last offered a mid-sized tablet back in 2012 when it introduced the Nexus 7. An updated version was then released the following year. Since then, the company has not announced any plan of making a refreshed model.
While some people think that Google may not launch another Nexus tablet, they may have to reconsider. It appears that an alleged Nexus 8 tablet has visited a benchmark site called GeekBench 3, according to MobiPicker. A screen capped image of the model's actual benchmark results was also posted by the site.
As the GeekBench results indicate that the tablet runs Android 5.1.1 Lollipop, it's possible that the model used in the test is an early prototype. While Android 5.1.1 is the latest consumer version of the OS, it is expected that Google's Nexus line for 2015 will all run Android 6.0 Marshmallow right out of the box.
The benchmark explicitly referred to the device as the Nexus 8 in both its model name and model ID rows. The number that follows the "Nexus" moniker usually signifies the device's screen size so there's little doubt that this will be an 8-inch tablet.
Judging from the specs of the processor, which is listed as an octa-core ARM clocked at 1.3GHz, it's most likely made by MediaTek. In contrast, most of Qualcomm's Snapdragon chipsets come with a frequency of over 1.7GHz.
Of course, we can't rule out if this device will be the genuine Nexus 8. Google has not mentioned anything official yet, even for the upcoming Nexus handsets. Furthermore, the leaked benchmark didn't specify which manufacturer the device will be made by.
But if history is to be consulted, both versions of the Nexus 7 were made by Asus. The larger Nexus 9 and Nexus 10 were produced by HTC and Samsung, respectively. So it's possible that Google will once again partner with one of those device makers should they launch a new Nexus 8 tablet.
