Why is the Google nexus 7 built by Asus and not Google owned, Motorola?

This is the good question. Since Google owns Motorola, why did they associate with Asus in order to construct their Nexus series?

The Nexus 7 in reality began life as a Asus ME370T (there’s a memorable title if ever I saw one) and was in development by Asus for a sort of ‘no frills’ budget model tablet. The ME370T went through quite a few incarnations, even being unveiled during at least 1 major fair. Then, unexpectedly, Asus finished talking.

According to Sean Hollister of ‘The Verge.com’

“I got the chance to ask Nvidia CEO Jen-Hsun Huang if he thought Nvidia’s $199 tablet program and Google’s $199 tablet program might compete. He saw through my bluff: He started saying something about not wanting to speak for Google… but then he paused, smiled, looked me right in the eye, and said: “I do hope their tablet is monumentally successful… because it will be great for Android.””

Sure enough, the ME370T was re-tooled and re-designed into the Nexus 7. “We are able to rebuild it, we possess the technology”, or so at least one engineer said. Probably.

From Hollister’s account, the Nexus 7 is by far the greater device,

“Among other things, it has a brand-new motherboard, a revised Tegra 3 T30L chip, a laminated IPS display, and a revised, grippier textured rear casing. “While the base design and setup was completed in the 370T to meet a certain price point and option list, the efforts required to get that design to $199 meant going back to the drawing board and starting over on just about every aspect of the unit,” an Asus rep told us”.

Essentially, Google saw what Asus were creating and so they wanted in. It is a very good case of Google’s executives thinking out the box. Another corporation might have gotten wind of Asus’ upcoming device, ‘acquired’ certain schematics and improved upon them in order to compete with the Kindle Fire. By pooling their resources with Asus, Google were able to respond swiftly to competition, and do so in style.

According to Nirav Patel from the site ‘TheGadgetMasters.com’, it is important not to forget that the Nexus line has nearly consistantly been built using a partner.

“Google Nexus is a line of mobile devices using the Android operating system, which is produced by Google in conjunction with an original equipment manufacturer (OEM) partner (Samsung makes the Nexus 10, ASUS makes the Nexus 7, and LG makes the Nexus 4).  Nexus devices are designed by Google and available for purchase directly on Google’s Play Store, Nexus devices provide a reference and developer platform to Google’s Android engineers, who then develop the software for Nexus devices with the responsibility of releasing timely updates”.

By functioning with this fashion, I imagine that Google can maximize possible earnings, whilst at the same time minimizing probable risk. With Motorola, not only would there not of been time to combat the Kindle Fire, there would have been a potential loss if the (possibly rushed) product showed to become unpopular. What’s more that, Motorola already has its own brand of tablet pc’s (and company characteristics partnered in that), with the ‘Xoom’ family.