Google working on $99 Nexus 7 tablet

Google is reportedly silently working on a even cheaper Nexus 7 tablet.

According to Taiwan's Digitimes, Google is hoping to open the flood gates to higher user adoption by releasing a cheaper Nexus 7 tablet that will be priced between $99 to $149 some time next year.

The report claims that Google and Asus are working with touch-screen maker Shenzhen O-Film Tech to introduce the cheaper Nexus 7 using glass-film-film (GFF) technology that will also help to make the device thinner.

A significantly cheaper, high-quality tablet like the Nexus 7 $269.99 at Amazon could be the next frontier for capturing tablet consumers if recent reviews of the competition are any indication. The iPad mini is popular, but consumers aren't too enthused by its non-Retina display and heftier, $329 starting price.

The report claims that Google's cheaper Nexus 7 will first target emerging markets, with initial shipments in the range of 500,000-600,000 units. The new model is reportedly scheduled to ship some time in the first or second quarter of 2013.