Bellevue, Wash. — The first cellular-equipped version of the new Google Nexus7 tablet became available with activation on the T-Mobile network through the Google Play store.
The flagship 7-inch LTE tablet is selling for $349 with free 2GB data for one month.
A Wi-Fi version of the Nexus 7 became available in late July in 16GB and 32GB versions at $229 and $269, respectively, through the Google Play store and through retailers.
Those models and the 32GB LTE version feature a quad-core 1.5GHz Qualcomm S4 Pro CPU, said to be 1.8 times faster than the previous model’s quad-core CPU; a GPU with four times faster frame rate; 2GB of RAM instead of 1GB; dual-band Wi-Fi 802.11n; low-energy Bluetooth Smart; dual stereo speakers; and Fraunhofer virtual-surround technology, which creates a virtual 5.1 soundfield through the tablet’s speakers or through any connected headphone.
The tablet also has two cameras, whereas its predecessor had only a front-facing camera for video chats. The front-facing camera features 1.2-megapixel resolution, and the main 5-megapixel camera captures 1080p video.
The cellular version not only connects to T-Mobile’s LTE network but also to the carrier’s 4G HSPA+ network.
As of early August, T-Mobile’s 4G LTE reached 167 million people across the U.S. in 116 metropolitan areas. The carrier said it is on target to offer 4G LTE service to 200 million people by the end of the year. LTE service is available in such markets as New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, Boston, Philadelphia, Dallas, Seattle, Atlanta and Miami.
