Why did Google partner with Asus to produce the Google nexus 7, surely it was easier to work with Motorola?

This is the good question. Since Google owns Motorola, why did they partner with Asus to be able to construct their Nexus series?

The Nexus 7 actually began existence as a Asus ME370T (there is a memorable title if ever I saw one) and was in development by Asus as a sort of ‘no frills’ budget model tablet. The ME370T went through several incarnations, even being unveiled during at least 1 major expo. Then, all of a sudden, Asus finished talking.

Reported by 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 Google Nexus 7. “We are able to rebuild it, we have the technology”, or so at least one engineer said. Perhaps.

From Hollister’s account, the Google 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 developing and so they wanted in. This is a pretty good case of Google’s executives thinking outside the box. Another corporation might have gotten wind of Asus’ upcoming tablet, ‘acquired’ certain schematics and improved upon them to be able to compete with the Amazon kindle fire. By pooling their assets with Asus, Google were able to reply quickly to competition, and achieve this in style.

Reported by Nirav Patel from the blog ‘TheGadgetMasters.com’, it’s important to not forget 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 working with this fashion, I imagine that Google can make the most of potential profits, whilst simultaneously minimizing probable risk. With Motorola, not only would there not have been time to combat the Kindle Fire, there would of been a potential loss if the (possibly rushed) product proved to become unpopular. What’s more that, Motorola already has its own brand of tablet pc’s (and company identity tied up in that), with the ‘Xoom’ family.

Why did Google partner with Asus to produce the Google nexus 7, surely it was easier to work with Motorola?