Google's Nexus lineup of smartphones and tablets has been incredibly successful, and although no new Nexus devices were announced at the recent I/O conference as usual, rumor has it that Google is preparing a Nexus 8 tablet.

Although nothing has been officially confirmed, an import manifest from Zauba shows a "NEXUS8 PROTOTYPE TABLET" listed at 16,649 rupees or approximately $275. It's no nail in the coffin, but the sighting has set the technosphere on fire.

A Nexus 8 tablet would solve a lot of problems, from a consumer's standpoint. Google's Nexus 7 (read: 7-inch) tablets are great since they're compact, easy to use, reliable, and give users access to the latest Android software. Google even has a Nexus 10 tablet (10 inches) manufactured by Samsung, but 10-inches is about as large as a normal iPad. There's a reason smaller tablets caught on — 10 inches is too large for some people.

But for those looking for something in between there is currently no option. Many find the 7-inch display too small for media viewing and adding an extra inch or so wouldn't kill baggage space while adding some valuable video real estate. Rumors of a Nexus 8 have been floating around for a couple years now, and while there's no more indication it will hit the shelves in 2014, here's what most expect it to be.

Although there are varying predictions about this, most believe the Nexus 8 will be manufactured by HTC or LG. The display should ring in around 8.9 inches and sport a resolution of 2048X1440 for Full HD. Google is also expected to make a 4:3 aspect ratio the Nexus 8's norm. The Nexus 8 is also supposed to feature a sleek aluminum body, putting it on par with Apple's construction standards. Cameras should be upgraded to an 8-megapixel rear-facing shooter with optical image stabilization and 3-megapixels in the front compared to the Nexus 7's 5-megapixel rear-facing camera and 1.2-megapixel front camera.

Expect both Wi-Fi-only and LTE-enabled models and a 64-bit processor under the hood to take advantage of all the new goodies Android L has to offer.

The Nexus 8 launch is expected to coincide with the public release of Android L, sometime in the fall. While there's no confirmation, a Nexus 6 smartphone is also said to be in the works to accompany the tablet and operating system in Google's holiday push.

Would you be interested in a Nexus 8? Let us know why in the comments section below.

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