SamMobile reports that Samsung and Google are teaming up in 2013 to bring a Nexus 11 to market. The rumored tablet would feature an 11-inch display, a 8MP back-facing camera, a 2MP front-facing camera, and an Exynos Octa-core processor. The CPU is notable as it would be the first tablet to feature an octa-core processor. Samsung’s newest octa-core CPU has only been made available in the international Galaxy S4 thus far.

Of course, Samsung doesn’t intend to let Google have all the fun. The company is rumored to also be releasing an 11-inch tablet under its own Galaxy Tab brand. The rumored Galaxy Tab 11 would feature the same specs as the Nexus 7, but it would be powered by a dual-core Exynos CPU to cut down on costs.

As for other tablets, the report says that Samsung is planning to release a new Galaxy Tab 7 and Tab 8 later this year. The company is already releasing a Wi-Fi and 3G capable 7-inch Galaxy Tab 3 in May, but the rumored Galaxy Tab 7 would come with dual-sim support for those who frequently travel or want to operate on two carriers.

All of this is just a rumor for now, but most of it sounds pretty legit. The Nexus 11 sounds like a natural evolution of Google’s Nexus line. As for Samsung’s other tablets, it loves to release its Galaxy Tab and Note hardware in multiple sizes. I wouldn’t be surprised to see more Galaxy Tabs in the coming months.

Samsung announced today that it intends to launch the Galaxy Tab 3 in May. The company is also working on a 3G capable version of the Galaxy Tab 3 that will launch in June. Samsung says it has made a number of enhancements to the design and internal hardware to increase performance and usability:

The Galaxy Tab 3 is an upgrade from the Tab 2 in most areas except for the display. Samsung is still keeping with the 1024×600 display that was in the Tab 2. This particular series of tablets is meant for the cost-conscious, but it would have been nice to see Samsung upgrade the Tab 3 to at least a 1280×800 display.

That being said, the target audience for the Tab 3 will probably not care much for the display resolution. It will be marketed at the consumer that wants an inexpensive tablet.

Of course, Samsung will have to compete with Google’s own Nexus 7. The current hardware is already better than the Tab 3, and rumors point to the next Nexus 7 being much better. With Google’s low pricing, Samsung will have to convince consumers that it provides a better Android experience despite having inferior specs.

During its earnings call yesterday, outgoing Microsoft CFO Peter Klein said that smaller Windows 8 devices are on the way. We can assume that he means that Microsoft itself is working on a cheaper, smaller Surface tablet, but don’t be surprised if Microsoft’s partners also announce smaller tablets.

As I’ve said before, smaller tablets may be key to a Windows 8 revival. The touch-friendly OS and Microsoft’s Surface tablets haven’t exactly been flying off store shelves. One of the major reasons is the high cost as the base Surface RT retails for $499. A seven-inch tablet would lower the price barrier for consumers interested in Windows 8 hardware, but were turned off by the high price of entry.

Of course, we have no idea when Microsoft or its partners will release these smaller Windows 8 tablets. A good bet is the latter half of this year as Windows Blue, or Windows 8.1, will be launching around that time. Microsoft is rumored to be completely revamping its marketing with Windows Blue and a cheap seven-inch tablet would fit nicely with marketing that extols an even friendlier Windows 8 experience on desktop and mobile.

Microsoft’s BUILD conference will be held in June of this year, and the company will also have a large presence at E3. While the latter will be mostly focused on the next Xbox, it wouldn’t be an entirely bad idea for Microsoft to show off a smaller Surface that can act as a controller for the company’s next game console.

[h/t: GottaBeMobile]

“With amazing displays, vibrant colors and lifelike images, tablets have changed the way we experience books, photos, movies and more. Yet email, something we do every day, has remained pretty much the same,” says Lee Parry, Senior Director, Mobile & Emerging Products at Yahoo, in a post on the Yahoo Mail Blog. “We’ve been boxed in.”

“There are no folders, no buttons, no tabs – just you and your mail – and you can easily flip through it like a magazine,” he says of the new offering. “We’ve designed Yahoo! Mail to take full advantage of the tablet making reading your email faster, easier and just a little bit more fun.”

The app lets you delete or file messages in bulk, group them by sender, and delete/star/move them by swiping.

In a new survey conducted by Strategy Analytics, the firm discovered that Twitter users are migrating from the desktop to mobile devices at an ever increasing pace. The latest report – “Social Network Profile: Who Uses Twitter?” – surveyed 6,500 people from the U.S. and Europe. The survey found that the number of people sending out tweets from a desktop computer decreased from 77 percent to 64 percent in just eight months. During the same period, the number of people tweeting from mobile devices increased from 56 percent to 71 percent.

“The immediacy of Twitter communications requires devices which are close to hand at every waking moment,” notes David Mercer , VP, Digital Consumer Practice. “By definition this suggests mobile phones and tablets should be preferred devices for Tweeting and the survey evidence points clearly in this direction.”

Interestingly enough, the survey found that mobile Twitter use is highest in the UK with the U.S. coming in second. Italy, France and Germany round out the top five respectively. As for demographics, the survey found that Twitter is most popular among the affluent, as well as teenagers and students.

The demographic findings could explain why Facebook is losing popularity among teenagers while Twitter’s own popularity is only increasing. It could also explain why celebrities like Justin Bieber are so popular on the service.

The Wall Street Journal reports that Microsoft is now in the planning stages of a 7-inch Surface tablet. The interesting part is that a 7-inch tablet wasn’t initially part of Microsoft’s Surface strategy, but the popularity of smaller tablets have reportedly forced the company to reconsider.

Microsoft already hinted that it was working on a 7-inch tablet last month when its newly updated OEM guidelines said that Windows 8 now supported a minimum resolution of 1024×768. The resolution is perfect for cheap 7-inch tablets. At the time, Microsoft said the new resolution rules were for “partners exploring designs for certain markets,” but it seemed pretty obvious that Microsoft would be making a 7-inch Surface tablet of its own.

A smaller, cheaper tablet could be just what Microsoft needs as Windows 8, and Surface tablets, have failed to capture much of the mobile market. Most of the problems stem from the high cost of Surface tablets with the Surface RT starting at $499. A 7-inch Surface could probably come in under $300, which would allow Microsoft to undermine the price of the popular iPad Mini. If Microsoft was truly crazy, it could even price it below the Nexus 7 at $200. Such a scenario is highly unlikely though.

All of this is just a rumor for now, but I wouldn’t be surprised to see it become reality sooner than later. It only makes sense for Microsoft to build a 7-inch Surface, and its own efforts may lead other OEMs to create cheaper 7-inch Windows tablets to help Windows 8 gain a little more marketshare.

In a recent Windows Certification Newsletter, Microsoft announced that Windows 8 now supports a minimum resolution of 1024×768. The company says the new rule is for “partners exploring designs for certain markets.”

So, what does this mean? A lower resolution could point to Microsoft opening up to putting Windows 8 on smaller devices, including 7-inch tablets. The current stable of Windows 8 tablets all size in at either 9 or 10-inches, and the price reflects that. The high price commanded by the current stable of Windows 8 tablets has definitely been an obstacle for consumers, and a lower resolution, lower priced tablet may just be what the company needs.

The possibilities don’t stop at 7-inch tablets either. ZDNet speculates that Microsoft may be using its partnership with Nook to create a Windows-powered eReader that would have access to Barnes & Noble’s extensive collection of eBooks. The 1024×768 resolution would be a perfect fit as it would finally allow Microsoft to sell cheap hardware.

Of course, all of this is mere speculation for now. All we know is that Microsoft is relaxing its certification requirements. It’s too early to tell if OEMs will start making 7-inch tablets, but I wouldn’t be surprised if we start to hear something along those lines later this year.

Nook announced today that in-app purchasing will soon be a reality on Nook HD and HD+ apps. The Barnes & Noble subsidiary will be working with Fortumo to provide developers with all the tools needed to implement in-app purchasing in apps while also providing developers with real-time insights on revenue.

“We are thrilled to bring in-app purchasing to Nook with Fortumo for our community of developers so they can foster a profitable relationship with their customers, while also providing our Nook customers with a more in-depth app experience and an even wider selection of popular apps,” said Claudia Romanini, VP of Nook Apps, Nook Media, LLC. “We look forward to adding thousands of more apps that feature in-app purchasing over the coming weeks and months to expand Nook’s already wide array of digital content offerings.”

This latest addition to the Nook development environment brings the Nook HD up to par with Amazon’s Kindle Fire and other Android tablets that have offered in-app purchasing for the past year. It’s also an important addition to the Nook development environment as it encourages more developers to bring apps to the platform. As we all know, any hardware is only as good as its apps, and the Nook definitely needs more apps, especially revenue heavy games, to survive in the highly competitive tablet market.

In-app purchasing will be available to developers starting in the first half of April. For more details on how to start offering in-app purchasing in Nook apps, check out the Nook developer portal.

TechCrunch is reporting that Amazon will introduce a $99 Kindle Fire HD tablet later this year. The tablet will reportedly be powered by a TI processor and feature the same 1280×800 display of the current Kindle Fire HD.

What’s interesting about this rumor is that the Kindle Fire HD is not the first tablet that comes to mind when a price drop is rumored. Amazon still sells the non-HD Kindle Fire for $159, and would seem to be the most likely candidate for a price drop to $99.

Still, the Kindle Fire HD being dropped to $99 would give Amazon a huge advantage in the current tablet wars. It would undermine every other 7-inch tablet on the market by offering better specs at an extremely low price while offering the entire digital content ecosystem from Amazon.

Amazon’s digital content ecosystem is the main reason why this rumor is so believable. In the past, Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos was quoted as saying, “We want to make money when people use our devices, not when they buy our devices.” That philosophy is the sole reason why the Kindle line is so cheap, and how Amazon is able to lower prices on its tablets faster than the competition. In fact, the company just recently chopped a sizable chunk off the Kindle Fire HD 8.9′s price. It wouldn’t be much of a stretch to see the 7-inch Kindle Fire HD getting a price drop as well.

Regardless, this is all just a rumor for now. Amazon even told TechCrunch that its already selling the Kindle Fire HD hardware “at the lowest price points possible.” If we’re going to hear anything about a $99 tablet, it will probably be at a Kindle event later this year.

UPDATE: An Amazon spokesperson has told Business Insider that a $99 Kindle Fire HD is “not happening.” The spokesperson also reiterated its previous statement to TechCrunch saying that the company is “already at the lowest price points possible for that hardware.”

As seen at this year’s Consumer Electronics Show (CES) and Mobile World Congress, tech companies are focusing more than ever on smartphone and tablet devices. Companies such as Sony, LG, Asus, and even HP unveiled new devices that will enter a market already largely controlled by the likes of Apple, Samsung, and Amazon.

What mobile devices do you intend to acquire this year? Let us know in the comments.

What is somewhat surprising is that many of these companies might actually have a chance, considering how quickly the mobile industry is growing. On March 4, ABI research estimated that mobile users will download 14 billion tablet apps during 2013. Almost three-quarters of those apps will be running on a iPad device, but Android devices are now set to lead in the number of smartphone app downloads, which ABI predicts will reach 56 billion in 2013.

For consumers the proliferation of more devices with a wider variety of features could mean confusion and burnout. It also means that consumers have never had more choice, and more power, than they do now. The choices they make this year about the devices they purchase and the technologies they adopt will shape the technology landscape for years to come.

Apple stock has had a rough winter, in no small part to the Apple Maps debacle and the fact that the iPhone 5 failed to iterate significantly on the device’s past models. While Android devices are introducing larger smartphones, NFC technology, wireless charging, and features such as water resistance, Apple’s credibility as a innovator in the market segment it created is shrinking.

As Apple now begins to follow industry trends with the iPad mini and a less expensive version of the iPhone, Samsung is poised to become a market leader. The Korean company will unveil its latest flagship smartphone, the Galaxy S IV at an Apple-like announcement in New York on March 14. Samsung’s hefty manufacturing capabilities and willingness to mimic Apple have propelled it to the forefront of Android smartphones, but the company’s new marketing (another thing it has taken directly from Apple’s playbook) is also beginning to become part of the cultural zeitgeist.

The mobile market right now might be considered tablets and smartphones, but later this year Google will introduce a completely new type of mobile product with Google Glass. Though the device’s success is far from certain, it could introduce an entirely new mobile category, propelling the industry forward with even more constant connectivity. Glass’ ability to record on the fly also brings privacy concerns, meaning laws and social norms will be further tested by advancing technology.

With all of these changes coming to the mobile space, it’s worth considering how advertisers will adapt. While having consumers constantly connected and consuming content may seem preferable for advertisers, the abundance of that content can make it difficult for ad campaigns to target their audience. At the same time, the abundance of content and metrics can put consumers in control of much of the advertising they see.

As Susan Wojcicki, senior VP of advertising at Google, recently put it in a Google Plus post, “We are living in uncharted territory.”

Wojcicki argues that as always-connected devices continue to proliferate, advertising will quickly move into a “choice-based economy” where users will be able to control the content and ads that they see. She writes that “ads views will effectively become voluntary.”

It’s not hard to imagine how advertisers will have to adapt in that type of ad economy. Choice-based ad models will have to cater to consumers at an individual level with adaptability and engage customers in nearly the same way that content itself does. Wojcicki suggests that future technologies will provide more “interactive and beautiful” ads, but that’s only the beginning of how mobile advertising will change in the coming years.

Accepting that consumers are no longer a captive audience for ads may be a terrifying prospect for both advertisers and content creators, but consumer choice is only continuing to increase. This could make solid advertising opportunities more expensive, but also means that brands will have to adapt their ad techniques to grow a fan base or to provide upfront value to consumers.

How do you think advertising should adapt to consumer choice? Tell us your ideas in the comments.

As the nature of mobile advertising changes, how advertisers measure the impact of their campaigns will have to change as well. Wojcicki puts it bluntly by stating advertisers will have to develop “standards beyond the click.” However, it’s hard to predict just how those measurements will be made in the future, particularly in light of the growing backlash from privacy advocates.

Wojcicki stated that Google is beginning to to roll out surveys to provide advertisers with a way to measure the performance of their display and video campaigns. Google’s skippable “TrueView” ads are also now integrated into mobile AdMob apps, allowing consumers to decide for themselves what ads they will view.

As the future of the mobile industry finally begins to take shape this year, consumers have never had more choices with regards to hardware, software, and services. However, the plethora of choices thrown at consumers can also create confusion, and will inevitably lead to a few trusted brands leading the way. While advertisers attempt to pare down consumers’ choices for them, future technologies, such as Google Glass, will continue to continue to change the way people interact with technology and their environment.