Google, Asus add 3G to the 7 inch Nexus tablet

Google’s Asus built seven inch tablet is receiving a much needed boost to work on 3G networks, allowing customers to download without being in range of WiFi.

Heading to stores across the country, as well as being sold online through the Google Play store, the Nexus 7 will be sold as a completely unlocked device, sporting 32GB of storage and supporting networks in both Australia and New Zealand.

Updated earlier this year, the Google Nexus 7 features a quad-core Nvidia Tegra 3 processor, 7 inch IPS 1280×720 display, Bluetooth, Near-Field Communication, and one of the latest versions of Google Android “Jelly Bean.”

With this release, buyers will be able to jump online and keep their tablet connected on more than just WiFi for not too much more than the current pricing. As it stands, the 3G model carries a $50 premium over the WiFi only model, with the Nexus 7 3G/WiFi coming in at $369, while the WiFi only models arrive at $319 and $269 for 32GB and 16GB respectively.

Interestingly, it’s the same price as Apple’s 16GB WiFi-only iPad Mini, no doubt set to this price to tempt people over to Android instead of the tiny iPad model.

In comparison, the competing 32GB WiFi and cellular iPad Mini carries a $619 price tag, but does include 4G speeds.