The ASUS-manufactured Google Nexus 7 does not have a rear-facing camera, in contrast to market rivals like the Samsung Galaxy Tabs and the BlackBerry PlayBook. In response, Patrick Brady, the director for Android Partner Engineering with Google claimed the lightweight HD display, a quad core processor and a front-facing camera were enough to beat its primary rival, the Amazon Kindle Fire.

"We wanted to build something inexpensive, but not cheap. It had to have fast processor and great screen resolution that our developers would want to use it. And we were looking to build a device that could showcase our digital content. We have built the biggest ebook store and we have got movies in Google Play. We have added TV and magazines. So we really wanted the perfect device to consume all of this and thought the 7in tablet was a good size," Brady explained.

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Google Nexus 7 was announced on the I/O Developers Conference, 2012. Google

However, PocketNow reports that developers from the XDA forum unboxed the Nexus 7 to discover original designs included plans for a rear-facing camera... the manufacturers just never fitted the device. In addition, unboxing the motherboard shows slots for related hardware.

The question then is - why did ASUS not pack a rear-facing camera?

The answer, it seems, according to notes from a release from the company, was to keep price points down and focus on user experience of the device.

"To make this device accessible to the wildest possible market, price is very important. ASUS believes that for this device a good rear camera is important. Adding a high quality rear-facing camera will increase the price point and many users would not have a use for it. Adding a lower quality rear facing camera would compromise on the overall user experience so the decision was made not to include a front facing camera therefore keeping the price down and users experience extremely high," the company explained.

Video Credit: XDA Developers