The market for small tablet is all set to heat up with the launch of Google’s Nexus 7. The strikingly captivating new Android tablet brings you the best of raw power and portability. The hardware by Asus and the latest Android from Google (Android 4.3 Jelly Bean) makes Nexus 7 a formidable player in the small tablet market. The brand new Nexus 7 will be available in the US beginning July 30 (with more countries coming soon!).
Designed for comfort and convenience
A smooth-touch and matte back compliments simplistic, yet sleek design features such as a slim body, clean, neat, and simple design. It comes in at 7.87 x 4.49 x 0.34 inches compared to the 7.81 x 4.72 x 0.41 inches on the 2012 Nexus 7. Well, yeah it looks a bit longer but is reasonably thinner and narrower. It weighs around 10.5 ounces compared to 12 ounces of its predecessor making it relatively less bulky and voluminous. It is so compact that it could easily fit in the rear pocket of your jeans, backpacks, back-pockets, and almost everybody’s jacket. This sharpest 7” tablet screen conveniently puts 2.3 million pixels at your fingertips bringing entertainment to life. Sadly, it has no storage slot (expandable) or removable battery.
Although the new look Nexus 7 got fat with pixels. Nexus 7 HD IPS screen has a flawless resolution of 1920×1200 for a density of 323 pixels per inch. That’s an unrivaled resolution for a tablet this size.
High-performance and speed powered by Android
Nexus 7 gives pure Android experience from Google (Android 4.3 Jelly Bean) compared to almost similar Android 4.2. It now supports Bluetooth 4.0 Low Energy. There are a few other perks, like you can create accounts with restrictions. This family friendly feature is a boon for parents who want their kids to use technology of tables without the ability to buy apps, make in-app purchases or visit websites with adult content.
The Nexus 7’s quad-core 1.5GHz Snapdragon S4 processor, along with 2GB of RAM, provides a seamless experience. Apps—even graphics-intensive ones open up lightening fast, scrolling is effortless, and it auto-rotate functions quickly, things which 2012 Nexus 7 deprived me of. Its compact size makes it the easiest tablet to carry with you while on the move. Hand-fatigue is extremely minimal. Wireless charging means you can charge on the go and enjoy up to 9 hours of HD video playback and 10 hours of browsing or reading.
Battery life has been a winner so far. It made it through the day after many downloads, hours of video playback, and e-reading. I believe improved display technology and/or the smarter processor could be the primary reasons for battery life.
The Yeah
- Beautiful display: That best part beyond doubt would be the upgraded screen. It is drop dead gorgeous giving text a razor sharp look as well as very bright colors.
- High-quality video and graphics performance: Magazine pages in the Google Play app loaded thunder fast. Visual apps didn’t result in excruciatingly long wait for the thumbnails to load.
- Suave, lightweight design: At just 0.64lbs (290g), the all-new Nexus 7 is light enough to take anywhere.
The Nay
- Camera: The front-facing camera has a very narrow angle. It just keeps showing a big closeup of your face if you are video chatting and holding tablet at a reasonable distance. We tried to test the 5MP rear camera but were unable to get a steady shot. But, who uses camera in tablet anyway?
- No expandable storage: Yeah. One of the major disappointing factors.
- Outdated processor: Nexus features Qualcomm’s Snapdragon S4 Pro processor while HTC One and Samsung Galaxy S4 both use Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 600 processor, which is relatively faster and updated.
Google Nexus 7 2013: Technical Specs
- Display: 1920×1200 (323 PPI) LED-backlit IPS
- Processor: 1.5GHz quad-core Snapdragon S4 Pro Processor
- Memory: 2GB
- Storage: 16GB/32GB
- OS: Android 4.3 (Jelly Bean)
- Camera: 5MP rear / 1.2MP Front
- Dimensions: 7.87 x 4.49 x 0.34 inches
- Weight: 10.5 ounces
- Battery: 3,950 mAh Li-Ion
Conclusion:
Google’s Nexus 7 is an upgrade, but it’s a little more incremental value than expected. Not many tablets in its category can match up with the sheer quality and vibrancy. Nexus 7 screen is drop dead gorgeous. I feel the screen is arguably the best in its class. Nexus 7 is hassle free, compact, and easy to carry. However, one of the major drawback is using Qualcomm’s Snapdragon S4 Pro processor. While the processor is undoubtedly fast it is outdated compared to Qualcomm’s newer, faster Snapdragon 600 processor used by HTC One and Samsung Galaxy S4. It is true that most heavy app open quickly in the Nexus 7, however it is the long-term performance that raises question mark.
With the 2013 versions of the iPad mini and the Kindle Fire just a couple of months away, Nexus 7 faces a stiff competition. But at a price: $230-$270 Wi-Fi / $350 Wi-Fi + LTE Nexus 7 sits pretty well. But the question is will Google Nexus 7 stand the test of time?
