Announced only two months ago at Google’s IO developer conference, the Nexus 7 is Google’s take on a pure tablet experience. Backed and sold direct from Google itself. With the initial production run of the tablet going to the few thousand in attendance, the population has now begun receiving preorders for the much-anticipated tablet.
Hardware: Priced at a lowest tier $199, the Nexus 7 is one of the cheapest tablets on the market. For this price, users are confined to 8BG storage, and must pay $249 is the additional storage in the step-up model is needed. It is important to note that the $199 model does not look to be available at retial outlets, such as Sam’s Club, and can only be orders from the Google Play Store online. Beyond storage capacity, both version share all other internals, which include a quad core Nvidia Tegra 3 processor and 1GB RAM. This pairing of processor and RAM has garnered the Nexus 7 rave initial reviews for being one of the fastest tablets on the market in any price class. Gaming and application performance are among the best among any Android devices, tablet or phone.
From the outside, users will interface with the tablet’s 7″ IPS display with excellent viewing angles and color saturation. Only a single camera on the front is includes at 1.2MP, it is one of a few areas that Google and vendor Asus cut corners in achieving the rock bottom price. Video quality on the camera is mediocre should be used for photos in emergencies only. Additional cost cutting measures include the axing of a removable battery and SD card slot. Luckily other essentials such as bluetooth, GPS, and WiFi are left intact – a requirement for a number of popular applications, including those published by Google.
The housing of the Nexus 7 feels good in hand and is made of a lightweight rubberized plastic. Unfortunately, it only took a few days before I notice the bezel had begun to separate from the body ever so slightly. It doesn’t hinder the use of the tablet, and is barely noticeable – but it looks to be a common issue, as quick web search shows other reporting similar issues.
Software: Although the Nexus 7 offers powerful hardware at a low price, the software on the unit is arguably the main attraction. The unit shipped as the only device running Android 4.1 Jelly Bean, which includes number of new enhancements for performance and usability. ‘Project Butter’ was the term coined by Google for the efforts placed to smooth the interface of the operating system. Graphics transition, menu overlays and other visuals are now buttery smooth and go a long way to make users forget any buggy or poor performing Android experience they may have had in the past.
Google ‘Now’ deserves special mention also, as Google’s response to Apple’s Siri. Although Google Now does not allow users to dictate calendar entries and a few other niceties that Siri provides – the system excels in other areas, including location based notifications and services. An example of this is the forecast, sports score, and public transit times the system will provide when accessed. These information displays require no manual entry, instead the device will monitors user behavior – and stores information such as predicted home and work addresses. Search Google for Oakland Raider’s scores recently? These may soon appear within your Google Now dashboard the next time you access the service.
Verdict: There is very little not to like about the Nexus 7. Google has released compelling hardware with software to match. As a Nexus device, the tablet is guaranteed to get the most recent versions of the Android OS during Google’s promised 18month minimum support cycle. The only reservation remaining for this polished and high performing tablet remains to be build quality. If history is to be believed, the initial production runs of the devices should quickly resolve and production woes. If willing to wait another month or so before running to stores to slide your VISA, the Nexus 7 is highly recommended.
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