Announced at it’s press event last week, the Google Nexus 7 is consumer available today and the reviews are beginning to roll in. The next-generation tablet, a collaborative effort by Google and soon-not-to-be production partner Asus, is expected to build of the critically acclaimed first-generation Nexus 7 tablet which, priced at 16GB worth $229.99; 32GB for $269.99; or $349.99 with 4G LTE; competes viably with essentially every tablet currently on the market.
Before we get into what the tech junkies and pundits have to say here’s a quick rundown of the Nexus 7’s specs, just in case you don’t take their words for how dextrous the tablet truly is.
The Nexus 7’s 7-inch 920 x 1200, 323 pixels per inch, and 1080p display is certainly formidable when pitted against competing tablets, but it’s worth considering that the Nexus 7 boasts the highest DPI of any tablet on the market. Equipped alongside this are two cameras, a front-facing 1.2MP shooter and a rear-facing 5MP.
Underneath the hood the tablet will run on a 1.5GHz Snapdragon chipset OS which happens to be 80% faster with 4x GPU frame-rates for gamers. Google also upped the amount of memory by increasing the RAM to 2GB as well as that of the battery to 1 extra hour compared to last year’s 10 hours of browsing and 9 of video. Features include optional 4G LTE (from AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile only), HDMI output, NFC capabilities, wireless charging support, Bluetooth 4.0, and the newly unveiled Android 4.3 Jelly Bean operating system.
CNET: “At $230, it’s more expensive than the top 7-inch tablets from 2012, but it’s also much better-performing. In addition, it’s cheaper than both the 8-inch Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 and the iPad Mini and yes, performs better than either, despite the former’s better handling of onscreen colors.”
Engadget: “We can confidently say it offers the best bang for your buck — yes, that includes the iPad mini, though Apple’s entry in the small tablet category has a much more diverse catalog of tablet-specific apps… The new Nexus has a lot to offer, including an incredible display and strong overall performance. As long as you don’t mind the selection of tablet-optimized apps in the Play Store, you’d have to be an extreme power user to not enjoy the latest Nexus 7, and you’d most definitely be paying through the nose to land anything better.”
Mashable: “So the Nexus 7 addresses Android’s tablet problem not by daring developers to create apps in a larger form factor, but by upgrading the experience of what’s already out there. If you’ve already got an Android phone, and you want to take the experience to the next level, this is where you want to go. And, at $229, why wouldn’t you want to?”
TechRadar: “Like a bucket of water being used to douse the Kindle’s flames, Google appears poised to reclaim any tablet ground lost since the introduction of Amazon’s forked version of Android. It may not tread a lot of new ground, but the Nexus 7 is a solid performer and easily the best tablet around for the thriftier buyer.”
[Featured image via Engadget]
