Media & Entertainment Industry Trends, Technology and Research

Google Nexus 7 Tablet Review – Part 1

Posted In Reviews - By Nitin Narang on Sunday, November 4th, 2012 With 1 Comment

Last few years has seen the tablet landscape maturing with Apple’s iPad being the de-facto ring master but Google and Microsoft strategic entry is sure to disrupt the equilibrium and create new pricing levels /categories and more choices for buyers. It is too early but Google’s Nexus 7 is not in league of iPad although it stands out among Amazon Kindle Fire, Barnes & Noble’s Nook Color, Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 7.0, RIM playbook and others 7” tablets. The recent  sales numbers of approx. million pieces a month further reassure its dominance among the peers.

As I wrote earlier , technology improvements, market consolidation, user growth and changing consumer habits is redefining consumption

Nexus 7 Box

Nexus 7 Box

landscape and most major players including Microsoft (Surface brings its hardware and tablet entry), Amazon, Google and Sony are working to get their ecosystems more robust and self contained(device, content platform, app store, services and cloud). The sad part being they all are ending up as sileod walled gardens in their own right, could only wish if ever these platforms and devices can coexist and inter-operate.

Google made its tablet debut with Nexus 7 (in selected countries) in June 2012priced at $199 for 8GB and $249 for 16GB version. I have used my Nexus 7 16 GB tablet for couple of days now and below is the first impression.

5 things which I Liked in Nexus 7

  1. Google Now – add the rights cards and you have all the info on the finger tips
  1. Screen quality is good, swiping through screens is very fast and responsive
  1. Good battery life
  1. Light weight and easy to hold, can easily slide in my back pocket
  1. $25 voucher and bundled free content

5 things which I did not like in Nexus 7

  1. Missing In-built support for landscape mode
  1. 3G– but you can’t really complain at this price
  1. Quality of speakers is below par
  1. Power on / off is not intuitive
  2. No HDMI out
Google Nexus Display

Google Nexus Display

New Releases :   Google is expected to discontinue 8 GB and launch two new Nexus 7 models that includes 32GB of memory and adds a pentaband HSPA+ radio. The new models will come with a price tag of $249 and $299 respectively, while the 16GB Nexus 7 gets price cut to $199.

Where to Buy : Nexus 7 is available from Google Play store as well as leading electronic stores
Accessories : Case is must buy. I ordered the case along with the protection screen (don’t feel much need of protection screen but the combo made eligible for the free shipping on Amazon)

Nexus 7 Software

Out of box, Nexus 7 came with an older version but upgraded to latest and greatest Android 4.1 Jelly Bean. The upgrade was seamless and it came back right the first time.

Specifications

 Display
7 inch multi-touch capacitive LCD screen, 1200 x 800 HD backlit IPS with a respectable 216 pixels per inch
Dimension
198.5 x 120 x 10.45mm / 7.6 x 5.1 x 0.4 inches
Processor
1.2 Ghz quad-core Tegra 3 processor
Storage
Initially introduced as 8/16 GB. Later 16/32 GB
Memory
1 GB of RAM
Communications
Wireless-N Wi-Fi (802.11a/b/g/n) 2.4GHz, Bluetooth, DLNA
Webcams
1.2 MP forward facing camera
Audio
Stereo speakers / 3.5mm headphone jack
GPS
For navigation and location-based services; includes accelerometer, 6-axis motion sensing (gyroscope) and digital compass (magnetometer)
Ports
Micro USB port
Weight
340 grams/ 0.75 lbs
Glass
Corning glass, Scratch-resistant surface
Battery Life
4325mAh battery into the Nexus 7, about eight hours of active use
Add On
NFC
Connection
Micro USB port
Controls
On the right side is a power/sleep button with a two-stage volume rockers

What’s in the Box ?

Nexus 7 32GB tablet, USB charger cable, operating instructions

Nexus 7, Mini USB Charger

Nexus 7, Mini USB Charger

First Impression

Google Nexus 7 has validated the 7” segment with a bold statement. Will it be a game changer is still to be seen but it is definitely a great device and top ranking in its segment

About - Digital Architect, Media Technology Consultant and Machine Learning Practitioner. I have passion for TV technology, digital convergence and changing face of Media and Entertainment industry. Currently having fun with AI and Machine Learning.