The 16GB Google Nexus 7" Tablet from ASUS represents a premium Android-based device that delivers the best Google experience available on a tablet. Aside from including easy-to-use software and state-of-the-art hardware, the Nexus 7 is the first tablet to ever feature Google's Android 4.1 Jelly Bean operating system. Jelly Bean brings intuitive controls and a plethora of customizable options. With smarter notifications, beautiful new widgets and home screen customization, the Nexus 7 takes advantage of Jelly Bean's easy to use drag-and-drop controls.Finding that perfect balance between practicality and mobility is a difficult task. Fortunately, the Nexus 7 combines both into a slim, lightweight tablet with a perfectly-sized 7" IPS display. With a 1280 x 800 native resolution, you'll be able to enjoy deeper black levels and vibrant color when playing your high-definition video content. The screen is made by scratch-resistant Corning glass so you don't end up with unwanted marks when carrying your Nexus 7 around.
Mobility is key for any tablet and the Nexus 7 is no exception. It is only 0.41" thin and weighs less than a pound so you can carry it around with you wherever you go without adding any bulk to your bag. You don't have to worry about low battery life either since the Nexus 7 can run for over 9 hours during HD video playback, 10 hours when web browsing or e-reading and up to 300 hours when in stand-by mode.
Note! The nVIDIA Tegra 3 processor can run at 1.3GHz in single-core mode.
High Performance in a Slim, Portable Package
Android 4.1 Jelly Bean OS
The Nexus 7 is the first ever tablet to feature the Android 4.1 Jelly Bean OS. This clean, uncluttered mobile operating system brings smarter notifications, beautiful widgets and deep home screen customization made easier with drag-and-drop controls. You'll be able to unlock your Nexus 7 with a smile. Just look into the camera to quickly unlock your tablet without having to worry about passwords. You can also tap the microphone on the keyboard and use your voice to type out your emails, SMS or anything else you want to text. The Android Beam makes it easy to share contacts, websites, apps, maps, directions and YouTube videos to other people close by. Simply hold two NFC-enabled Android tablets close to each other and push to beam and share. With Jelly Bean at its core, the Nexus 7 is faster and more intuitive than ever before
Quad-Core Performance
The Nexus 7 comes with a quad-core 1.2GHz NVIDIA Tegra 3 processor. It can also run at 1.3GHz when using only one core. Quad core performance allows for pages to load quickly, gameplay to be smooth and responsive as well as multiple apps to run seamlessly. Integrated graphics deliver rich and immersive visuals while patented 4-PLUS-1 CPU design gives you processing power when you need it, and battery saving efficiency when you don't
Stunning 7" IPS Display
The Nexus 7 brings your entertainment to life in stunning clarity on a vibrant 1280 x 800 high-resolution display protected by scratch resistant Corning glass. With over one million pixels in your hand, text is sharper, HD movies are more vivid and gameplay is smooth and dynamic. The display has 10-finger multi-touch support
Designed with Gaming in Mind
The Nexus 7 was designed with gaming in mind. With heart pounding quad-core performance and sensors such as a gyroscope and accelerometer, you'll be able to do a barrel roll then tilt, touch and tap your way to the top of the leaderboards
Elegant Mobility
The Nexus 7 was built to bring you the best of Google in a slim, portable package that fits perfectly in your hand. Only 0.41" thin and having a weight of less than a pound, you'll be able to carry the Nexus 7 around without feeling weighed down
Made for Google Play
World's Largest Collection of eBooks
With over 4 million books to choose from, the Nexus 7 gives you access to the world's largest collection of eBooks. Customize your reading experience by adjusting the font, switching to day or nighttime modes and much more
Instant Access to Your Favorite Movies and TV Shows
There's no need to wait for downloading, syncing or worrying about storage space because movies and TV shows are instantly available on the Nexus 7 in full HD. Also, the Nexus 7 has a high-resolution 16:9 screen, you'll be watching your favorite content the way it was meant to be seen
600,000 Apps & Games
Get all the apps and games you love on the Nexus 7. With over 600,000 titles to choose from, Google Play has something for everyone. Find the most popular free and paid apps, explore hand-picked collections, browse by category or simply search for your favorites
Magazines
Magazines come to life on the Nexus 7. With hundreds of popular titles to choose from, you're bound to find something for you. Buy single copies of new issues, or subscribe to your favorites on Google Play
Your Music Everywhere
Take your music anywhere with the Nexus 7. When you upload your existing music library to Google Play (up to 20,000 songs for free), you can stream all your tracks and playlists from the cloud so you'll never miss a beat. With the Music Manager, you can also easily import your entire iTunes music library (up to 20,000 songs, does not include DRM protected songs) into Google Play. Once your music is imported, it automatically becomes available on your Nexus 7. You'll also be able to enjoy your music on the web at play.google.com and any other Android compatible phone or tablet without having to worry about backups again
The Best of Google
Google Now
Google Now tells you today's weather before you start your day, how much traffic to expect before you leave for work, when the next train will arrive as you're standing on the platform, or your favorite team's score while they're playing. And the best part? All of this happens automatically. Cards appear throughout the day at the moment you need them
Browse the Web Faster
The Nexus 7 comes with the speed and simplicity of Google Chrome, built in. Browsing the web from your tablet has never been faster with pages loading in a snap and hardware-accelerated page rendering lets you experience the mobile web quickly and efficiently
Gmail, To Go
Gmail is better than ever on the Nexus 7. Intuitively swipe back and forth between email threads so you can read and respond quickly and fly through your inbox. And offline search lets you search for emails even when you don't have a Wi-Fi connection
Google+ Hangouts
The Nexus 7 lets you video chat with up to nine friends at once with Google+ Hangouts. You'll look great with the 1.2-megapixel, front-facing camera, and starting a Hangout is a snap or you can join an ongoing Hangout from your stream. Stay connected and keep the conversation going wherever you are with the Nexus 7
YouTube in HD
Product Features
7 inch 1280x800 HD display (216 ppi)
Quad-core Tegra 3 processor
16 GB internal storage (actual formatted capacity will be less)
Android 4.1 (Jelly Bean),Memory: Slots: Onboard, Installed: 1GB
4325 mAh battery (Up to 8 hours of active use)
Product Description
7 1280x800 HD display (216 ppi)
Back-lit IPS display
Scratch-resistant Corning glass
1.2MP front-facing camera
16 GB internal storage (actual formatted capacity will be less)
1 GB RAM
WiFi 802.11 b/g/n
Bluetooth
Quad-core Tegra 3 processor
Android 4.1 (Jelly Bean)
We've been using a Kindle Fire since September 2011 (pre-ordered) and I am happy we ordered ours. Soon after purchase it was adopted by our daughter. She is using it to draw and paint, she watches Netflix for Kids on it, she learned how to search Youtube for arts and crafts 'how to' videos and she plays (mostly free) games from Amazon's Appstore. The Fire wasn't a full-feature tablet when it launched but we overlooked its hardware shortcomings, its off-mainstream Android and its locking us out Google's much larger app store because the price was right and because the 7" screen size made it lighter and more portable than the 'full size' 10.1" alternatives. We are still happy with our Fire but we are happier with Nexus 7, our second 7" tablet.
Because Nexus 7 and Amazon's Kindle are both Android tablets very similar in screen size that sell for the same price, I am going to compare the two while I write about my experience with Nexus 7. Whenever appropriate, I will note the differences between Nexus and the Fire when such differences exist. If a feature is present on both tablets I will simply note its existence. I will prefix specific features with an equal sign if both tablets support it equally, a plus sign if the Nexus implementation is superior or Fire lacks it and a minus sign when a feature is better implemented by Fire or is a Fire exclusive.
HARDWARE (Nexus 7)
The Nexus comes pretty close to what we normally call the latest and greatest (written in July 2012). I
= Accelerometer
= Gyroscope
= Micro USB port
+ Backlit screen at 1280x800 vs. 1024x600 on the Fire
+ Front-facing camera, 1.2 megapixels (Fire lacks it)
+ GPS (Fire lacks it)
+ Microphone (Fire lacks it)
+ Quad-core CPU vs. Fire's dual-core
Neither the Fire or the Nexus come with memory expansion ports or a rear-facing camera. The Micro USB interface will allow you to attach flash drives and even powered USB HDDs but the fact remains that if you buy an 8GB Nexus 7 or a Kindle Fire you are stuck with that amount of memory internally. At the same time, I will testify that I haven't used 8GB yet on my much older 16GB XOOM. A rear-facing camera would have been a plus.
CONNECTIVITY (Nexus 7)
The better connected a tablet is, the more useful it becomes. Both the Nexus 7 and the Fire lack 3G/4G capabilities, relying mostly on Wi-Fi to stay in touch with the world but there are some differences between the two worth noting.
= WiFi 802.11 b/g/n
= Amazon's Appstore
+ Bluetooth (Fire lacks it)
+ Near Field Communication (Fire lacks it) It allows two devices that support it to exchange information by touching each other. Not widely used at this time.
+ Google Play (Fire restricts access to Amazon's Appstore only)
I listed the app stores under connectivity mostly because Amazon made it impossible (unless you hack your Fire) to shop from anywhere other than Amazon's own store and I believe you are confined to Amazon's cloud services. There are no such restrictions on the Nexus. You can use Amazon's cloud, Google's or anyone else's if you so desire.
A special note on Bluetooth. It happens to be the most elegant way to use keyboards, external speakers and other peripherals with your tablet. Amazon's Fire lacks Bluetooth and that's too bad.
SOFTWARE (Nexus 7)
+ Android. Nexus 7 comes with Android 4.1 pre-installed, the latest version at the time I write this. It is very likely that it will be upgradeable to future versions. At the same time, it is not likely that the Fire's custom Android 3.x will ever be upgraded. It's possible but not likely.
+ Chrome. It happens to be my favorite browser. Amazon does not allow Chrome on its Fire. Fire's own browser is not too bad but I personally prefer Chrome.
- Flash. Nexus 7 or Android 4.1 rather does not support Flash which is too bad but it's because Adobe decided not to support it on Android 4.1. Kindle Fire does support Flash.
BUILD (Nexus 7)
While I like both tablets look and feel, it's objectively true that the Nexus 7 is lighter and thinner than the Fire. Subjectively, the Nexus looks and feels more 'high end' than the Fire.
MY CONCLUSIONS
I've been using a Nexus 7 for the past couple of weeks at the time I'm writing this. I've also been using a Kindle Fire for the past 9 months. I am fully aware that when it comes to 'tablets' the technology changes fast and I have little doubt that it will be surpassed by many newer models but, at the time I'm writing this, this the the best there is, even at double its price.
Neither the Nexus or the Fire are perfect. Both tablets, for example, lack memory expansion capabilities and a back camera. However, the Nexus, while selling for the same price, beats the Fire in every single category. If you are an Amazon person (like I am) the Nexus gives you the best of both worlds. You can still get your Amazon Appstore and the Kindle reader app but nothing restricts you from using someone else's store. Bluetooth makes it easy to add big sound and a real keyboard to your tablet if you wish and the microphone and camera enable you to do video calls among other things. And, yes, it is quite likely that Amazon's new tables are going to match and possibly surpass the Nexus 7 but that's 'in the future'. If I had to decide today between purchasing Nexus 7 and a Kindle Fire I would go Nexus 7 without hesitation.
