Google just joined the tablet market, unveiling its Nexus 7. And while some may say it looks the perfect iPad competitor, I say it throws a one-two punch at Kindle Fire, Nook Tablet and Samsung Galaxy Tab 2.0. All of these tablets come with a 7-inch IPS display and are below $249.99. Nexus 7 also comes with a 7-inch, high-definition display and is priced at $249.99 for its beefier 16GB version. Google likes to say, "Nexus 7 is made for Google Play...and is ideal for reading books, thanks to its weight and size.".
What's Under the Hood
While the Galaxy Tab 2.0 comes with 3G connectivity and microSD support, Google has its own alluring features. Google Nexus 7 comes with:
- Nvidia Tegra 3 Quad-Core processor (clocked at 1.3Ghz) and a GeForce 12-core GPU
- ASUS, which already has experience with some interesting mobile devices, built Nexus 7
- 7-inch 1280 x 800 pixel high-definition display
- Front-facing 1.2 megapixel camera.
- Support for the latest version of Android, called Jelly Bean 4.1.
- 1 GB of RAM
- GPS
- WiFi 802.11 b/g/n and Bluetooth connectivity.
- Sensors - accelerometer, magnetometer, gyroscope and the NFC chip.
Oooh, Ahhh Factor
From what I saw during the Google I/O 2012 Conference, as well as hands-on sessions, Nexus 7 looks great and takes a punch at all those ugly Android tablets. As for the price, $199.99 for an 8GB version or $249.99 for a 16GB version, Google has matched and delivered the lowest price for an Android tablet. It's really great that for this price, you end up having a fantastic looking tablet that lasts up to 10 hours (in certain situations), packed with Google's latest apps and innovations and with great hardware.
Hometown Advantage
One important thing to note about Nexus 7 is it will always feature the latest untouched version of Android (4.1 for now), 5.0 and, or, 6.0 during the next several years. The reason I bring this up is because Nexus S, a phone Google announced in January 2010, is now getting an Android 4.1 Jelly Bean update. That likely means Nexus 7 tablet users will still receive support over the next one to two years with future Android OS updates.
Having this in mind, if you want to buy a tablet just under $200 and experience the latest untouched version of Android OS, Google Nexus 7 seems the perfect choice. Sure you could spend another $50 to buy a Galaxy Tab 2.0 tablet with 3G connectivity, but it doesn't have the latest version of Android. Google Nexus 7 Tablet is available for preorder right now for U.S., U.K., Canada and Australia and will start shipping in mid July in two storage versions(8 or 16 GB) and in either white or black.
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Google just joined the tablet market, unveiling its Nexus 7. And while some may say it looks the perfect iPad competitor, I say it throws a one-two punch at Kindle Fire, Nook Tablet and Samsung Galaxy Tab 2.0. All of these tablets come with a 7-inch IPS display and are below $249.99. Nexus 7 also comes with a 7-inch, high-definition display and is priced at $249.99 for its beefier 16GB version. Google likes to say, "Nexus 7 is made for Google Play...and is ideal for reading books, thanks to its weight and size.".
