Google Nexus 7 / Reviews

The Nexus 7 has a ton going for it. It is rare you can buy an Android tablet with no bloatware and no superfluous content to bog you down. Many people are obviously really drawn to Android, and the ability to craft your own experience. The Nexus 7 blends high performance hardware with solid resolution to make movies and web content look amazing. You will be hard-pressed to find another Android tablet that has the great price and high powered specs that this one does. You aren’t locked into any one content distribution system and can enjoy a pure and open experience.

Read original review at Good E-Reader.

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It could be argued that the larger and more expensive Google Nexus 10 is a better accompanying device for today's sizeable flagship smartphones - and if you own the such a phone then it's a better buy. At this price, though, the Nexus 7 is a real impulse purchase, and having seen the quality of the device we'd say just go for it. It's a fantastic tablet and one that practically everyone will find a use for.

Read original review at Expert Reviews.

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If you're thinking about buying a tablet, you're still probably best off with an iPad. But if you're sold on a Nexus 7, I can't think of a good reason not to buy it with mobile data. I recommend buying the cellular version of any tablet, actually, but it's an even easier sell on this device. The deciding factor with other tablets is price: you pay a $130 premium on the iPad for LTE connectivity, and the Galaxy Tab 7.7 is only available for $399.99 from Verizon. At $299, the Nexus 7 costs only $50 more for the HSPA+ model — it's $100 more than the entry-level model, but you also get 32GB of storage instead of 16.

Even if you don't plan on using the data plan, spend the extra $50 — I bet you'll end up using it. I'm already looking for ways to hack a SIM card slot into my own Nexus 7.

Read original review at The Verge.

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The Nexus 7 has a great looking 7in display and powerful quad-core processor running on Jelly Bean. It's great for browsing the Web, reading e-books, watching HD videos and playing games.

The addition of Google Now also makes it much easier to find relevant information.

However, the Nexus 7 lacks a number of features. It doesn't have a microSD ­expansion slot which means you'll just have to be happy with 16GB of storage.

And if you are the type that likes to shoot pictures you'll be disappointed that it doesn't have a rear camera.

Also, the review unit is a WiFi-only model. If you prefer to be connected at all times you should wait for the 3G model which Asus expects to ship in the near feature.

All in all, you are getting a lot of features in a 7in form factor. It is also one of the best Android tablets we have used so far.

Read original review at Mobile88.

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The Nexus 7 isn’t perfect, but it is pretty damn close. Jelly Bean 4.1 is great, the processor is great and the fact that there is no 3rd party junk pre-loaded is highly appreciated. If you want a relatively capable tablet in a 7-inch form factor, it’s hard to beat this tablet.

Read original review at Mobile Magazine.

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Made by ASUS and Google, this slate was unveiled at Google I/O 2012 early this summer with Android 4.1 Jelly Bean. It’s a 7 inch slate with a quad core CPU and it feels like a genuine companion for the owner of an Android smartphone. It perfectly complements and extends the use of the Android handset. As far as the design goes, we’ve got a rubbery back with a very nice and grippy texture, a big speaker at the bottom and the ASUS and Nexus logos easily distinguishable. No back camera here, instead we get a front shooter, a 1.2 MP one that does 720p capture.

Google Nexus 7 is the most famous tablet of the moment, that’s for sure, a fact proved by both the discussions it causes and also by its sales, that are bound to have hit some millions by now. Google predicted it would move 8 million units this year alone and I honestly think they can reach that mark, considering the product only costs as low as $199 in the 8 GB version.

Read original review at Android Tablet Blog.

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Despite a current lack of dedicated Android tablet apps, the Nexus 7 is a compelling piece of hardware. While the Kindle Fire felt like its main selling point was the low $199 price point, Google's Nexus 7 goes beyond its low cost and provides relatively powerful hardware inside a well-built package. The truth is, the Nexus 7 would still be an attractive product at an even higher price point.

That said, this device is no iPad, and it doesn't even feel like it was made to compete with Apple's market dominating tablet. The narrow screen feels best suited for primarily reading books with the occasional Web browsing and app usage, which pits the Nexus 7 as more of a Kindle competitor than an iPad challenger.

While the Nexus 7 is easy to recommend for anyone looking for a tablet in the smaller 7-inch class, it would be inadvisable for anyone who can wait to buy in to this market segment now. Apple is widely expected to debut its own smaller iPad later this year with a 7.85-inch display that will be larger than the Nexus 7 and Kindle Fire, but still considerably smaller than the 9.7-inch iPad.

Having spent time with the Nexus 7 and felt how responsive the device is, it's easy to see how a smaller iPad would be a big seller. A powerful tablet in a compact form factor feels like a device meant for different uses than a full-sized iPad. If Apple can produce a smaller iPad that is significantly lighter than the current model, allowing for the device to be easily held with one hand, we'd welcome such a product, even without sandpaper in the box.

Read original review at AppleInsider.

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The Nexus 7 offers an appealing combination of 7-inch form factor, quad-core processor, Android 4.1 (Jelly Bean) OS, pleasing design and solid build quality.

Battery life is good. The Nexus 7 has a 4,325mAh battery that Google claims is good for 9 hours of video playback, 10 hours of web browsing, 10 hours of e-book reading and 300 hours on standby. The hardware design and build quality are excellent thanks to the involvement of Asus. On the plus side, Chrome — now the browser of choice for Android — delivered a smooth browsing experience.

Read original review at ZDNet.

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The Google tablet is not ideal, but it makes the right compromises and if the limited storage isn't a deal-breaker, we can't see anyone choosing another 7" Android tablet right now.

Read original review at GSMArena.

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Android tablets have so far struggled to make a dent in the iPad’s popularity. Google’s Nexus 7 changes that. The smaller size is interesting but it’s the smaller price tag that will ultimately make the most difference. £159 is an incredibly competitive price tag, which together with the Google brand name is sure to turn heads.

Thankfully, there’s nothing cheap about the design or performance. The smaller, far more portable format works nicely – it looks increasingly likely Apple will follow suit with an ‘iPad Mini’ – and the latest Android OS is the best yet.

Neat Google features, solid audio and video performance and an increasingly thorough and reliable selection of apps and other content, together make for a compelling, genuine tablet alternative.

Read original review at What Hi-Fi.

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