What's good
- Full HD screen that displays 323ppi
- New fast Qualcomm processor
- Thinner and easy to handle tablet design
What's bad
- No microSD slot
- Camera is unimpressive
Around a year after the unveiling of Google’s first generation Nexus 7, Google has released the new Nexus 7 (2013).
The newest generation of Nexus 7 offers several improvements over its wildly popular predecessor all while maintaining its sub $300 price tag. One of the biggest inclusions is the 5MP rear-facing camera, which means that now users can capture interesting moments by snapping pictures or recording a video.
Aside from the camera the Nexus 7 (2013) screen is capable of displaying 323 pixels per inch, giving this tablet a much sharper resolution than even the iPad mini. Technically, the screen resolution of the Nexus 7 (2013) is 1920x1200, but this is still considered full HD. The device itself also offers a much smaller bezel for better screen real estate and is also thinner and lighter than the original. In terms of battery life, the Nexus 7 remains at the top offering around 9 hours of use when fully charged, on par with the iPad mini.
Under the hood, the Nexus 7 (2013) has some decent specs, though not necessarily groundbreaking. It comes featured with either 16 or 32GB of internal storage, 2GB of RAM, 1.5GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro processor and a 400MHz Adreno 320 graphics processor. The processor itself is a marked improvement over the Tegra 3 in the original Nexus and is roughly as powerful as high-end phones like the iPhone. This translates to smoother UX and zero lag even with multiple apps open.
Although an improvement over the original, this Nexus is not without its downfalls. One of its newest features for example, the rear-facing camera, is also its least impressive. The camera functions fine, but the quality of the images is fairly basic. It functions much like many other current tablets and worse than many of the more recent phone cameras. For users that don’t mind the quality of the photos and tend to take lots of pictures, they might find the internal storage lacking. Unfortunately, users cannot expand the Nexus 7 (2013) memory as it does not feature a microSD slot.
Despite a couple downfalls, this is definitely the best tablet on the market for the price range. At $230 it is slightly more expensive than the original Nexus, however the improved processor and screen more than make up for the slight price difference.
What the Critics Are Saying...
- Darren Yates, APCOverall, it shows just how far ahead of its time this Google Nexus 7 was when launched last year that the competition is only just now starting to catch up. For $300, it continues to be the closest example to perfection in a 7-inch Android tablet.
- Josh Smith, GottaBeMobileThe Nexus 7 LTE on Verizon Wireless delivers a great user experience and is one of the best tablets the carrier offers with 4G LTE connectivity. Some users will prefer the look of the iPad mini but the Nexus 7 LTE is a good choice and a good value at $249 on contract with 32GB of storage.
- Ketan Pratap, NDTVThe Nexus 7 is one of the best Android tablets available in the Indian market in terms of the overall user experience and build quality. However, its graphical performance was mediocre, and we did experience odd lags while playing heavy graphics games. Apart from this, the Nexus 7 (2013) tablet hand...
- Chris Martin, Tech AdvisorPriceThe Google Nexus 7 (2013) is more expensive than the original but sees a small change in the design, while its exceptional screen and added rear camera help justify this price hike. It’s still lacking a microSD card slot but for many people with be the best 7in tablet around. We now await...
- Clinton Jeff, UnleashThePhonesConsidering the specs and performance the Nexus 7 boasts along with it’s price tag, Google is giving their competitors a good run for their money. The only other tablets in this category that are cheaper or close to these specs, are from no-name brands that either dont have a great reputation...
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