The Nexus 7 is a small device that looks harmless. Simple face of Google's first foray into the world of tablet do not have the hardware buttons apart from the power button and volume rocker, and 7-inch form factor flexibility means it can slip away into a bag or jacket pocket. With prices ranging from U.S. $ 199 for 8 GB model, the device is basically sold out the first flight in the U.S. So this initial success is only a matter of cost, Android tablet, or it really good? We take the Nexus 7 for a spin to find out.Hardware
Nexus 7, particularly for tablet of this size, packing some serious grunting loudly. A quad core processor provides the processing power of Tegra 3, with 1GB RAM provides enough memory, along with a strong enough Android multi-tasking ability, to handle various tasks using a typical day can throw at it. The device itself comes with either 8 or 16GB of onboard storage, depending on how much cash you're ready to splurge (we have used variants of $ 199 8 GB, 16 GB model costs $ 249).
Unless you want to store an entire library of music or movies collection HD locally, either size will probably serve your needs, and Google fishing as the clouds "made for" Play his shop. Lack of SD expansion card slot, however, mean that you're stuck with whatever you started with.
While talking HD movies - 1200 x 800, 216 pixels per inch on a 7-inch screen providing visual quality of the stars in the journey. Processing power means that HD playback as smooth as silk - in our day to watch a free copy including Transformers 2, we do not see any artifacts or frame dropping (and we can not blame the tablet to the quality of the movie itself). Viewing angles are great, but given the screen size you will want to see the head-on as much as possible. We do not mind seeing a HDMI slot on it to output video to the TV screen a large house, but it's hard to complain considering the price of Google's budget has been achieved.
Battery life is certainly good for the form factor - moderate usage will still leave you with some in the tank at the end of the workday. The 4325 mAh battery (specced at the "up to 8 hours of active use") which is quite generous compared to the size of the tablet, but we suspect the battery life is mostly helped by the fact that Nexus 7 does not carry a cell phone antenna data, one of the main causes behind Low battery problems between the brothers that smartphone 7.
Camera
In a moving, interesting though is not really surprising, Google has been throwing the rear-facing camera on this device, chose to 1.2 MP camera on the front face solitary for video calling. Given the awkwardness of using the tablet as the camera is upon us as a smart decision that no doubt allows Google to add more hardware grunt elsewhere while keeping costs down.
Form Factor
The main reason to buy a device of this size is that, unlike the iPad or other 10-inch tablet, can be held easily and comfortably in one hand, and 7 Nexus certainly built for that purpose. Display panel is large enough relative to the size of the screen, and we found it quite easy to hold in one hand and tap the screen with your thumb on the hand that - given the positive definite will probably find much use as an e-reader.
If the game is the thing, the size means you can store the tablet as if you hold the Nintendo DS or similar. Especially with games like Minecraft, where you actually have to use two hands at once, the small size makes doing this with both thumbs are very reasonable, where trying to do the same thing on a larger device is almost always heavy. People's hands, in particular, will enjoy the feel of the device when it comes to this application. Once again, the performance, especially in a full 3D real-time Minecraft given the world, is as smooth as butter.
Software
Speaking of butter, 7 Nexus has made headlines not so much for the hardware, but software. Jelly Bean, the latest in a long list of tasty-treat version of the Android flavor, more iterative updating compared to its predecessor Ice Cream Sandwich (ICS), with the main focus is speed. Project butter is the official name given to the suite of changes made to accelerate the Android user interface, and we sat together with the Nexus 7 Touchpad ICS-powered HP tablet and phone Nexus S, the difference is readily apparent.
Our observation of ICS, especially on older hardware, is that the response of the interface is often found lacking - press the screen to be missed, drawer application will last up to five or six seconds just to load, the widget will sometimes disappear and then re-emerged thanks to the load on the source power system ... but all these examples there is no slowdown in the Nexus 7. It's hard to know exactly how much this is due to optimization software, and how much power thanks to the wealth of available hardware to the OS (some have commented that JB installed on older devices do not provide the same level sufficient snappiness), but we are happy to said that the update brings real, tangible improvements to the speed and general usability of the Android OS.
One of the addition of another well-known software is Google now, a perfect example of everything that is good-but-ever-so-slightly-creepy about Google. Pressing the home button and swiping to take you to the page now, where you can see various "cards." This card can do various things, like saying you're traveling times to work or home or other purposes, when you leave the house to get to the next flight, how best to get to the next meeting or appointment, the value of the last game involving your favorite sports team , and a host of others.
It is also learning things is based on, for example, what you use Google to find your location, time of day and day of week, do it in a fairly organic. Over time you can expect now to get more and more useful as it becomes accustomed to your daily routine and started to tell when it's time for the daily commute. It's a bit like after your spouse reminds you to get up and go to work, but now can do it all over the internet at his fingertips.
Most of the functions Now we can choose from, so if it's a little too Big Brother for you, it does not matter. But there is definitely something cool about having a device that essentially gives you the information you need when you need it, without being asked.
Notification has also received a touch up, now gives you the ability to do more than notice the panel without having to go directly to the app. Screenshot can be seen directly, email header can be read and sent pre-fab response, Google + posts can +1' d without even leaving your home screen. It's not ground breaking, but it does make it easier and faster to interact with all of your applications while traveling.
Search is now also supported by an enhanced voice to text function that takes Siri for the task in terms of accuracy and speed. Voice Search now has a better understanding of context and language, which means if mishears something you say, will come back and see the rest of what you say and then try to work out what words should be heard, do so while still listening to the rest of what you say. Most of the time it will be true, or at least close enough that the error is corrected in the search engines. You can also download software voice to text to your Nexus, so no need to go online to make a transcription, making it an interesting free tool to, for example, transcription of the interview. It also handles accents are also thanks to the large number of international languages and various versions of English.
The one niggle is continuous with the Nexus 7 OS, and it has been observed in many other places online, is the stubborn refusal of the screen to rotate away from the portrait mode when the tablet is placed in landscape orientation. Universal screen is locked by default, but this is fixed by pressing a single software. The Home screen, however, will not be short shift install a special application for this purpose, or rooting for the super user access, and then change the dpi to get the full layout of the tablet.
Neither option is particularly stressful - the first is a matter of a few dollars, a second wind thanks to a wealth of automated tools online (incidentally, we take the second route), but given Google's lock screen as a design choice and not a technical problem, it is an irritant that can avoided.
Google Play
Nexus 7 is a content consumption device that is designed to fulfill the same role as the Fire Kindle, so it is worth taking note of the application and content ecosystem to stand behind this tablet. It's no coincidence that Google adds TV shows to selection at the same Turn 7 was launched, and has also led to the service by giving users $ 20 of store credit when they ponied Play for tablets. This device is intended as a portal into the online world of Google and from a hardware perspective, it's perfect for everything from e-reading for HD movies to see mobile gaming performance.
While the store change brings Google closer to Apple and Amazon in terms of selection, the fact that TV shows, movies and buy the magazine is currently only available to buyers in the U.S. Google will leave users from other areas feel like they are losing. For international users, it is a fact that should influence your buying decision.
Wrapping Up
But in the end, we review the hardware, rather than Google's content strategy, and there is nothing to complain about in that department - quite the contrary. It's hard to imagine packing more hardware to the device-priced entry-level like this, and Nexus 7 stomps on other Android tablet well above the price point. Batteries and raw processing power standouts, and suitable for all games and watch movies you will want to do. The screen quality is good without the retina, but at this size (and, for that price, the material) is not important. And then there is Jelly Bean - iteration important, even if no particular game-changing about it compared to what we see with Ice Cream Sandwich.
If you see a cheap way into the tablet market as first time buyers, there is simply no other place to go. If you are interested, but not sold, on a 7-inch form factor, 7 Nexus can be a device that does it for you. If you are an iPad user curious but dedicated, well ... You can only look on with longing and waiting for the mini iPad seems inevitable.
