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Google Unveils The New Nexus 7 Android Tablet

244 points by talhof8 13y ago

designmatty 13y ago
My only wish is for a more sturdy display. My Nexus cracked by tapping the screen on the edge of my counter when putting it down and was completely unusable. That being said, it was amazing while I had it.
pstuart 13y ago
No micro sd card support? They don't have to try and emulate Apple on everything...
- anishkothari 13y ago
  It's probably to encourage users to use Google Drive and other cloud services
- tonfa 13y ago
  No nexus device since the Nexus One have had micro SD, no surprise here.
- dmm 13y ago
  They don't want to deal with FAT.
  - ja27 13y ago
    Or ExFAT
  - ergo14 13y ago
    You could use ext3/4 FS on sdcard. The reason gooogle doesn't want SD slot is probably because they want users to use their cloud instead.
  - blearyeyed 13y ago
    Dan Morril's explanation on this: http://www.reddit.com/r/Android/comments/mg14z/whoa_whoa_ics_doesnt_support_usb_mass_storage/c30q93p http://www.reddit.com/r/Android/comments/mg14z/whoa_whoa_ics...
- igravious 13y ago
  Never any chance of it having it. No mention of SD card in any leak. Nothing got to do with Apple, nothing to do with anybody but the big G. If you want SD go to Samsung that is well known. You have the choice with Android.
- DominikR 13y ago
  It is probably related to technical limitations. Some app features currently do not work if the app is installed on a sd card. Link: http://developer.android.com/guide/topics/data/install-location.html#ShouldNot http://developer.android.com/guide/topics/data/install-locat...
- tanline 13y ago
  Google has come out and said that they don't believe in having sd card support in their Nexus devices, which is kind of a bummer.
deleted 13y ago
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brbcoding 13y ago
2012/2013 Comparison Chart http://i.imgur.com/Q6XORYy.png http://i.imgur.com/Q6XORYy.png
rayiner 13y ago
Not so psyched to see that it's still got a 16:10 screen. One of the things I love about my iPad mini is that it's actually usable in portrait mode for reading PDFs and Word documents on the go. That said, I'm hoping the increased screen resolution will make it practical to just zoom out a bit more and just hold the device closer to my face... Also really happy to see the LTE. I think having LTE on the go is crucial, and a 7-8" tablet is the right place to put it. Much of the time I use my iPad as an LTE hotspot (it get way better battery life in that use-case than any stand-alone LTE hotspot or tethered phone).
- mtgx 13y ago
  I don't think the ratio would impact that too much. If anything it's the 7" vs 10" size that would hurt your ability to read PDF's and such.
  - rayiner 13y ago
    Sorry, I meant to say I had an iPad mini. I find it easier to read PDFs in portraid mode on that than on the surface RT (though cleartype is partly to blame there).
- derekp7 13y ago
  I recently (just a few days ago) picked up the 9 inch tablet from B&N (Nook HD+) just for reading PDFs. After zooming in to trim off the margins, I find them very readable on this device (similar resolution to the new Nexus 7). Question, however, about the need for LTE on a tablet. Assuming you have your phone with you normally, why not just use your phone's hotspot feature to get the tablet online? Or, turn on bluetooth tethering if you want to have your tablet online all the time, with minimal power drain.
  - dspillett 13y ago
    Bluetooth tethering seems to be something phones don't bother to support (Windows phones don't as far as I can tell, and some but not all Android devices do). I tether via WiFi rather than paying extra for a tablet with its own cell radio (and paying extra for a separate data account for it) - I carry an "emergency" battery that is enough to cover those occasions when I need to use it long enough for it to kill the phone's battery (though others may find that inconvenient).
ixnu 13y ago
The biggest upgrade for me is "[that] battery life offers 9 hours of HD playbook and 10 hours of web browsing." I can only manage about 4 hours for my 2012 N7 and it's my biggest complaint for an otherwise perfect tablet.
- brokenparser 13y ago
  Luckily, Android has a battery usage overview in system settings which tells you exactly what the culprits are at what percentage.
thret 13y ago
'Wi-Fi models available in the U.S. July 30, LTE edition and global models “in the coming weeks”' Wi-Fi should be included with every model IMHO.
- axelf 13y ago
  I assumed they meant "WiFi only models"
- pbreit 13y ago
  It is.
lnanek2 13y ago
Pretty boring spec increase. If they were an OEM they'd have to try to distinguish themselves, but it isn't life or death for them, so I suppose a boring entry is par for the course. They aren't even keeping pace with Samsung's IR camera gesture support or HTC's all metal body and TV remote capability we're seeing on phones.
- morsch 13y ago
  Well, boring as in extremely high specs for a very low price. I don't really need more distinguishment than that.
  - aroch 13y ago
    It's using last year's SoC, basically a two year old GPU and it still has a paltry amount of RAM (They count all the RAM, including CPU and GPU buffers). Still, this is a better showing of "cheap but good" than the original N7...I'm rather disappointed in mine and it's been relegated to being the Jukebox in my house
    - morsch 13y ago
      Is there anything with better bang/buck available? I must admit I haven't really looked since the Nexus 7 always seemed extraordinary in that regard. Same for the Nexus 4. Maybe I'm victim to some new kind of RDF.
      - happycube 13y ago
        Arguably the Nook HD+, which is at this moment $139 new on eBay. Downside is it's a bit of an orphan already, and the hardware is quite a bit older.
        tomkarlo 13y ago
        At this point, that's basically a closeout price. It's been out of production for a while. http://www.digitaltrends.com/mobile/barnes-noble-discontinues-nook-hd/ http://www.digitaltrends.com/mobile/barnes-noble-discontinue...
6ren 13y ago
GPU review (Adreno 320, in the Snapdragon S4 Pro) http://www.anandtech.com/show/6112/qualcomms-quadcore-snapdragon-s4-apq8064adreno-320-performance-preview http://www.anandtech.com/show/6112/qualcomms-quadcore-snapdr... Less powerful than GPU in iPad 3 (or iPad 2 in some benchmarks); but of course, it's got a smaller display too.
- deleted 13y ago
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Apocryphon 13y ago
So they're going to keep the number at 7 to continue the Blade Runner reference? So it's really the 2013 Nexus 7.
- nilsbunger 13y ago
  It's a 7" tablet, that's why 7. But it does look like they are doing what Apple does, not giving the models different marketing names...
- jaredmcateer 13y ago
  Their naming convention is based on flooring the size of the device, not iteration: Nexus 4 - 4.7" phone Nexus 7 - 7" tablet Nexus 10 - 10.1" tablet
  - ja27 13y ago
    I wish they'd called it the Nexus 7.2 or something more distinctive.
    - brokenparser 13y ago
      Especially since their own search engine can't cope with it.
    - dfrey 13y ago
      Calling it the "Nexus 7v2" would have made sense, but "Nexus 7.2" does not because people will think that the screeen is 0.2 inches bigger than the old version.
- jordanthoms 13y ago
  I actually love this. Release a New Nexus 4 (or 5) , Nexus 7, and Nexus 10 each year, people can add the year to the end of the name to reference a specific one.
- likeclockwork 13y ago
  Year, Make, and Model. Test drive the all new 2013 Nexus 7!
trotsky 13y ago
Out of curiosity, how do those krait cores compare to the exynos a15 based cores that samsung is shipping in volume? I've been very impressed with their performance on chromeos as compared to older ip. With xen now building with a15 hvm support it would seem to make it easier to make use of that 2g of ram. It's hard to believe that android is really going to do much with that aside from the browser.
- rayiner 13y ago
  Generally--somewhat slower but uses less power.
- mtgx 13y ago
  The A15 is quite a bit more powerful, even with lower clock speed. Cortex A15 supports hardware virtualization. I'm not sure if Krait supports it yet.
nilsbunger 13y ago
Great specs. The bezel feels a bit big and clunky though. I suspect there's no easy way to hide the battery needed for the hi-res screen...
- nicholassmith 13y ago
  That was my first impression, the top of bezel looks huge in comparison with the rest of the device.
  - psbp 13y ago
    It's supposedly designed to hold comfortably in landscape. It coincides with the chromecast release, where your primary layout is going to be landscape to match the t.v. display.
    - mcintyre1994 13y ago
      It definitely seems to be designed for landscape - just look at the orientation of the word Nexus on the back. I'm not sure I agree about the Chromecast thing though, I think it's more that the media they want you to buy is better in landscape (possible exceptions being books, a matter of preference, and some games). Chromecast seems to be about the device specifics not really mattering, it's not a mirror so it doesn't need to be the right way or even awake.
      - psbp 13y ago
        The youtube and netflix streaming aren't orientation specific, but the tab sharing and maybe even other media options like chrome games (http://www.chromeexperiments.com/ http://www.chromeexperiments.com/) are.
        mcintyre1994 13y ago
        Ah, gotcha. I think I missed them demoing tablet chrome tab sharing, seems obvious it'd be included but I didn't think of it. Really neat though.
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rorrr2 13y ago
I wonder if they ever resolved the storage deterioration problem. "One year later, the Nexus 7 has gone from the best to worst tablet I’ve ever owned" http://androidandme.com/2013/06/opinions/one-year-later-the-nexus-7-has-gone-from-the-best-to-worst-tablet-ive-ever-owned/ http://androidandme.com/2013/06/opinions/one-year-later-the-...
- robotmay 13y ago
  Mine started randomly shutting itself down a couple of weeks ago. A factory reset seems to have abated it for now, but I'm constantly worried that it's going to happen again.
- ASpring 13y ago
  I've had mine for over a year and not had any issues. I have been using very extensively this entire time also.
  - perishabledave 13y ago
    How close are you to filling your storage? I think the storage issue is aggravated when you're close to filling the SSD up. I have an 8GB that was unusably slow, while a friends 32GB never had any problems.
- incision 13y ago
  I picked up a Nexus 7 immediately and haven't experienced anything of the sort described. I haven't heard any complaints from the half dozen folks I know who own them either.
  - kellishaver 13y ago
    Same here. My original one had the screen lift issue, so I sent it back and got a replacement, but I haven't noticed a bit of slowness, deterioration, or any other hardware/software issues out of it. I've used it almost daily since the day it was released.
- ansible 13y ago
igravious 13y ago
Like many of you here I have a Nexus 7. I got it as a present cuz I didn't see why I'd need a tablet what with having a smartphone and nice laptop. I could never justify the price of an iPad cuz I'm not really that well off. The Nexus 7 is a joy to use. It's light, the screen is great - it's quick (I got my daughter a Kindle Fire and sometimes you can see that device straining a bit: eg. load times on Despicable Me (I know! I know!) The Nexus 7 battery is great and I love getting the very latest Android s/w pushed to the device. It's a great device for consuming media: books, audio, video. Stock Android is a nice reference platform. Can't wait for Jelly Bean 4.3 real soon now. I would recommend a Nexus 7 to anyone considering a tablet on a budget. I just have to figure out how I can justify splashing out on the 2013 Nexus 7 :) I know I must sound like a total shill but I really was surprised at how far Android has come and how polished and optimized it is on the Nexus 7. That is all :)
- dspillett 13y ago
  I'm very happy with mine too - I only got it after I bought a dirt cheap 7" Android device for testing purposes (a client was reporting issues on one of their applications with users who were using Android devices) and realised that "if this wasn't dog slow and had higher resolution it would be the perfect thing for some of my work/play needs". I have noticed it seems to be feeling slower over time, though not so much so that I've made an effort to look into it, particularly when starting larger apps or updating apps in the background while doing something else.
  - igravious 13y ago
    I got a dirt cheap clone (I don't remember how much exactly ) from a Chinese reseller from Amazon UK and the screen was crap ^shudder^ and the touchscreen had a glitch ^double shudder^ but it was Android and it was reasonably quick. These things you really need to try before you buy. There's another thread here about the potential slowdown issue. Same'll happen to a Mac or PC I reckon after a while. I've not noticed it. When you think about it Android tablets are pretty new so they haven't been used to their full extent, nor to the end of their lifespan.
zbinga 13y ago
If this had [micro]SD card support, I would be pre-ordering one right now.
- cheald 13y ago
  It's worth noting that you can use an OTA cable to plug a USB jumpdrive into it just fine.
  - brewdad 13y ago
    Can you still? It looks like the Gen2 version has implemented SlimPort instead of the OTG port used on Gen1. This is a confusing decision in light of the Chomecast announcement.
drewying 13y ago
Same price I assume?
patrickod 13y ago
I've loved using my Nexus 7 for the last year. Great device at a brilliant price point. Really looking forward to using 4.3 on this too.
dspillett 13y ago
The and the other mentions I've seen don't take about wireless capabilities so I assume it hasn't changed, butin case anyone here is better connected than I and knows different: have they updated the WiFi hardware to support 5GHz 802.11n as well as 2.4GHz?
incision 13y ago
I wonder, can we expect another line-up shuffle towards the end of the year? I'm not itching to upgrade my N7 16GB, but I have someone in mind to pass it down to. I'm on an unlimited plan with Verizon, if I could run multiple devices on the same plan without a premium I'd be highly inclined toward the LTE model.
dbc123 13y ago
great read.
freshrap6 13y ago
I wonder which is a better deal for a new tablet owner. A 2012 N7 or a 2013 N7? Seems like a lot of people are satisfied with their N7 and it is getting the new software update. Should I go for the new or stick with last year's model?
- smlacy 13y ago
  If you're looking for a good deal, just get one of the Asus MeMo 7" tablets. Basically the same as the N7, but $99.
  - barake 13y ago
    The older Asus MeMo 7" is $99, but has worse specs than a 2012 Nexus 7 (lower res, single vs quad core). Asus is about to start shipping their new MeMo HD 7" for ~$150. On paper, it's somewhere between the 2012 and 2013 Nexus 7.
- Recoil42 13y ago
  Go for the new. The new N7 may be getting the new software update, but it's not like it has the hardware to match. Better chips, a back-camera, a notification light. Likely faster/fixed NAND issues as well. There are a lot of new things in the 2013 N7 to like.
nileshtrivedi 13y ago
So 4.3 fixes neither the ad-hoc WiFi issue #82 nor the audio latency issue #3434. I will continue to pass as those are the deal breakers for me. It’s amazing – these two have been pending for more than 4 years. Google hasn’t cared to even comment on the former while thousands of users beg them to: https://code.google.com/p/android/issues/detail?id=82 https://code.google.com/p/android/issues/detail?id=82
- toomuchtodo 13y ago
  7 million Nexus 7 units have been sold so far; I doubt those bugs are major issues for those purchasers.
  - nileshtrivedi 13y ago
    Sorry, I meant to post this in the thread on Android 4.3, not this one on Nexus 7.
    - toomuchtodo 13y ago
      In that case, your gripes are valid.
- jrockway 13y ago
  Is Ad-Hoc networking useful for anything other than creating an access point called "Free Public Wifi" and then installing viruses on the Windows machines that connect? (OK, most wireless chipsets can simulate Infrastructure-mode networks these days, so not supporting Ad-Hoc mode doesn't help much in that department.)
  - nileshtrivedi 13y ago
    You misunderstand. You can already create access point on Android. The bug is about Android not being able to connect to ad-hoc WiFi networks (say, one created on your laptop whose chipset doesn't support infra-mode). (edit: Also want to mention that iOS devices have supported this ad-hoc networking from Day 1). There are a number of use-cases reported on that bug: https://code.google.com/p/android/issues/detail?id=82 https://code.google.com/p/android/issues/detail?id=82
davidw 13y ago
My laptop from several years ago has a 1920x1200 screen. WTF can I get a 7" tablet with one, but not a laptop, in this day and age?!
- bobbles 13y ago
  My work laptop has a 14" 1366x768 display.. The pixels :(
  - gtirloni 13y ago
    Since the new LCDs are very expensive, putting them on a laptop with 14-16" screen might make the laptop price go above a certain threshold for buyers. Tablets and smartphones with smaller screen might give the buyers a sense of "not too expensive". Samsung will soon have a 3200x1800 display in their ATIV Book 9 Plus.
- mixmastamyk 13y ago
  Mac + Retina.
  - davidw 13y ago
    Yes, you're right. There's also Google's Pixel Chromebook thing. But it just boggles my mind that that's about it in terms of laptops with decent screens. I use Linux, and don't want to pay the extra cash for the Apple logo, so that's not really a good option. The Google thing looks interesting, but the local disk is really limited.
scrrr 13y ago
Might as well say "NSA Unveils new Nexus 7 Tablet". Yes, sorry, I am bitter, I know, but I don't want people to forget Google's role in the recent surveillance story.
- mladenkovacevic 13y ago
  Recently there was a leak from Rogers about the Moto X and how you can activate it by simply saying "OK Google Now". Well Verge made a post about this leak on Google+ and I commented how the hot-phrase is too cumbersome so they should've just gone with "OK NSA,". I was quite proud of myself.
abdel 13y ago
Thank you. I'll keep using my Nokia n900
shmerl 13y ago
I wonder how soon will Freedreno + Wayland + Plasma Active mix be ready on this device.
purephase 13y ago
Well, that does it. I was waiting to see if BlackBerry would do something with their tablet line before the next Nexus 7 announcement and nada. Looks like I'll have to pick one of these up. (And, I know what the comments are going to be but the Playbook is an underrated device IMO. For the price, it has some decent specs (for it's age) and as a browser/ereader it's great, but the fact that they dropped OS10 after promising it has me peeved.)
AVTizzle 13y ago
What does "Virtual 5.1 Surround Sound System" even mean in the context of a mini tablet ??
general_failure 13y ago
The biggest advantage of Nexus over iPad is the plastic back that the Nexus have. I hate, absolute hate, loate the meta back of iPad. It sends shivers down my body everytime I touch it.
- hollerith 13y ago
  Same here! Specifically, although I am not bothered by the exteriors of an early-2011 iPad and a mid-2011 Mac mini, I returned a mid-2013 Macbook Air because it made the hair on the back of my neck stand up to touch its aluminum-alloy exterior. About when was the iPad that you hate made? My email is in my profile. If you give me a way to contact you, I would update you on any new information I get about this issue.

244 points by talhof8 13y ago

My only wish is for a more sturdy display. My Nexus cracked by tapping the screen on the edge of my counter when putting it down and was completely unusable. That being said, it was amazing while I had it.

pstuart 13y ago

No micro sd card support? They don't have to try and emulate Apple on everything...

anishkothari 13y ago
It's probably to encourage users to use Google Drive and other cloud services
tonfa 13y ago
No nexus device since the Nexus One have had micro SD, no surprise here.
dmm 13y ago
They don't want to deal with FAT.
- ja27 13y ago
  Or ExFAT
- ergo14 13y ago
  You could use ext3/4 FS on sdcard. The reason gooogle doesn't want SD slot is probably because they want users to use their cloud instead.
- blearyeyed 13y ago
  Dan Morril's explanation on this: http://www.reddit.com/r/Android/comments/mg14z/whoa_whoa_ics_doesnt_support_usb_mass_storage/c30q93p http://www.reddit.com/r/Android/comments/mg14z/whoa_whoa_ics...
igravious 13y ago
Never any chance of it having it. No mention of SD card in any leak. Nothing got to do with Apple, nothing to do with anybody but the big G. If you want SD go to Samsung that is well known. You have the choice with Android.
DominikR 13y ago
It is probably related to technical limitations. Some app features currently do not work if the app is installed on a sd card. Link: http://developer.android.com/guide/topics/data/install-location.html#ShouldNot http://developer.android.com/guide/topics/data/install-locat...
tanline 13y ago
Google has come out and said that they don't believe in having sd card support in their Nexus devices, which is kind of a bummer.

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brbcoding 13y ago

2012/2013 Comparison Chart http://i.imgur.com/Q6XORYy.png http://i.imgur.com/Q6XORYy.png

rayiner 13y ago

Not so psyched to see that it's still got a 16:10 screen. One of the things I love about my iPad mini is that it's actually usable in portrait mode for reading PDFs and Word documents on the go. That said, I'm hoping the increased screen resolution will make it practical to just zoom out a bit more and just hold the device closer to my face... Also really happy to see the LTE. I think having LTE on the go is crucial, and a 7-8" tablet is the right place to put it. Much of the time I use my iPad as an LTE hotspot (it get way better battery life in that use-case than any stand-alone LTE hotspot or tethered phone).

mtgx 13y ago
I don't think the ratio would impact that too much. If anything it's the 7" vs 10" size that would hurt your ability to read PDF's and such.
- rayiner 13y ago
  Sorry, I meant to say I had an iPad mini. I find it easier to read PDFs in portraid mode on that than on the surface RT (though cleartype is partly to blame there).
derekp7 13y ago
I recently (just a few days ago) picked up the 9 inch tablet from B&N (Nook HD+) just for reading PDFs. After zooming in to trim off the margins, I find them very readable on this device (similar resolution to the new Nexus 7). Question, however, about the need for LTE on a tablet. Assuming you have your phone with you normally, why not just use your phone's hotspot feature to get the tablet online? Or, turn on bluetooth tethering if you want to have your tablet online all the time, with minimal power drain.
- dspillett 13y ago
  Bluetooth tethering seems to be something phones don't bother to support (Windows phones don't as far as I can tell, and some but not all Android devices do). I tether via WiFi rather than paying extra for a tablet with its own cell radio (and paying extra for a separate data account for it) - I carry an "emergency" battery that is enough to cover those occasions when I need to use it long enough for it to kill the phone's battery (though others may find that inconvenient).

ixnu 13y ago

The biggest upgrade for me is "[that] battery life offers 9 hours of HD playbook and 10 hours of web browsing." I can only manage about 4 hours for my 2012 N7 and it's my biggest complaint for an otherwise perfect tablet.

brokenparser 13y ago
Luckily, Android has a battery usage overview in system settings which tells you exactly what the culprits are at what percentage.

thret 13y ago

'Wi-Fi models available in the U.S. July 30, LTE edition and global models “in the coming weeks”' Wi-Fi should be included with every model IMHO.

axelf 13y ago
I assumed they meant "WiFi only models"
pbreit 13y ago
It is.

lnanek2 13y ago

Pretty boring spec increase. If they were an OEM they'd have to try to distinguish themselves, but it isn't life or death for them, so I suppose a boring entry is par for the course. They aren't even keeping pace with Samsung's IR camera gesture support or HTC's all metal body and TV remote capability we're seeing on phones.

morsch 13y ago
Well, boring as in extremely high specs for a very low price. I don't really need more distinguishment than that.
- aroch 13y ago
  It's using last year's SoC, basically a two year old GPU and it still has a paltry amount of RAM (They count all the RAM, including CPU and GPU buffers). Still, this is a better showing of "cheap but good" than the original N7...I'm rather disappointed in mine and it's been relegated to being the Jukebox in my house
  - morsch 13y ago
    Is there anything with better bang/buck available? I must admit I haven't really looked since the Nexus 7 always seemed extraordinary in that regard. Same for the Nexus 4. Maybe I'm victim to some new kind of RDF.
    - happycube 13y ago
      Arguably the Nook HD+, which is at this moment $139 new on eBay. Downside is it's a bit of an orphan already, and the hardware is quite a bit older.
      - tomkarlo 13y ago
        At this point, that's basically a closeout price. It's been out of production for a while. http://www.digitaltrends.com/mobile/barnes-noble-discontinues-nook-hd/ http://www.digitaltrends.com/mobile/barnes-noble-discontinue...

6ren 13y ago

GPU review (Adreno 320, in the Snapdragon S4 Pro) http://www.anandtech.com/show/6112/qualcomms-quadcore-snapdragon-s4-apq8064adreno-320-performance-preview http://www.anandtech.com/show/6112/qualcomms-quadcore-snapdr... Less powerful than GPU in iPad 3 (or iPad 2 in some benchmarks); but of course, it's got a smaller display too.

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Apocryphon 13y ago

So they're going to keep the number at 7 to continue the Blade Runner reference? So it's really the 2013 Nexus 7.

nilsbunger 13y ago
It's a 7" tablet, that's why 7. But it does look like they are doing what Apple does, not giving the models different marketing names...
jaredmcateer 13y ago
Their naming convention is based on flooring the size of the device, not iteration: Nexus 4 - 4.7" phone Nexus 7 - 7" tablet Nexus 10 - 10.1" tablet
- ja27 13y ago
  I wish they'd called it the Nexus 7.2 or something more distinctive.
  - brokenparser 13y ago
    Especially since their own search engine can't cope with it.
  - dfrey 13y ago
    Calling it the "Nexus 7v2" would have made sense, but "Nexus 7.2" does not because people will think that the screeen is 0.2 inches bigger than the old version.
jordanthoms 13y ago
I actually love this. Release a New Nexus 4 (or 5) , Nexus 7, and Nexus 10 each year, people can add the year to the end of the name to reference a specific one.
likeclockwork 13y ago
Year, Make, and Model. Test drive the all new 2013 Nexus 7!

trotsky 13y ago

Out of curiosity, how do those krait cores compare to the exynos a15 based cores that samsung is shipping in volume? I've been very impressed with their performance on chromeos as compared to older ip. With xen now building with a15 hvm support it would seem to make it easier to make use of that 2g of ram. It's hard to believe that android is really going to do much with that aside from the browser.

rayiner 13y ago
Generally--somewhat slower but uses less power.
mtgx 13y ago
The A15 is quite a bit more powerful, even with lower clock speed. Cortex A15 supports hardware virtualization. I'm not sure if Krait supports it yet.

nilsbunger 13y ago

Great specs. The bezel feels a bit big and clunky though. I suspect there's no easy way to hide the battery needed for the hi-res screen...

nicholassmith 13y ago
That was my first impression, the top of bezel looks huge in comparison with the rest of the device.
- psbp 13y ago
  It's supposedly designed to hold comfortably in landscape. It coincides with the chromecast release, where your primary layout is going to be landscape to match the t.v. display.
  - mcintyre1994 13y ago
    It definitely seems to be designed for landscape - just look at the orientation of the word Nexus on the back. I'm not sure I agree about the Chromecast thing though, I think it's more that the media they want you to buy is better in landscape (possible exceptions being books, a matter of preference, and some games). Chromecast seems to be about the device specifics not really mattering, it's not a mirror so it doesn't need to be the right way or even awake.
    - psbp 13y ago
      The youtube and netflix streaming aren't orientation specific, but the tab sharing and maybe even other media options like chrome games (http://www.chromeexperiments.com/ http://www.chromeexperiments.com/) are.
      - mcintyre1994 13y ago
        Ah, gotcha. I think I missed them demoing tablet chrome tab sharing, seems obvious it'd be included but I didn't think of it. Really neat though.

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rorrr2 13y ago

I wonder if they ever resolved the storage deterioration problem. "One year later, the Nexus 7 has gone from the best to worst tablet I’ve ever owned" http://androidandme.com/2013/06/opinions/one-year-later-the-nexus-7-has-gone-from-the-best-to-worst-tablet-ive-ever-owned/ http://androidandme.com/2013/06/opinions/one-year-later-the-...

robotmay 13y ago
Mine started randomly shutting itself down a couple of weeks ago. A factory reset seems to have abated it for now, but I'm constantly worried that it's going to happen again.
ASpring 13y ago
I've had mine for over a year and not had any issues. I have been using very extensively this entire time also.
- perishabledave 13y ago
  How close are you to filling your storage? I think the storage issue is aggravated when you're close to filling the SSD up. I have an 8GB that was unusably slow, while a friends 32GB never had any problems.
incision 13y ago
I picked up a Nexus 7 immediately and haven't experienced anything of the sort described. I haven't heard any complaints from the half dozen folks I know who own them either.
- kellishaver 13y ago
  Same here. My original one had the screen lift issue, so I sent it back and got a replacement, but I haven't noticed a bit of slowness, deterioration, or any other hardware/software issues out of it. I've used it almost daily since the day it was released.
ansible 13y ago

igravious 13y ago

Like many of you here I have a Nexus 7. I got it as a present cuz I didn't see why I'd need a tablet what with having a smartphone and nice laptop. I could never justify the price of an iPad cuz I'm not really that well off. The Nexus 7 is a joy to use. It's light, the screen is great - it's quick (I got my daughter a Kindle Fire and sometimes you can see that device straining a bit: eg. load times on Despicable Me (I know! I know!) The Nexus 7 battery is great and I love getting the very latest Android s/w pushed to the device. It's a great device for consuming media: books, audio, video. Stock Android is a nice reference platform. Can't wait for Jelly Bean 4.3 real soon now. I would recommend a Nexus 7 to anyone considering a tablet on a budget. I just have to figure out how I can justify splashing out on the 2013 Nexus 7 :) I know I must sound like a total shill but I really was surprised at how far Android has come and how polished and optimized it is on the Nexus 7. That is all :)

dspillett 13y ago
I'm very happy with mine too - I only got it after I bought a dirt cheap 7" Android device for testing purposes (a client was reporting issues on one of their applications with users who were using Android devices) and realised that "if this wasn't dog slow and had higher resolution it would be the perfect thing for some of my work/play needs". I have noticed it seems to be feeling slower over time, though not so much so that I've made an effort to look into it, particularly when starting larger apps or updating apps in the background while doing something else.
- igravious 13y ago
  I got a dirt cheap clone (I don't remember how much exactly ) from a Chinese reseller from Amazon UK and the screen was crap ^shudder^ and the touchscreen had a glitch ^double shudder^ but it was Android and it was reasonably quick. These things you really need to try before you buy. There's another thread here about the potential slowdown issue. Same'll happen to a Mac or PC I reckon after a while. I've not noticed it. When you think about it Android tablets are pretty new so they haven't been used to their full extent, nor to the end of their lifespan.

zbinga 13y ago

If this had [micro]SD card support, I would be pre-ordering one right now.

cheald 13y ago
It's worth noting that you can use an OTA cable to plug a USB jumpdrive into it just fine.
- brewdad 13y ago
  Can you still? It looks like the Gen2 version has implemented SlimPort instead of the OTG port used on Gen1. This is a confusing decision in light of the Chomecast announcement.

drewying 13y ago

Same price I assume?

patrickod 13y ago

I've loved using my Nexus 7 for the last year. Great device at a brilliant price point. Really looking forward to using 4.3 on this too.

dspillett 13y ago

The and the other mentions I've seen don't take about wireless capabilities so I assume it hasn't changed, butin case anyone here is better connected than I and knows different: have they updated the WiFi hardware to support 5GHz 802.11n as well as 2.4GHz?

incision 13y ago

I wonder, can we expect another line-up shuffle towards the end of the year? I'm not itching to upgrade my N7 16GB, but I have someone in mind to pass it down to. I'm on an unlimited plan with Verizon, if I could run multiple devices on the same plan without a premium I'd be highly inclined toward the LTE model.

dbc123 13y ago

great read.

freshrap6 13y ago

I wonder which is a better deal for a new tablet owner. A 2012 N7 or a 2013 N7? Seems like a lot of people are satisfied with their N7 and it is getting the new software update. Should I go for the new or stick with last year's model?

smlacy 13y ago
If you're looking for a good deal, just get one of the Asus MeMo 7" tablets. Basically the same as the N7, but $99.
- barake 13y ago
  The older Asus MeMo 7" is $99, but has worse specs than a 2012 Nexus 7 (lower res, single vs quad core). Asus is about to start shipping their new MeMo HD 7" for ~$150. On paper, it's somewhere between the 2012 and 2013 Nexus 7.
Recoil42 13y ago
Go for the new. The new N7 may be getting the new software update, but it's not like it has the hardware to match. Better chips, a back-camera, a notification light. Likely faster/fixed NAND issues as well. There are a lot of new things in the 2013 N7 to like.

nileshtrivedi 13y ago

So 4.3 fixes neither the ad-hoc WiFi issue #82 nor the audio latency issue #3434. I will continue to pass as those are the deal breakers for me. It’s amazing – these two have been pending for more than 4 years. Google hasn’t cared to even comment on the former while thousands of users beg them to: https://code.google.com/p/android/issues/detail?id=82 https://code.google.com/p/android/issues/detail?id=82

toomuchtodo 13y ago
7 million Nexus 7 units have been sold so far; I doubt those bugs are major issues for those purchasers.
- nileshtrivedi 13y ago
  Sorry, I meant to post this in the thread on Android 4.3, not this one on Nexus 7.
  - toomuchtodo 13y ago
    In that case, your gripes are valid.
jrockway 13y ago
Is Ad-Hoc networking useful for anything other than creating an access point called "Free Public Wifi" and then installing viruses on the Windows machines that connect? (OK, most wireless chipsets can simulate Infrastructure-mode networks these days, so not supporting Ad-Hoc mode doesn't help much in that department.)
- nileshtrivedi 13y ago
  You misunderstand. You can already create access point on Android. The bug is about Android not being able to connect to ad-hoc WiFi networks (say, one created on your laptop whose chipset doesn't support infra-mode). (edit: Also want to mention that iOS devices have supported this ad-hoc networking from Day 1). There are a number of use-cases reported on that bug: https://code.google.com/p/android/issues/detail?id=82 https://code.google.com/p/android/issues/detail?id=82

davidw 13y ago

My laptop from several years ago has a 1920x1200 screen. WTF can I get a 7" tablet with one, but not a laptop, in this day and age?!

bobbles 13y ago
My work laptop has a 14" 1366x768 display.. The pixels :(
- gtirloni 13y ago
  Since the new LCDs are very expensive, putting them on a laptop with 14-16" screen might make the laptop price go above a certain threshold for buyers. Tablets and smartphones with smaller screen might give the buyers a sense of "not too expensive". Samsung will soon have a 3200x1800 display in their ATIV Book 9 Plus.
mixmastamyk 13y ago
Mac + Retina.
- davidw 13y ago
  Yes, you're right. There's also Google's Pixel Chromebook thing. But it just boggles my mind that that's about it in terms of laptops with decent screens. I use Linux, and don't want to pay the extra cash for the Apple logo, so that's not really a good option. The Google thing looks interesting, but the local disk is really limited.

scrrr 13y ago

Might as well say "NSA Unveils new Nexus 7 Tablet". Yes, sorry, I am bitter, I know, but I don't want people to forget Google's role in the recent surveillance story.

mladenkovacevic 13y ago
Recently there was a leak from Rogers about the Moto X and how you can activate it by simply saying "OK Google Now". Well Verge made a post about this leak on Google+ and I commented how the hot-phrase is too cumbersome so they should've just gone with "OK NSA,". I was quite proud of myself.

abdel 13y ago

Thank you. I'll keep using my Nokia n900

shmerl 13y ago

I wonder how soon will Freedreno + Wayland + Plasma Active mix be ready on this device.

purephase 13y ago

Well, that does it. I was waiting to see if BlackBerry would do something with their tablet line before the next Nexus 7 announcement and nada. Looks like I'll have to pick one of these up. (And, I know what the comments are going to be but the Playbook is an underrated device IMO. For the price, it has some decent specs (for it's age) and as a browser/ereader it's great, but the fact that they dropped OS10 after promising it has me peeved.)

AVTizzle 13y ago

What does "Virtual 5.1 Surround Sound System" even mean in the context of a mini tablet ??

general_failure 13y ago

The biggest advantage of Nexus over iPad is the plastic back that the Nexus have. I hate, absolute hate, loate the meta back of iPad. It sends shivers down my body everytime I touch it.

hollerith 13y ago
Same here! Specifically, although I am not bothered by the exteriors of an early-2011 iPad and a mid-2011 Mac mini, I returned a mid-2013 Macbook Air because it made the hair on the back of my neck stand up to touch its aluminum-alloy exterior. About when was the iPad that you hate made? My email is in my profile. If you give me a way to contact you, I would update you on any new information I get about this issue.