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Disclaimer: You are going to see me mention the iPad a LOT here, and that's because I have been an iPad user since day 1 when the first iPad came out. I have HATED every single Android tablet up till the N7. My hatred for Android tablets was exacerbated by the fact that I love Android and so dearly wanted one that could compete with the iPad and they all just fell short. Now that I have my N7, I am THRILLED with it, and haven't touched my iPad once since getting it. So you may think from reading this that I am an iPad fanboy, which I most definitely am not. I have just been patiently waiting for a comparable Android tablet to come to market and now one finally has. Happy day.
Read on.
Those that know me know that I just don’t like Android tablets. They have never appealed to me. I have always found many things wrong with them (both hardware and software), and have always preferred the iPad for my on-the-go digital consumption and gaming needs. Even the highest end Android tablets have always left something to be desired- from the terrible screen, weight and heft of the Motorola Xoom all the way to the Transformer Prime which while being the best Android tablet ever when it arrived on the scene, failed to live up to the hype. Android just wasn’t quite ready for the tablet scene and the iPad always overshadowed even the best Android tablets. Argue with me all you want about how much better your Prime is than the iPad but the fact is (yes, I said FACT), it’s not. The iPad has better hardware, better software, better build quality, and MUCH better apps. Because of this, there was no reason whatsoever to buy any Android tablet over the iPad- until now.
In comes the Nexus 7, the second Android tablet I have owned (the first being the Samsung Galaxy tab 7.0 Plus that was returned after 4 hours), and easily the best Android tablet ever made. Now when I say that, I don’t mean that it has the best specs, the best screen, the slimmest profile, or the sexiest looks. What I mean is the package as a whole is the best Android has to offer, and for the price you just can’t beat it. In fact, after owning one for about 24 hours now, I’d be hard pressed to try to come up with a better way to spend $250. Pretty much all the complaints I have had about Android tablets in the past are completely moot now with the Nexus 7.
Lets start with the hardware. For $250 ($200 if you got the 8gb version), Google has managed to squeeze incredible performance out of this thing. The Tegra 3 processor just screams here. Now, the Tegra 3 is not the most powerful SOC (system on a chip) out there, but it is definitely a respectable powerhouse, and Google has clearly optimized Jelly Bean to run on it and that makes all the difference in the world. Apps open fast, games run flawlessly with nary a frame rate stutter, and scrolling is buttery smooth (more on the butter later). The 1280x800 screen on it isn’t the greatest. In all honesty, it is the N7’s biggest shortcoming. It feels rather outdated, especially coming from an iPad 3 and an HTC One XL, but for the price, you just can’t beat it. It’s an IPS LCD that has decent color reproduction, acceptable indoor brightness levels, and a great viewing angle. At the most extreme angles the blacks do get washed out but hey, who uses tablets from the side? At every USABLE viewing angle however the screen is great, as long as you don’t use it side by side with the previously mentioned devices. My only real complaint about it is its outdoor performance. Maybe the breathtaking SLCD2 on my AT&T One XL (best phone ever, shut up about your plasticky SGS3 already) has spoiled me, but I was very disappointed with the way the screen looks outside. Even at its maximum brightness it is barely viewable even on an overcast day like today. But the good thing is that disappointment was quickly diminished when I reminded myself how much I paid for this thing.
Build quality is superb, but that shouldn’t be a surprise considering ASUS manufactured this thing for Google. The front is a solid slab of Corning scratch resistant glass (not Gorilla Glass), it is bound by a very tasteful silver frame, and the dimpled rubberized back is a joy to behold. This thing is absolutely solid, not a creak or squeak anywhere, and it feels like a much more expensive device than it is. I expected decent build quality but what I got was way beyond whatever preconceived notions I had had. Seriously, the craftsmanship on this thing is belied by its diminutive price tag. I think all other Android tab manufacturers need to take note here (*cough*Samsung*cough*)- THIS is how you build an Android tablet. I have played with practically every other major Android tablet on the market and none of them conveyed a sense of quality that could hold its own against the build of an iPad. This bad boy right here goes toe to toe with Apple’s offering in this regard. They have completely different design aesthetics but there is no denying that Google and ASUS meant business here.
On to the software. The Nexus 7 is Google’s first device to ship with its latest version of Android, version 4.1 Jelly Bean. It isn’t a major leap forward from Ice Cream Sandwich but more of an evolutionary step. They have optimized the performance of it so it feels a lot faster, and added quite a few features such as Google Now which I haven’t really played with all too much so I’m not going to comment on it further. The biggest change to me, at least from a users perspective, is what Google calls Project Butter. This is Google’s attempt to finally match the “buttery” smoothness of the UI and other operations of the iPad. Whenever any Android device is compared to an iOS device, be it a phone or a tablet, one cannot deny that Apple’s offerings offer a MUCH smoother experience across the UI. People who love their Android devices will surely say that their Galaxy S2s are as smooth as the iPhone and that their Transformer Primes are just as smooth as the iPad- well I don’t care what you say because they aren’t. There just is no argument. Sure they are smooth as hell compared to other Android devices but iOS smooth they are not. That is because Apple sets the UI animation renderings as the priority for the CPU/GPU which makes them incredibly smooth. That smoothness conveys quality. Project Butter is Google’s answer to that and while I can’t quite say that they have matched that smoothness, they definitely succeeded in conveying that same finished product level of UI quality that iOS devices have. They do this with a combination of significantly smoother scrolling, great app opening animations, and various other tweaks throughout the system. Couple all the software tweaks with the single most responsive touchscreen on any Android device to date and you have one incredibly fluid experience. Bottom line- it’s awesome.
Now a lot of people, myself included, complained about Google’s choice to use more or less a phone UI for the Nexus 7 instead of the standard ICS tablet UI. I was very disappointed when I found out, that’s for sure. But I decided that Google made a conscious decision to do this, and that I needed to trust them so I went into it with an open mind. Now, my biggest complaint about the Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.0 Plus was the UI. I absolutely hated it. I’m not referring to the Touchwiz modifications that they made, but the actual Honeycomb UI design choices that still showed through. It just didn’t work on the 7” form factor, at least not for me. I am happy to report that the hybrid phone/tablet UI that Google decided to use on the Nexus 7 not only works, but does so famously. Long story short, any disappointment I had about it was quickly washed away when I started using it. It just makes sense to me now to use the phone UI here. Everything is within reach, nothing is cluttered, no buttons are too small making them hard to press, and I think it looks beautiful. My only complaint is that Google locked the homescreen UI to portrait mode only, but that is easily remedied by installing a 3rd party launcher like Nova which I use and recommend.
Now, where I think Android really needs to pick up the slack is with their tablet-optimized app selections. iOS simply blows Android out of the water here. A tablet is really only as good as the apps that can run on it and the apps alone make the iPad the best tablet out there. The nice thing here, is that since the Nexus 7 is a 7” tablet, it can handle tablet optimized apps AND phone apps and make it seem like they were all designed specifically for this size screen. Apps of both varieties feel right at home here. Quite frankly, it’s awesome and it makes a HUGE difference. When I am using an app that was only designed for a phone on the N7, it doesn’t feel like there is any compromise. This right here opens up a whole world of apps that while are a pain to use on a 10” tablet, they are great on the 7” one. With the N7 we get the best of both worlds.
The main reason why I got this thing was for gaming. Aside from browsing the web whilst sitting in the throne room, my iPad is used almost exclusively for games. The problem is, it’s just way too big for some. Playing a first person shooter like NOVA 3 or Modern Combat 3 is just way too cumbersome on a 10” tablet. On a 7” tablet, it’s flat out perfect. I have been waiting for a great 7” gaming tablet to come along and I couldn’t be happier with this thing. Right now, some of my favorite games just don’t run on it, like NOVA 3, but others do and they are AWESOME to play on this bad oscar. The Tegra HD games like Shadowgun look flat out gorgeous here and the fact that the screen isn’t massive makes them a joy to play. I haven't spent too much time yet with emulators, but I can say that N64oid works great and Starfox 64 is a blast to play on it. Most of the games I have played so far have run incredibly smoothly here, and it is obvious that the Tegra 3 was built with gaming in mind.
One thing I haven’t touched on so far is the battery life. I’m on the fence with it. It seems like the battery drops faster than I was expecting it to, but I have only had it for 24 hours and that just isn’t long enough for me to give an accurate review of it. If I am just swiping through the screens it seems to hold pretty well, but as soon as I start browsing the web or playing games the battery seems to drop fairly quickly. I have yet to run this thing through a complete cycle so I dunno. Google states that we should be getting about 8 hours out of it with “active use” and that seems fairly accurate, as long as that “active use” isn’t 8 hours of straight Shadowgunning because I promise you it won’t make it that long.
So that about sums up what I have taken from this thing in the 24 hours that I’ve owned it. I am thoroughly impressed with what Google and ASUS have done here and I am FINALLY a fan of Android in the tablet world. One thing I know for absolute certain is that my iPad will see a significant drop in usage now that I have my Nexus 7. I think used to think 10" was the perfect size for a tablet but the Nexus 7 has me convinced otherwise. The 7" form factor is SIGNIFICANTLY more comfortable to hold and use. I am in absolute love with the Nexus 7 and I know it is not just a honeymoon thing. Do I think it is better than the iPad? Nope, not really. Do I think it is as good as the iPad, in an apples to oranges sort of way? Absolutely. Do I think it is the best Android tablet to date? Without a doubt. Is it worth the $200-$250? Don’t be stupid, of course it is. The bottom line is, if you have been waiting to pull the trigger on an Android tablet like I was, this is the tablet to get. It simply cannot be beat for the price.
I know I left some things out here so feel free to ask any questions that you may have.
EDIT: It's official, I have decided to sell my iPad 3. The N7 is everything I ever wanted in a tablet, no need to hang on to the iPad if it's just going to be collecting dust.
whoa.. such a big review with such small fonts on my pc. i'll read it only on my GN7
for the time being, you should upload a video review on youtube. I'd love to see that dude.
_MetalHead_ said:
Those that know me know that I just don’t like Android tablets. They have never appealed to me. I have always found many things wrong with them (both hardware and software), and have always preferred the iPad for my on-the-go digital consumption and gaming needs. Even the highest end Android tablets have always left something to be desired- from the terrible screen, weight and heft of the Motorola Xoom all the way to the Transformer Prime which while being the best Android tablet ever when it arrived on the scene, failed to live up to the hype and left much to be desired. Android just wasn’t quite ready for the tablet scene and the iPad always overshadowed even the best Android tablets. Argue with me all you want about how much better your Prime is than the iPad but the fact is (yes, I said FACT), it’s not. The iPad has better hardware, better software, better build quality, and MUCH better apps. Because of this, there was no reason whatsoever to buy any Android tablet over the iPad- until now.
In comes the Nexus 7, the second Android tablet I have owned (the first being the Samsung Galaxy tab 7.0 Plus that was returned after 4 hours), and easily the best Android tablet ever made. Now when I say that, I don’t mean that it has the best specs, the best screen, the slimmest profile, or the sexiest looks. What I mean is the package as a whole is the best Android has to offer, and for the price you just can’t beat it. In fact, after owning one for about 24 hours now, I’d be hard pressed to try to come up with a better way to spend $250. Pretty much all the complaints I have had about Android tablets in the past are completely moot now with the Nexus 7.
Lets start with the hardware. For $250 ($200 if you got the 8gb version), Google has managed to squeeze incredible performance out of this thing. The Tegra 3 processor just screams here. Now, the Tegra 3 is not the most powerful SOC (system on a chip) out there, but it is definitely a respectable powerhouse, and Google has clearly optimized Jelly Bean to run on it and that makes all the difference in the world. Apps open fast, games run flawlessly with nary a frame rate stutter, and scrolling is buttery smooth (more on the butter later). The 1280x800 screen on it isn’t the greatest. In all honesty, it is the N7’s biggest shortcoming. It feels rather outdated, especially coming from an iPad 3 and an HTC One XL, but for the price, you just can’t beat it. It’s an IPS LCD that has decent color reproduction, acceptable indoor brightness levels, and a great viewing angle. At the most extreme angles the blacks do get washed out but hey, who uses tablets from the side? At every USABLE viewing angle however the screen is great, as long as you don’t use it side by side with the previously mentioned devices. My only real complaint about it is its outdoor performance. Maybe the breathtaking SLCD2 on my AT&T One XL (best phone ever, shut up about your plasticky SGS3 already) has spoiled me, but I was very disappointed with the way the screen looks outside. Even at its maximum brightness it is barely viewable even on an overcast day like today. But the good thing is that disappointment was quickly diminished when I reminded myself how much I paid for this thing.
Build quality is superb, but that shouldn’t be a surprise considering ASUS manufactured this thing for Google. The front is a solid slab of Corning scratch resistant glass (not Gorilla Glass), it is bound by a very tasteful silver frame, and the dimpled rubberized back is a joy to behold. This thing is absolutely solid, not a creak or squeak anywhere, and it feels like a much more expensive device than it is. I expected decent build quality but what I got was way beyond whatever preconceived notions I had had. Seriously, the craftsmanship on this thing is belied by its diminutive price tag. I think all other Android tab manufacturers need to take note here (*cough*Samsung*cough*)- THIS is how you build an Android tablet. I have played with practically every other major Android tablet on the market and none of them conveyed a sense of quality that could hold its own against the build of an iPad. This bad boy right here goes toe to toe with Apple’s offering in this regard. They have completely different design aesthetics but there is no denying that Google and ASUS meant business here.
On to the software. The Nexus 7 is Google’s first device to ship with its latest version of Android, version 4.1 Jelly Bean. It isn’t a major leap forward from Ice Cream Sandwich but more of an evolutionary step. They have optimized the performance of it so it feels a lot faster, and added quite a few features such as Google Now which I haven’t really played with all too much so I’m not going to comment on it further. The biggest change to me, at least from a users perspective, is what Google calls Project Butter. This is Google’s attempt to finally match the “buttery” smoothness of the UI and other operations of the iPad. Whenever any Android device is compared to an iOS device, be it a phone or a tablet, one cannot deny that Apple’s offerings offer a MUCH smoother experience across the UI. People who love their Android devices will surely say that their Galaxy S2s are as smooth as the iPhone and that their Transformer Primes are just as smooth as the iPad- well I don’t care what you say because they aren’t. There just is no argument. Sure they are smooth as hell compared to other Android devices but iOS smooth they are not. That is because Apple sets the UI animation renderings as the priority for the CPU/GPU which makes them incredibly smooth. That smoothness conveys quality. Project Butter is Google’s answer to that and while I can’t quite say that they have matched that smoothness, they definitely succeeded in conveying that same finished product level of UI quality that iOS devices have. They do this with a combination of significantly smoother scrolling, great app opening animations, and various other tweaks throughout the system. Bottom line is- it’s awesome.
Now a lot of people, myself included, complained about Google’s choice to use more or less a phone UI for the Nexus 7 instead of the standard ICS tablet UI. I was very disappointed when I found out, that’s for sure. But I decided that Google made a conscious decision to do this, and that I needed to trust them so I went into it with an open mind. Now, my biggest complaint about the Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.0 Plus was the UI. I absolutely hated it. I’m not referring to the Touchwiz modifications that they made, but the actual Honeycomb UI design choices that still showed through. It just didn’t work on the 7” form factor, at least not for me. I am happy to report that the hybrid phone/tablet UI that Google decided to use on the Nexus 7 not only works, but does so famously. Long story short, any disappointment I had about it was quickly washed away when I started using it. It just makes sense to me now to use the phone UI here. Everything is within reach, nothing is cluttered, no buttons are too small making them hard to press, and I think it looks beautiful. My only complaint is that Google locked the homescreen UI to portrait mode only, but that is easily remedied by installing a 3rd part launcher like Nova.
Now, where I think Android really needs to pick up the slack is with their tablet-optimized app selections. iOS simply blows Android out of the water here. A tablet is really only as good as the apps that can run on it and the apps alone make the iPad the best tablet out there. The nice thing here, is that since the Nexus 7 is a 7” tablet, it can handle tablet optimized apps AND phone apps and make it seem like they were all designed to specifically for this size screen. Quite frankly, it’s awesome and it makes a HUGE difference. When I am using an app that was only designed for phone on the N7, it doesn’t feel like there is any compromise. This right here opens up a whole world of apps that while are a pain to use on a 10” tablet, they are great on the 7” one. With the N7 we get the best of both worlds.
The main reason why I got this thing was for gaming. Aside from browsing the web whilst sitting in the throne room, my iPad is used almost exclusively for games. The problem is, it’s just way too big for some. Playing a first person shooter like NOVA 3 or Modern Combat 3 is just way too cumbersome on a 10” tablet. On a 7” tablet, it’s flat out perfect. I have been waiting for a great 7” gaming tablet to come along and I couldn’t be happier with this thing. Right now, some of my favorite games just don’t run on it, like NOVA 3, but others do and they are AWESOME to play on this bad oscar. The Tegra HD games like Shadowgun look flat out gorgeous here and the fact that the screen isn’t massive makes them a joy to play. Most of the games I have played so far have run incredibly smoothly here, and it is obvious that the Tegra 3 was built with gaming in mind.
One thing I haven’t touched on so far is the battery life. I’m on the fence with it. It seems like the battery drops faster than I was expecting it too, but I have only had it for 24 hours and that just isn’t long enough for me to give an accurate review of it. If I am just swiping through the screens it seems to hold pretty well, but as soon as I start browsing the web or playing games the battery seems to drop fairly quickly. I have yet to run this thing through a complete cycle so I dunno. Google states that we should be getting about 8 hours out of it with “active use” and that seems fairly accurate, as long as that “active use” isn’t 8 hours of straight Shadowgunning because I promise you it won’t make it that long.
So that about sums up what I have taken from this thing in the 24 hours that I’ve owned it. I am thoroughly impressed with what Google and ASUS have done here and I amn FINALLY a fan of Android in the tablet world. Do I think it is better than the iPad? Nope, not at all. Do I think it is as good as the iPad, in an apples to oranges sort of way? Absolutely. Do I think it is the best Android tablet to date? Without a doubt. Is it worth the $200-$250? Don’t be stupid, of course it is. The bottom line is, if you have been waiting to pull the trigger on an Android tablet like I was, this is the tablet to get. It simply cannot be beat for the price.
I know I left some things out here so feel free to ask any questions that you may have.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
nusairh said:
whoa.. such a big review with such small fonts on my pc. i'll read it only on my GN7
for the time being, you should upload a video review on youtube. I'd love to see that dude.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm planning on doing a video review later. Too hungover to do it now lol
Sent from my HTC One X using xda premium
Excellent review! I also have always known that Android has had a tough time competing with the iPad which has definitely dominated the market for multiple reasons. I still have my iPad 2 and will use the Nexus 7 solely for the week and if I don't miss the iPad it will be sold at the end of the week. Right now after having it for around 8 hours I couldn't be happier, but I will see if I miss any iOS apps.
Screen is great and really loving the 7" form factor. I use my iPad exclusively in portrait mode and do so with the Nexus as well and it works great!
Sent from my Nexus 7
Haha thnx for the review bud, I pre ordered from play store so lord knows when I'll see mine lol
Sent from my HTC One X using xda premium
Skillz1318 said:
Excellent review! I also have always known that Android has had a tough time competing with the iPad which has definitely dominated the market for multiple reasons. I still have my iPad 2 and will use the Nexus 7 solely for the week and if I don't miss the iPad it will be sold at the end of the week. Right now after having it for around 8 hours I couldn't be happier, but I will see if I miss any iOS apps.
Screen is great and really loving the 7" form factor. I use my iPad exclusively in portrait mode and do so with the Nexus as well and it works great!
Sent from my Nexus 7
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
One thing I know for sure is that my iPad will se a significant drop in usage now that I have the Nexus 7. I used to think that the iPad was the perfect size for a tablet, now I'm not so sure. I am in absolute love with the N7 and I know it's not just a honeymoon thing. The size of the N7 is sooooo much more convenient than the iPad and is way more comfortable to hold. Like you said though it's all those awesome iOS apps that I will probably miss and for that reason I will not get rid of my iPad (especially because of Land Sear Air Warfare, what an AMAZING game) but for sure the N7 is going to become my primary tablet.
Wait no pics?
Sent from my EVO 4G LTE
Excellent review, awaiting for mine to arrive and stalking these threads to assure me that my purchase is justified.
Sent from my GT-P7510 using xda app-developers app
david279 said:
Wait no pics?
Sent from my EVO 4G LTE
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Pretty sure everyone knows what they look like by now.
_MetalHead_ said:
One thing I know for sure is that my iPad will se a significant drop in usage now that I have the Nexus 7. I used to think that the iPad was the perfect size for a tablet, now I'm not so sure. I am in absolute love with the N7 and I know it's not just a honeymoon thing. The size of the N7 is sooooo much more convenient than the iPad and is way more comfortable to hold. Like you said though it's all those awesome iOS apps that I will probably miss and for that reason I will not get rid of my iPad (especially because of Land Sear Air Warfare, what an AMAZING game) but for sure the N7 is going to become my primary tablet.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah I definitely prefer 7", but like you said will see if the iOS apps sway me back to the "dark side".
Any issues with dead pixels or screen flicker? Others are having some complaints
AtropineNa said:
Any issues with dead pixels or screen flicker? Others are having some complaints
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nope, aside from the minor complaints I talked about in the review, the screen is perfect. No image retention "problems" either.
Nice review
I'm trying to decide between the Xoom and the Nexus 7.
Both are the same price and each have their pros and cons so not an easy decision. Especially since I already have a 5.3" Note in my pocket.
Decisions, decisions.
Any advice?
Cheers
K1LLER HORNET said:
Nice review
I'm trying to decide between the Xoom and the Nexus 7.
Both are the same price and each have their pros and cons so not an easy decision. Especially since I already have a 5.3" Note in my pocket.
Decisions, decisions.
Any advice?
Cheers
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Honestly, I really don't like the Xoom in the slightest. I played with one again today and it reminded me about how much I hated it. The screen is pretty crappy, the thing is heavy as hell, and performance is terribly sluggish by today's standards. As far as I'm concerned, if you want to go with a 10" tab, the iPad is the only option worth considering. If you want a 7" or just any Android tablet in general, the only one that I can comfortably recommend is the Nexus 7 and that is a wholehearted recommendation. At this point, I don't think anybody should consider buying an Android tablet unless it's an N7 and even then they shouldn't consider it- they should stop wasting time and buy it already
Go with the Nexus 7 man, guaranteed you are going to love it.
_MetalHead_ said:
Honestly, I really don't like the Xoom in the slightest. I played with one again today and it reminded me about how much I hated it. The screen is pretty crappy, the thing is heavy as hell, and performance is terribly sluggish by today's standards. As far as I'm concerned, if you want to go with a 10" tab, the iPad is the only option worth considering. If you want a 7" or just any Android tablet in general, the only one that I can comfortably recommend is the Nexus 7 and that is a wholehearted recommendation. At this point, I don't think anybody should consider buying an Android tablet unless it's an N7 and even then they shouldn't consider it- they should stop wasting time and buy it already
Go with the Nexus 7 man, guaranteed you are going to love it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Cheers, thanks for the info.
I recently sold my 64GB iPad 2.
Won't be going back to Apple. Good app selection but can't stand how they operate.
Just seen a review of the the Xoom's screen, pretty poor to say the least. Simply terrible viewing angles.
I think I'll take your recommendation and stick with my N7 pre-order :good:
Can't wait.
Thanks again
K1LLER HORNET said:
Cheers, thanks for the info.
I recently sold my 64GB iPad 2.
Won't be going back to Apple. Good app selection but can't stand how they operate.
Just seen a review of the the Xoom's screen, pretty poor to say the least. Simply terrible viewing angles.
I think I'll take your recommendation and stick with my N7 pre-order :good:
Can't wait.
Thanks again
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah, I hate the way Apple operates but I love the hardware and the game selections. No way can I get rid of my iPad.
No review can fully convey just how bad the Xoom's screen is. Especially if you are coming from an iPad, you will HATE it.
Picked mine up & am VERY happy w/ every aspect of this device. Hopefully the Dev community embraces the N7 and pump out ROMs / kernels etc
Good read OP. Just pre ordered from gamestop earlier.
Sent from my PG86100 using xda app-developers app
I'll add that the Nexus 7 will be a secondary tablet for me. The lack of an internal memory card slot, hdmi port, a rear camera (with flash), and other things relegate this to a part time toy. My Acer A500 is my workhorse. It has 80gb memory, reads barcodes, has the real estate big enough to read schematics at work, and has 2 USB ports... one full-size.
Don't get me wrong, I'll get a LOT of use from my Nexus, but not for work, not for on a trip where I want to display media on a projector or flatscreen... essentially, not for serious use. It's going to be a great reader, great for streaming, great for browsing, etc.
I now have a choice of viewing options- a 4.3" screen on my Razr Maxx, a 7" screen on my Nexus 7, and a 10.1" screen on my Acer A500. There's been times I wanted a larger second device with me, but the Acer (especially with the case) was just too damned bulky. This opens a lot of options. And, yes, it does fit in a pocket when you're wearing cargo pants
I don't know dude, almost sounded like the only thing you liked about it is the price (and the form factor, but that will be a non issue once iPad mini comes out).
Most of the time your review almost sounded sarcastic, like your using this review to reiterate how awesome your iPad is ..."Yeah, I like so and so about n7, it still sucks compared to my glorious iPad, but it's cheaper, so I'll pretend it's fine".
As for your so-called "facts" about one thing being better than another, you might wanna start substituting "facts" with "in my opinion", coz there is such a thing as personal preference.
Sent from my Full AOSP on Toro-VZW using xda app-developers app
Related
With So many threads pointing out problems, concerns, and other issues with the nexus 7, I thought I would spend a little time talking about how amazing this device actually is! In my opinion, depending on your needs, this tablet is truly better than the ipad in many ways and significantly cheaper!
Design
Google and Asus have done a really great job with the hardware design, look and feel feel. The device feels sturdy and comfortable in your hands, and looks great.
Battery
Battery life has been superb for me. The device can last around 10 hours on a charge and even longer if just standing by.
UI
The nexus 7 and jelly bean are a true join to work with and come off as extremely polished. In many ways this is where I feel the nexus is better than an ipad depending on your needs. iOS is getting a bit stale in my opinion, the with home screen after home screen of simple all icons. With the widgets I have setup on my home screens, my nexus brings all the important information to me, rather that having to open up apps to get weather, twitter feeds etc.
I'll post some more thoughts later but for anyone on the fence about buying, don't hesitate and just do it!
In total agreement, its a totally amazing device. Google have done an amazing job.
I think the size is going to be a popular selling point with many and definetly the price (especially against the big boy iPad)
iPad killer??.. Lets say from where I stand, its certainly going to give Apple a run for their money and will finally place an Android tablet into that big marketshare that Apple dominates.
Ofcourse you'll always get peeps who will buy the iPad, personal choice etc... but this colourful Jelly Bean is going to seriously have an impact on the iPad and Apples dominance, which is great to see..
I'm in love with mine already...
jotei66 said:
In total agreement, its a totally amazing device. Google have done an amazing job.
I think the size is going to be a popular selling point with many and definetly the price (especially against the big boy iPad)
iPad killer??.. Lets say from where I stand, its certainly going to give Apple a run for their money and will finally place an Android tablet into that big marketshare that Apple dominates.
Ofcourse you'll always get peeps who will buy the iPad, personal choice etc... but this colourful Jelly Bean is going to seriously have an impact on the iPad and Apples dominance, which is great to see..
I'm in love with mine already...
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Absolutely. I guess the better question is, does it need to be an iPad killer? I never really wanted an iPad (I've played around with plenty of them) and the minute Google announced this device, I pre-ordered. Why? Size. I personally find the iPad too big to carry around. My fiance has a kindle fire and I liked that size, but it felt too much like an e-reader that car run apps, vs a full fledged tablet.
Jelly Bean is the star of the Show here, and the nexus has all the internal guts needed to make it shine!
Google Now is really great - I googled the Boston Celtics score the other day and now I automatically get notified what the score of the current game is and when the next game is coming up. That's fantastic.
Somehow Google has also figured out where I work and now tells me when there is heavy traffic. This is also fantastic and a huge time saver.
The speach recognition is great too - Very handy to have available offline!
Hopefully a strong competitor
I'm waiting for my N7 to arrive, so I'm not really qualified to comment on whether the N7 is an iPad killer.
That aside, I think we as consumers benefit from a strong and healthy Android, iOS, and Windows8. It forces the competition to continue innovating. This is always good for us. Plus, it will tend to keep prices down.
I prefer Android because I don't want my garden walled - I also have a need to see how things work and make it just so for me. On the other hand, I do understand why some people like to be spoon fed - it requires less thought and they can focus on other things in their lives.
So hopefully it will not kill the iPad, but maybe become a strong competitor and force Apple to improve and innovate and come out with a better iPad (hopefully something more than just a display upgrade).
Not an iPad killer for me, but at this price, why not get one. I'm still keeping my iPad though. The iPad feels more sturdy all around, especially the screen, no creaking no movement. Wi-Fi is more consistent, and no screen flicker. Better app compatibility across the few different hardware and OS versions. Overall the Nexus 7 feels cheap with cheap components, but hey it really is sold for cheap. Cheap enough to play with. Not an Android or Google hater. This is my fourth Android device and second Google device. Just throwing my opinions out here.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 2
I have both a Nexus 7 and an iPad 3, and I can say that they both have their advantages. App support is excellent on the iPad, and the screen is still superior, so I tend to use it for heavier browsing sessions, RSS reading, and a variety of apps that don't exist on Android (none of which are essential). However, the Nexus 7 is lighter and of course has the Android OS advantages, so I tend to use IT for ebook reading and general "what's going on in the world" kind off stuff.
It's nice to be able to own both, but if I were to be forced to choose one over the other, I'd go with the Nexus 7 if only because I like Android better than iOS (which really wastes an otherwise great tablet). Jelly Bean pretty much erased the "fluidity" advantage that that iPad has enjoyed over other Android tablets, letting the general usefulness of an Android tablet (widgets, file system access, etc.) really shine through.
I think if the Nexus 7 had come out the same year as the iPad, things would be different in the market. But of course the iPad has such a massive head start, it's going to be a long row to hoe for Android tablets.
love this device! It's funny I bought my mom a New iPad for her bday because shes been wanting one for a long time now. I get my N7 a few days later and show her some of the cool stuff it does (ie:google now) and she was actually getting jealous of my device. For me I never been interested in the iPad, could u imagine dropping that on ur face in bed? lol
Scythe024 said:
love this device! It's funny I bought my mom a New iPad for her bday because shes been wanting one for a long time now. I get my N7 a few days later and show her some of the cool stuff it does (ie:google now) and she was actually getting jealous of my device. For me I never been interested in the iPad, could u imagine dropping that on ur face in bed? lol
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Honestly, I don't get this "dropping an ebook reader on your face" thing. I don't hold mine above my face when I'm reading, I rest it on my chest in portrait. The Nexus 7 is far more comfortable than the iPad even this way, but...
wynand32 said:
Honestly, I don't get this "dropping an ebook reader on your face" thing. I don't hold mine above my face when I'm reading, I rest it on my chest in portrait. The Nexus 7 is far more comfortable than the iPad even this way, but...
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i dont exactly read a whole book while holding it over my face, sometimes i just move and try to hold into different positions trying to get comfy or just a quick use and i dont want to prop myself up to use it lol.
I really don't get the iPad's bad comments here. I happen to own a iPhone, iPod, iPad 1 2 and The New iPad, with the Retina display on and the A5X in on The New iPad, there's really no comparison... none! Dude! The Tegra 3 can't even out do the iPad 2's specs. Don't get me wrong, I love my Nexus S, Nexus Galaxy and my Nexus 7 to death, but that still doesn't give me the right to blast Apple or Google because I thank GOD Apple has Google on there backs, this just mean better technology for the end user in the end. So, only GOD can judge me and not you!
Sent from my Nexus 7 using xda premium
Haha! I mean... Google have done a good job but I pad killer is a bit to far. I've had the I pad and have the nexus 7 and the ipad is better. Apps,screen,stability and sorry to say the cameras on it lol. As I said the nexus 7 is quality but has a lot of things missing to kill the ipad.
Sent from my GT-I9100 using xda premium
I disagree, I think the Nexus 7 is a true ipad killer.
Gaming is silky smooth, more so than the ipad3 as a lot of high end games struggle on the ipad3 due to the very high pixel ratio it has.
Jelly bean makes it silky smooth throughout the device,
The price alone makes it an ipad killer, I don't think anyone can justify paying more than double for the extras the ipad offers.
More storage, better screen (but as said, this is a negative for gaming) and a camera.
Nobody uses a rear facing camera on a tablet, who in their right mind would hold up a tablet in public to take any photo, never mind an average photo - we all have phones and actual cameras that does this & does it better.
If you can cope with the storage limitation, why pay double for nothing?
It's not like the Nexus7 is a bad screen, it's still HD resolution, in a 7inch format factor.
Sent from my HTC One X using Tapatalk 2
chrisjcks said:
I disagree, I think the Nexus 7 is a true ipad killer.
Gaming is silky smooth, more so than the ipad3 as a lot of high end games struggle on the ipad3 due to the very high pixel ratio it has.
Jelly bean makes it silky smooth throughout the device,
The price alone makes it an ipad killer, I don't think anyone can justify paying more than double for the extras the ipad offers.
More storage, better screen (but as said, this is a negative for gaming) and a camera.
Nobody uses a rear facing camera on a tablet, who in their right mind would hold up a tablet in public to take any photo, never mind an average photo - we all have phones and actual cameras that does this & does it better.
If you can cope with the storage limitation, why pay double for nothing?
It's not like the Nexus7 is a bad screen, it's still HD resolution, in a 7inch format factor.
Sent from my HTC One X using Tapatalk 2
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I will have to greatly disagree. The New iPad, with that sexy Retina display you was just stepping on; wait, you must not own The New iPad because of the none facts above. With the Retina display it still outperforms Tegra 3 while still looking great with that great and unbeaten 2048 by 1536 resolution. Here take a look for yourself and read the facts http://www.redmondpie.com/a5-vs.-a5...-benchmarked-the-winner-is-rather-surprising/ Now, I'm not a fan boy, I'm just stating the truth! It helps me sleep better at night and gaming on my iPad has never been so smooth with the A5X chip.
Sent from my Nexus S using xda premium
jalyn02 said:
I will have to greatly disagree. The New iPad, with that sexy Retina display you was just stepping on; wait, you must not own The New iPad because of the none facts above. With the Retina display it still outperforms Tegra 3 while still looking great with that great and unbeaten 2048 by 1536 resolution. Here take a look for yourself and read the facts http://www.redmondpie.com/a5-vs.-a5...-benchmarked-the-winner-is-rather-surprising/ Now, I'm not a fan boy, I'm just stating the truth! It helps me sleep better at night and gaming on my iPad has never been so smooth with the A5X chip.
Sent from my Nexus S using xda premium
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Go try some high end games on the iPad3, it struggles because the GPU is not good enough for the high pixel density of the display.
So,whilst you get a high resolution screen - go check your gaming performance.
You can't honestly say you haven't seen as such.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 2
chrisjcks said:
Go try some high end games on the iPad3, it struggles like crazy because the GPU is not good enough for the high pixel density of the display.
Modern Combat 3, riptide gp, shadowgun etc
So,whilst you get a high resolution screen - go check your gaming performance.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 2
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Dude! I play these games everyday with no issues @ all. Do you have a iPad 3? Because I'm not getting lag at all! I'm going to stay on topic now because this is starting to make me feel like a fan boy when I'm not. Okay dude maybe it's that your in a Android spell, like you see lag in everything none Android. I've just given you the facts. Now, can you explain, how is there any lag in The New iPad when with the Retina display it outperformed the Tegra 3. I love my Nexus 7, but if the Nexus 7 was to be a iPad killer it would not be 200 bucks, but what you get with the Nexus 7 is a great bang for the buck!
Sent from my Nexus S using xda premium
I don't own them, but ive used them all.
Its quite simple,
Apple doubled the GPU cores in the iPad3 compared to iPad2. (x2)
However, the iPad3 is pushing out x4 the pixels compared to the ipad2.
Its not difficult to see that.
Games that run at the ipad3's native resolution will run slower than on the ipad2.
The trick that you might not be seeing, is quite a lot of games are not running at the native resolution of the ipad3, but are infact being upscaled.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 2
Will be my ipad killer, too. I'm tired of schlepping the heavy unwieldy new iPad around and my needs are simple enough so that between the Nexus 7 and my trusted netbook, everything is already covered. I'm getting rid of my new ipad as soon as I'm home.
Before anyone calls it an iPad killer, I think it needs to be more.widely available even in the US. When I walk info a bestbuy and see it for sale and marketed then we can talk about iPad killer. Right nos, not yet
Sent from my EVO using xda premium
chrisjcks said:
I don't own them, but ive used them all.
Its quite simple,
Apple doubled the GPU cores in the iPad3 compared to iPad2. (x2)
However, the iPad3 is pushing out x4 the pixels compared to the ipad2.
Its not difficult to see that.
Games that run at the ipad3's native resolution will run slower than on the ipad2.
The trick that you might not be seeing, is quite a lot of games are not running at the native resolution of the ipad3, but are infact being upscaled.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 2
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You are correct. In fact there was a recent article about the new Macbook Pro's (with retina display) performance and the becnchmark revealed that even with the fairly high end GPU, it just couldn't keep up with the extra pixels it had to push. Same thing with the iPad 3.
Does the iPad 3 have a great screen? Of course, no one is denying that. Is the Nexus 7 screen close? Absolutely.
The new ipad is amazing and better than the 7 mainly due to iTunes and airplay and air video. But the ipad does cost more. Even though I have an ipad I prefer the 7.
I do wonder what Apple will be bringing out with the ipad mini. Comparing this when it's realised might be a fairer comparison.
I would try N7 in a heartbeat, if it weren't for already having the iPad3 alongside my GNex.
I was just wondering if anyone has all three and uses them all quite a bit?
The only time I could see myself really using all three is browsing N7 in bed while watching a movie on XBMC on iPad3.
But even then it seems like total overkill.
I have 4S, iPad 3 and now N7. The N7 is just easier to use for surfing and reading.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using xda app-developers app
I have an iPhone 4, the new iPad, GNex and Nexus 7. I still use the iPad at home, Nexus 7 has replaced my notepad at work and GNex is my primary phone for now.
I have an N7 and an iPad 3. I use the N7 for quick updates on email and such, along with ebook reading and gaming. I use the iPad for browsing, RSS feed reading, and video (particularly HBO Go). Both have their strengths and weaknesses.
If I was forced to choose just one, I'd choose the N7 if it had HBO Go. I think the 7" form factor is just better overall, for my uses at least.
Dang, you guys with iPhones and GNex surprise me as well though I'm impressed.
I sold my 4S a few days after I got my GNex.
I originally planned on SIM swapping phones when I pleased, but then I found my 4S collecting dust and it not feasible.
Thinking of getting the Gnex, how o you like move from 4s? Miss anything? I hear a new nexus phone com in soon, the gnex only like 8 months old right?
Sent from my Nexus 7 using xda app-developers app
I love my GNex.
4S camera is unbeatable. And I had the 32GB model, but I sold it after unlocking it for enough to cover GNex and almost all of my upgrade if I choose to get the next iPhone on contract.
A new Nexus might come out/probably will, but after that price drop, I didn't want to be playing the waiting game. And I've never owned an Android before this.
I do
I have a retina iPad (still my favorite), Galaxy Nexus (it has pretty much become a glorified hotspot for my Nexus 7), iPhone 4s (my daily phone, but just barely as I go back and forth between my Galxy Nexus and iPhone 4s), and just got the Nexus 7 (I got the 8gb one as I use it primarily for an ereader and tinkering).
Like I said above my go to device is still my iPad. Thevisplay is about 90% of the reason. I mean the Nexus 7 has an ok display and it gets the job done but I expected better than my old ipad 2 as it has more pixel density and both are IPS, but I was way wrong. It is better than my former Transformer Prime by a country mile and way way way better than my Xoom. I really am sensitive to great displays though. For some it doesn't bother them, but for me I've been waiting years for the display tech we are now seeing and the iPhone and iPad retina displays are so far ahead of anything else out in my opinion it's almost hard to use anything else. I know it sounds stupid and lame but even months after getting my retina iPad at launch I still get that amazed feeling every time I pick it up and I really really notice the displays on my Nexus 7 and Galaxy Nexus especially when reading.
Anyways I would say if you got the cash pick a Nexus 7 up. It is the best $200 I've spent in a long time and I have no regrets except the severe lack of apps but I don't notice it as much as I did on my Prime or Xoom I think that's due to phone apps (like twitter) look much better on the Nexus 7 than a 10 inch display. If you have any other questions let me know. I'll be more than happy to help.
Second that, best 200 spent in some time. N7 is just refreshing!
Which you prefer, 4s or gnex overall?
Sent from my Nexus 7 using xda app-developers app
yeah i'd be hard pressed to give up my ipad 3 also. I love it and it satisfies my iOS cravings. After all, iOS was apparently originally designed for a tablet in its development before being launched on iPhone (back when it was iPhone OS)
I also swapped it way too many times to get one that had an acceptable QC screen, BEAUTIFUL display, without a pink hot corner, or multiple colored tints, or weird contrast. No way I'd give this one up easily. Even when an iPad "4" or whatever comes out.
Even with Color Profile jailbreak app to tweak it can't hide a defective screen. Meanwhile, the one and only iPad3 my parents bought is perfect as well (I have a knack for this thing).
4S screen is definitely technically superior to AMOLED and brighter, but I don't care. I pick up my parents' iPhones and I wonder how I went 3.5" so long without complaint. the 4.65" (and maybe I got a great screen too whereas others did not) makes browsing enjoyable again on the go.
I am still "open" as to which phone I will purchase next. But I'm so much more pleased with my Nexus than I could have ever anticipated.
I should also add I've had every generation iPhone (traded my 4 and cash for a 4S back in January before I sold it a few weeks ago) and without jailbreak, I think I would have tried out Android much sooner. Stock iPhones bother me a lot. They're too limiting. I was even going to hold onto my 4 indefinitely over 4S until I started seeing that developers were close to wrapping up the iOS5/A5 exploit on 5.0.1 (and later 5.1.1)
mario24601 said:
Thinking of getting the Gnex, how o you like move from 4s? Miss anything? I hear a new nexus phone com in soon, the gnex only like 8 months old right?
Sent from my Nexus 7 using xda app-developers app
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I keep going back and forth as I own the Galaxy Nexus and iPhone 4s, but the iPhone is my daly phone right now. It is just a much better all around device in my opinion. I love the display and it is the best I've ever used and it makes a huge difference especially considering my Nexus display feels really dingey. I don't know how to explain it, but it really bothers me. I'm not a huge fan of super AMOLED displays and usually stay away from Samsung (although this is by far the best Samsung device I've used in terms of build quality). I'm just a huge fan of displays showing correct colors and the over saturation, dingey whites and grays, and pentile display really throw me off. With that said I won't be getting rid of my Galaxy Nexus anytime soon as I still feel it is the only Android device out right now worth buying and that's due to the latest software. jelly Bean is excellent and a huge step in the right direction.
I dont think you will regret buying one, but for me the iPhone is just the better phone and smaller screen and lack of LTE are worth the payoff for everything else that just works. Number one is the display like I mentioned. Two, the apps. You cannot get anything close on android when it comes to apps and especially quality and it is getting more and more obvious especially on tablets. Three, build quality. It amazes me that it's been over two and a half years since the iPhone 4 release and still OEMs are behind the iPhone in build quality. The only companies even playing in the same ball field is Nokia (I sure hope a high end WP8 comes to Verizon with LTE) and HTC and only recently with the One X and One S. Samsung and Motorola are not even close (in my opinion so don't think Im trying to flame). Four, Siri. Siri is more useful then I ever thought it would be. Don't believe the internets claiming that Google Now wipes the floor with Siri. It's just not true. Google Now is great and is a little faster, but it gets a lot of mistakes. I just cant explain it you just have to use it. When iOS 6 comes out it will add some much needed features and it will be no contest. The only thing Google Now does I wish Siri does is sports scores and iOS 6 will fill that gap. Five, fluidity. This should be number 2 on the list if there was any rhyme or reason to this list. There is no competition and even with the Project Butter improvements (I honestly think Project Butter is the single best improvement the Google team has ever added to android and it is catching up to iOS. The problem is they are catching up to iOS on the iPhone 3Gs. A huge improvement, but still a ways behind Apple). This is what keeps me coming back to iOS as of late. I tried to use JB as my daily phone and honestly I like the look and feel more than iOS but this is the main reason outside the display that keeps me going back. I dumped my iPhone 3Gs for the Nexus One years ago and have only used Android until getting my retina iPad. I even didn't purchase the iPad 2 and instead got the Xoom and later the Transformer Prime. I really notice it and it's a huge annoyance.
Sorry so long. Please just take this as an opinion and a subjective one at that. I only posted in this thread to help as I spend entirely too much money on technology and I know my opinion is by far the end all be all, but I dont get caught up in brand loyalty (I hate using the word fanboy as it is ugly and sounds stupid). The reason is I like to use all tech as there really is a reason we have two (hopefully three with windows and windows phone 8) great competitors in the market and being loyal to a brand made by a company that cares less about you and only wants your money is silly and keeps me from using some great and innovative technology. So don't take this as flaming just giviing my opinion. Good luck and let me know if u have any other questions I will be more than happy to help.
I have a iPhone 4s new iPad, Gnex, Nexus 7 and a few other Android devices .. but I'll tell you one thing .. my Apple products hardly get touched ... besides my macbook.. which is my main computer ... I just can't be tied down to just what Apple wants ... Android is open source and has more options for me to control... Cydia is cool .. but I still find those tweaks to not come close to what Android does
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2
angermeans said:
I keep going back and forth as I own the Galaxy Nexus and iPhone 4s, but the iPhone is my daly phone right now. It is just a much better all around device in my opinion. I love the display and it is the best I've ever used and it makes a huge difference especially considering my Nexus display feels really dingey. I don't know how to explain it, but it really bothers me. I'm not a huge fan of super AMOLED displays and usually stay away from Samsung (although this is by far the best Samsung device I've used in terms of build quality). I'm just a huge fan of displays showing correct colors and the over saturation, dingey whites and grays, and pentile display really throw me off. With that said I won't be getting rid of my Galaxy Nexus anytime soon as I still feel it is the only Android device out right now worth buying and that's due to the latest software. jelly Bean is excellent and a huge step in the right direction.
I dont think you will regret buying one, but for me the iPhone is just the better phone and smaller screen and lack of LTE are worth the payoff for everything else that just works. Number one is the display like I mentioned. Two, the apps. You cannot get anything close on android when it comes to apps and especially quality and it is getting more and more obvious especially on tablets. Three, build quality. It amazes me that it's been over two and a half years since the iPhone 4 release and still OEMs are behind the iPhone in build quality. The only companies even playing in the same ball field is Nokia (I sure hope a high end WP8 comes to Verizon with LTE) and HTC and only recently with the One X and One S. Samsung and Motorola are not even close (in my opinion so don't think Im trying to flame). Four, Siri. Siri is more useful then I ever thought it would be. Don't believe the internets claiming that Google Now wipes the floor with Siri. It's just not true. Google Now is great and is a little faster, but it gets a lot of mistakes. I just cant explain it you just have to use it. When iOS 6 comes out it will add some much needed features and it will be no contest. The only thing Google Now does I wish Siri does is sports scores and iOS 6 will fill that gap. Five, fluidity. This should be number 2 on the list if there was any rhyme or reason to this list. There is no competition and even with the Project Butter improvements (I honestly think Project Butter is the single best improvement the Google team has ever added to android and it is catching up to iOS. The problem is they are catching up to iOS on the iPhone 3Gs. A huge improvement, but still a ways behind Apple). This is what keeps me coming back to iOS as of late. I tried to use JB as my daily phone and honestly I like the look and feel more than iOS but this is the main reason outside the display that keeps me going back. I dumped my iPhone 3Gs for the Nexus One years ago and have only used Android until getting my retina iPad. I even didn't purchase the iPad 2 and instead got the Xoom and later the Transformer Prime. I really notice it and it's a huge annoyance.
Sorry so long. Please just take this as an opinion and a subjective one at that. I only posted in this thread to help as I spend entirely too much money on technology and I know my opinion is by far the end all be all, but I dont get caught up in brand loyalty (I hate using the word fanboy as it is ugly and sounds stupid). The reason is I like to use all tech as there really is a reason we have two (hopefully three with windows and windows phone 8) great competitors in the market and being loyal to a brand made by a company that cares less about you and only wants your money is silly and keeps me from using some great and innovative technology. So don't take this as flaming just giviing my opinion. Good luck and let me know if u have any other questions I will be more than happy to help.
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Thanks, good feedback!
Sent from my Nexus 7 using xda app-developers app
Yeah I appreciate your feedback as well.
I don't get why if you guys have one device collecting dust, why you'd hold onto it.
That was my original mentality to go between 4S and Nexus considering I got my 4S cheap and Nexus didn't break the bank. But realistically, I'm not gonna carry two phones at once, or a paper clip and rip apart both phones because I'm more in the mood for one than the other.
I think I preferred iPhone for the services it offered more than the phone itself (iMessage, though I have it on my iPad even though its apple ID and not phone number, but I have unlimited texts and I don't miss it much at all -- don't care if it says delivered or not, iTunes match although after a few major mishaps I feel like I should be refunded, and it transcodes audio if its not in the iTunes music store, Google Music uploads your collection as it is, which takes a while, but has its pluses too and the price is right).
The 4S camera is great, but I wanted to dabble with Android and Jelly Bean goodness, and I have a sneaking feeling I'll get a huge flagship phone at the end of the year that rocks the socks off that anyways.
And I'm into SLR photography.
4S is great, and SUPER fast, and with jailbreak mods, really enjoyable. But I think that small screen really hinders the experience, and I'm tired of the 4x4 layout after having all five iPhones.
I missed my iPhone a few days after selling it and was considering picking up another to SIM swap, then realized I didn't touch my iPhone once since having GNex. Maybe it was the novelty, but I've almost had it a month, and I'm immensely satisfied. And the huge mod community keeps me entertained as well.
And a new iPhone is just around the bend in case I ever want to dabble again. iOS 6 doesn't seem as competitive as iOS 5 was last year, its more severe catchup imo from what I've seen.
the iOS UI works great on tablet though. it'd be nice to have N7 as well, but I'm not as bothered by the "boring, old" UI on iPad for some reason.
And... I still have a 3GS in case I ever have iphone cravings, but even that's just been sitting on top of my drawer. So it seemed like having the cash instead of 4S was a good call.
And I never bought 4S for siri. I used it a few times, but I've already used Google Now like 3 x more than the 6 months I had 4S. I like that it has no charm, it shouldnt. Give me what I want so I can move on. If you can't answer a question, Google search is awesome. I don't need you to be cute, and I don't need an AI friend. That's just me though. neither are the MOST NECESSARY ever though. just nice additions.
And 4S (my familys') feels heavy after being used to juggling my Nexus.
For certain functions my iPad 3 is just too bulky and heavy. I have a rezound and I suppose I got the n7 was because I was using the phone for tapatalk, quick browsing, email and the like. I was using it like a mini tablet so I decided to just get one. BTW of all three devices I find the n7 easiest to type on.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 2
No problem man. I would find someone that has one and try it out. For some it bothers them and others it doesnt. I'll always be interested in iOS (especially since I have a MacBook Pro with Mountain Lion and having an iPhone 4s, retina iPad, and mac really has a lot of benefits with iCloud and all). Also I didnt mention it above but another thing I do often on my phone is music and especially podcasts and the iOS wins hands down at that. Google music doesn't hold a candle to iTunes in my opinion, but the again Safari doesn't hold a candle to Chrome and Gmail is one of my favorite apps of all time. Im really invested in iOS and Google. I'm just glad that Apple and Google have worked some stuff out to get Chrome on iOS and it seems to work pretty well. They must have more access to APIs then normal app devs. It just seems to be a great browser. It blows my mind cause you can't even get Chrome on pre ICS phones, which is the majority of all Android devices out right now, but you can get it on iOS. Also it might just be the retina iPad and iPhone but Google+ app looks, works and feels better on iOS than Android. I just wish Gmail on iOS was good as it seems pretty bad. Anyways good hunting you can always do what I've done and others on this post and get ya a Galaxy Nexus to run side by side your iPhone 4s. They both have their advantages, disadvantages, bugs, and features after all.
Yeah for sure.
I love my MBA 2011 13" like no other. I've used Macs exclusively (well, with occasional XP on virtual machine for windows only hack tools but never for leisure) for photography and what I do for the past 8 years. And every iPhone. And every iPad (though I flipped my iPad 1 for iPad 2 once I could get my hands on one within weeks of having it, I didn't want a dinosaur dated tablet once A5 came out with 512 of RAM). It was nerve wrecking even giving Android a try. I almost returned it to sender for fear I wouldn't like it and have to eat the $50+ restocking fee from Samsung/Google.
But I bit the bullet and I am glad I did.
I went from "I've been way too curious to try android, now that its $350 no contract for a Nexus, no brainer and I'll swap 4S and Nexus interchangeably" to "I'm gonna not even bother" to "oh whatever" to "Nexus only" and awaiting to see what comes out in just a few months and taking it from there.
In a good spot
it also bothered me when Chrome came out for iOS, that it uses Safari engine due to App Store guidelines but with Chrome-ish UI. It's what I call "fake Chrome" and I went back to using Mobile Safari right away. I still am not sure how it's so popuar besides syncing up with Chrome bookmarks and history and such from desktop Chrome.
And agreed, Gmail app on Android is so much better than Mail app with Gmail in my opinion. Once my exchange server account expired, and I just redirected the alias to my gmail, I found Android integration better.
And I'm curious to see how Apple maps pans out, but I'm more frightened than anything. Turn by turn and Google maps on android is excellent. I can't imagine that being a big positive, getting rid of something I rely on quite a bit. At best, it'll be a "successful alternative"
Lightflow rocks so hard too. I wish iPhone had something comparable. Knowing whether I have SMS, missed call, Voicemail, or Gmail from the distance without picking it up.
The thing that concerns me about N7, aside from the fact I have an iPad3 and love it so much, is that apps aren't yet tablet ready or made-for-tablet. Though for $200, and given that its Nexus brand and its popularity will rapidly increase, I think it'll be a well solidified market in no time. Who knows, maybe I'll end up getting one. Just dual wielding tablets seems more ridiculous to me than dual wielding phones, a concept I was originally "gun hoe" about.
I really enjoy this interesting conversation/debate and I hope it continues. I'm an XDA noob but people here seem so tolerant or indifferent of others technology preferences (without atrributing the fanboy label), and it's so awesome.
tyrellcorpnexus said:
Yeah I appreciate your feedback as well.
I don't get why if you guys have one device collecting dust, why you'd hold onto it.
That was my original mentality to go between 4S and Nexus considering I got my 4S cheap and Nexus didn't break the bank. But realistically, I'm not gonna carry two phones at once, or a paper clip and rip apart both phones because I'm more in the mood for one than the other.
I think I preferred iPhone for the services it offered more than the phone itself (iMessage, though I have it on my iPad even though its apple ID and not phone number, but I have unlimited texts and I don't miss it much at all -- don't care if it says delivered or not, iTunes match although after a few major mishaps I feel like I should be refunded, and it transcodes audio if its not in the iTunes music store, Google Music uploads your collection as it is, which takes a while, but has its pluses too and the price is right).
The 4S camera is great, but I wanted to dabble with Android and Jelly Bean goodness, and I have a sneaking feeling I'll get a huge flagship phone at the end of the year that rocks the socks off that anyways.
And I'm into SLR photography.
4S is great, and SUPER fast, and with jailbreak mods, really enjoyable. But I think that small screen really hinders the experience, and I'm tired of the 4x4 layout after having all five iPhones.
I missed my iPhone a few days after selling it and was considering picking up another to SIM swap, then realized I didn't touch my iPhone once since having GNex. Maybe it was the novelty, but I've almost had it a month, and I'm immensely satisfied. And the huge mod community keeps me entertained as well.
And a new iPhone is just around the bend in case I ever want to dabble again. iOS 6 doesn't seem as competitive as iOS 5 was last year, its more severe catchup imo from what I've seen.
the iOS UI works great on tablet though. it'd be nice to have N7 as well, but I'm not as bothered by the "boring, old" UI on iPad for some reason.
And... I still have a 3GS in case I ever have iphone cravings, but even that's just been sitting on top of my drawer. So it seemed like having the cash instead of 4S was a good call.
And I never bought 4S for siri. I used it a few times, but I've already used Google Now like 3 x more than the 6 months I had 4S. I like that it has no charm, it shouldnt. Give me what I want so I can move on. If you can't answer a question, Google search is awesome. I don't need you to be cute, and I don't need an AI friend. That's just me though. neither are the MOST NECESSARY ever though. just nice additions.
And 4S (my familys') feels heavy after being used to juggling my Nexus.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It sounds like we are almost opposite. Ive been on Android for years and felt that I had left iOS for good. I even tortured myself by trying to talk myself into thinking that Android tablets where better than iPads and purchased the horrible Xoom and buggy Transformer Prime. I find myself in a weird spot with Android right now. Its hard to put my finger on it, really. I started out with the Nexus One after owning every iPhone up to the 3Gs and I was so bored with iOS. The Nexus One is still to this day my favorite device I've ever owned. I even find myself sometimes looking for a great deal on one just to have it. I have a bunch of phones lying around and I still can't see why I ever sold it. I think it was because it was an ATT one and I was even more sick of ATT then I was the 3Gs and I got a great job at Verizon Wireless (still work there now in fact). I keep all my devices in pristine condition and I hope I dont jinx myself, but I honestly cannot remember the last time I've dropped a device. Anyways me being bored and getting into a great new world in Android (the early days were great and Android is a whole different beast now) and also going to school and learning to code it felt like I would always have an Android device. I loved the openness, tinkering was great, and the community was even better. I mean I kept my Macbook and have even had a couple since then. I cant stand Windows (although I loved my HTC Trophy and WP7, go figure. Also XBOX 360 is still the best console ever IMHO) and I love Mac OS X. I guess the only thing I can think of that happened was the many many many skinned Android devices I've owned since my Nexus One and the many problems that came with them. I must have owned a dozen or so and if it came out on Verizon and was a high end device I probably owned it the last two and a half years. I had no desire to go back to the iPhone for the same reasons you mentioned above. The small screen and lack of LTE was the main ones.
Anyways the last year and a half has been real annoying on the Android front at least for me. You can chalk that up to what I mentioned above. The always waiting for updates (even thought the first thing I do is root and flash a ROM), the extreme lack of apps (even though I really didnt notice this until getting the retina iPad), the lagginess you get on an Android phone, and worst of all the bastardization of OEM skinned devices by their creators. What I mean was you would get maybe one update and it was on average 6-8 months too late, always had a million bugs, and by the time it launched you still are an Android version behind. Mostly this aggravating feeling I have of Android came from 3 devices. The HTC TBolt, Motorola Xoom (and Motorola Droid X and Droid 2, but Ill leave those out as I only kept them for less than a month before I couldnt take Blur anymore), and the Transformer Prime. Those devices and especially Honeycomb killed my love of Android. Well, those and Verizon not having a Nexus branded device (Im sorry I wont ever call the Xoom a Nexus device or even a Google Experience Device. Waiting 9 months for a promised 4G update, lack of SD card that works, months of waiting for ICS, and worst of all the horrible display. Its still the only device that gave me migraines on a regular basis).
I've always loved a high pixel density display. Its the main reason I left the 3Gs for the Nexus One, the reason I got the Xoom over the iPad2 (even though the Xoom had more pixel density it was no where near the quality display that Apple used on its iPad), and the main reason (paired with my new found hate of Android tablets after the Xoom and Prime) that I finally dumped Android for iOS when the retina iPad came out. I figured I could deal with iOS for the high pixel density display. What I found shocked the hell out of me. The iOS I left on the 3Gs was no where near the iOS on the retina iPad. Like you said in your post iOS is gorgeous and works great on the iPad. The iPhone is a little cramped and iOS def feels that it was designed to originally come on the iPad and not the iPhone. I love the apps, the display was the best I've ever used on any device, it was extremely fluid, and most of all it did not feel like I was using a tablet. What I mean is I always fought with using my Xoom and Prime. It felt as if I was scratching my fingers down a chalkboard whenever I swiped through screens (btw this is no where near the feeling i get on the Nexus 7). The iPad never fought with me it just got out of the way and gave me my content. It is genious and I still cannot see exactly what it is, but this is the best I can describe it.
Anyways, before the iPad I dumped my Tbolt for the HTC Trophy and waited for the Galaxy Nexus to be released. I used that and loved it. I still do. It is a completely different device and pure Google is the only way to go in my opinion and I dont forsee myself going back to a skinned device at least not how OEMs are treating them anyways. After my new iPad I decided to get an iPhone (I have always had two devices as I use my main device for personal things and my secondary for a side business I run with my brother and I didnt want customers having my personal line. I dont usually bring both with me every day except now). The iPhone was great and a good change, but Siri is the main reason I use it (and the other reasons I posted above).
Sorry this is so long. I dont blame ya if you dont read it lol. Have a great night and like I said if your still on the fence about the N7 just get it you wont regret it.
---------- Post added at 06:46 AM ---------- Previous post was at 06:29 AM ----------
tyrellcorpnexus said:
Yeah I appreciate your feedback as well.
I don't get why if you guys have one device collecting dust, why you'd hold onto it.
That was my original mentality to go between 4S and Nexus considering I got my 4S cheap and Nexus didn't break the bank. But realistically, I'm not gonna carry two phones at once, or a paper clip and rip apart both phones because I'm more in the mood for one than the other.
I think I preferred iPhone for the services it offered more than the phone itself (iMessage, though I have it on my iPad even though its apple ID and not phone number, but I have unlimited texts and I don't miss it much at all -- don't care if it says delivered or not, iTunes match although after a few major mishaps I feel like I should be refunded, and it transcodes audio if its not in the iTunes music store, Google Music uploads your collection as it is, which takes a while, but has its pluses too and the price is right).
The 4S camera is great, but I wanted to dabble with Android and Jelly Bean goodness, and I have a sneaking feeling I'll get a huge flagship phone at the end of the year that rocks the socks off that anyways.
And I'm into SLR photography.
4S is great, and SUPER fast, and with jailbreak mods, really enjoyable. But I think that small screen really hinders the experience, and I'm tired of the 4x4 layout after having all five iPhones.
I missed my iPhone a few days after selling it and was considering picking up another to SIM swap, then realized I didn't touch my iPhone once since having GNex. Maybe it was the novelty, but I've almost had it a month, and I'm immensely satisfied. And the huge mod community keeps me entertained as well.
And a new iPhone is just around the bend in case I ever want to dabble again. iOS 6 doesn't seem as competitive as iOS 5 was last year, its more severe catchup imo from what I've seen.
the iOS UI works great on tablet though. it'd be nice to have N7 as well, but I'm not as bothered by the "boring, old" UI on iPad for some reason.
And... I still have a 3GS in case I ever have iphone cravings, but even that's just been sitting on top of my drawer. So it seemed like having the cash instead of 4S was a good call.
And I never bought 4S for siri. I used it a few times, but I've already used Google Now like 3 x more than the 6 months I had 4S. I like that it has no charm, it shouldnt. Give me what I want so I can move on. If you can't answer a question, Google search is awesome. I don't need you to be cute, and I don't need an AI friend. That's just me though. neither are the MOST NECESSARY ever though. just nice additions.
And 4S (my familys') feels heavy after being used to juggling my Nexus.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
tyrellcorpnexus said:
Yeah for sure.
I love my MBA 2011 13" like no other. I've used Macs exclusively (well, with occasional XP on virtual machine for windows only hack tools but never for leisure) for photography and what I do for the past 8 years. And every iPhone. And every iPad (though I flipped my iPad 1 for iPad 2 once I could get my hands on one within weeks of having it, I didn't want a dinosaur dated tablet once A5 came out with 512 of RAM). It was nerve wrecking even giving Android a try. I almost returned it to sender for fear I wouldn't like it and have to eat the $50+ restocking fee from Samsung/Google.
But I bit the bullet and I am glad I did.
I went from "I've been way too curious to try android, now that its $350 no contract for a Nexus, no brainer and I'll swap 4S and Nexus interchangeably" to "I'm gonna not even bother" to "oh whatever" to "Nexus only" and awaiting to see what comes out in just a few months and taking it from there.
In a good spot
it also bothered me when Chrome came out for iOS, that it uses Safari engine due to App Store guidelines but with Chrome-ish UI. It's what I call "fake Chrome" and I went back to using Mobile Safari right away. I still am not sure how it's so popuar besides syncing up with Chrome bookmarks and history and such from desktop Chrome.
And agreed, Gmail app on Android is so much better than Mail app with Gmail in my opinion. Once my exchange server account expired, and I just redirected the alias to my gmail, I found Android integration better.
And I'm curious to see how Apple maps pans out, but I'm more frightened than anything. Turn by turn and Google maps on android is excellent. I can't imagine that being a big positive, getting rid of something I rely on quite a bit. At best, it'll be a "successful alternative"
Lightflow rocks so hard too. I wish iPhone had something comparable. Knowing whether I have SMS, missed call, Voicemail, or Gmail from the distance without picking it up.
The thing that concerns me about N7, aside from the fact I have an iPad3 and love it so much, is that apps aren't yet tablet ready or made-for-tablet. Though for $200, and given that its Nexus brand and its popularity will rapidly increase, I think it'll be a well solidified market in no time. Who knows, maybe I'll end up getting one. Just dual wielding tablets seems more ridiculous to me than dual wielding phones, a concept I was originally "gun hoe" about.
I really enjoy this interesting conversation/debate and I hope it continues. I'm an XDA noob but people here seem so tolerant or indifferent of others technology preferences (without atrributing the fanboy label), and it's so awesome.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah I am glad we had a chance to converse as well (even though I am sure that most others on this thread are bored lol). Its interesting to me as we are almost exactly opposite. Your coming from primarily iOS to Google's Android (dont even bother yourself with the skinned kind its no where near the same and will only frusterate you) and I'm coming from all Android to iOS. Whats more interesting is finding someone that is open to both sides of the fence. You dont find that often, but I wish others would try something before bashing an OS because of their love for another OS. You really miss out on some great tech and it took me going from one to the other to find that out.
Both OS have very great features and I wish I could just have one device that had all features, but we all know without competition neither Android or iOS would be what they are today. I'm kind of in dangerous territory right now as like I said I am heavily invested in both OS's. I really couldnt ever completely get rid of Android as I would miss the native Gmail application and especially the Google Maps. I havent really mentioned that, but your right it really is Android's killer feature and even though Apple is on the horizon of launching their own turn-by-turn solution I have doubts that it will be anywhere as good as Google Maps.
The main reason I use both devices right now is because I feel like I have to. The Nexus 7 has helped in that a little, but I need the LTE and the my Nexus' hotspot. I cant go back to 3G. It doesnt bother me a whole lot on the iPhone, but on my iPad or Nexus 7 I just feel like I have to have it. I know there are more less costly and convenient options than taking both the 4s for its phone, texting, music, siri, etc and my Nexus for Gmail, Google Maps, LTE, bigger display, rooting/roms, tinkering, openness, etc, but until a better solution comes a long I'm going to have to do just that. Also, like I said I do need both phones as I dont want to mix personal with business as that doesnt work too well especially when working full time and going to school 3/4 time, and then having a secondary business we run (even though the latter is suffering as I just dont have the time). All I know is that I am driving my wife completely nuts with all these devices lol.
Have a good night like I said its been interesting chatting with ya. Its rare to find someone on XDA that is even open to hearing about iOS even with the popularity of the iPad. I just hope that popularity brings more open people that arent so devoted to one brand that they completely refuse to listen to anything without feeling like they have to defend their phone or tablet choice to the death.
---------- Post added at 06:59 AM ---------- Previous post was at 06:46 AM ----------
"The thing that concerns me about N7, aside from the fact I have an iPad3 and love it so much, is that apps aren't yet tablet ready or made-for-tablet. Though for $200, and given that its Nexus brand and its popularity will rapidly increase, I think it'll be a well solidified market in no time. Who knows, maybe I'll end up getting one. Just dual wielding tablets seems more ridiculous to me than dual wielding phones, a concept I was originally "gun hoe" about."
I completely noticed I didnt even mention your concern about the above. This is exactly my only real problem with the Nexus 7. On my iPad I honestly dont have any iPhone apps on it only tablet optimized applications and on Android you just cant do that. The 7 inch form factor really makes this much easier to deal with. Even apps that are made for Android phones seem to work really well on the Nexus 7. There is still the lack of applications to deal with, but if you are like me you will most likely use your iPad for most applications anyway especially considering you can only get a measly 8 or 16gb on the Nexus 7. My justification of getting the N7 when I really cannot find a single fault with my iPad was that I read a lot and it is difficult reading on the iPad. Its heavy, awkward, and I just found myself not doing it or using a book instead. It was a little depressing as one of the main reasons I got an iPad was for reading. The Nexus 7 completely fills this void. It is lite and perfect for reading and is about the size of a smaller paperback book. The resolution is good enough not to bother you or give me headaches and it hard to put your finger on it, but it just feels right. I really like the seven inch form factor and I have found usages that I never even thought I would use. I loaded it up with emulators and it is perfect for those and about the only thing I really missed on my Xoom and Prime. Also I still have my OTG micro usb to USB cable I bought for my Xoom (I knew I kept it for a reason) and I can use it to hook up a PS3 controller to it and map the keys for emulators. It is great. One more thing I noticed as well. Loving my iPad means that I take it with me everywhere including work. I was always worried about dropping it or getting it stolen and it is kind of expensive. The Nexus 7 on the other hand is small (even fits in my back pocket or cargo shorts), easy to carry, and best of all is cheap enough that if I lost it or it was stolen I could recoup my losses and/or get me another one. Sure there are times at work on break or something that I wish I had my iPad, but the Nexus 7 does its job so well I often dont really care. I also rely heavily on a few apps like Dropbox, Twitter, and especially Evernote and the 7 inch form factor works excellent for all three and I am in sync with my iPad, Nexus 7, Macbook Pro, iPhone 4S, and Galaxy Nexus no matter where I am. Do yourself a favor and order one you wont regret it.
Whoah what a read...lol. Since you're so forthright I have to ask, exactly what kinds of tablet optimized apps are out there for iOS that aren't available for android? I'm interested myself since I had an iPad 2 that I gave to my wife in order to get an android tab for myself because I felt too restricted in what I could do with the iPad. I was looking for more work related things at the time (corporate email support, pdf editing, file level browsing, flash drive support etc.). It took a while but I understand there are now good PDF editing apps for iOS which there weren't a year or so ago. I'm kinda wondering now if there are things that would swing me back the other way, or at the very least things I should recommend to my wife.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 2
Got all 3 - Just sold on my ipad, glad to see the back of it. Just way too much hassle, all that itunes messing about.
Nexus 7 so far looking good.
Well, given that everyone seems to be giving their opinions, why should I be left behind?
The background: Thought I'd start by giving an introduction of myself. I'm 17 and my first ever touch-screen smart device was an iPod Touch 2G back in 2009. The next year I bought an iPod Touch 3G (and a white MacBook which is still my primary laptop, although I do own 2 more far more powerful desktops and another HP laptop if anybody gives a damn). The same year, I stepped into Android by purchasing a HTC Desire (actually a Galaxy S but replaced it with a Desire since I bricked it first thing). I wasn't new to ROM flashing and all since my father had owned a HTC Herald and I used to flash ROMs to it for fun, hence I was pretty familiar with XDA since 2007 or so. Subsequent months later I exchanged the Desire for a Galaxy S (in early 2011), then I went on to purchase a Galaxy Note on launch (imported from Germany) and Google gave me a Galaxy Nexus when I went to Googleplex as a reward. So currently I own a Galaxy Nexus, Galaxy Note and Galaxy S all running in their top condition. The Nexus is running stock Jelly Bean with franco's kernel, Galaxy S is rocking CM10 and Note is currently running Samsung's stock ICS.
The iPad 2: As far as tablets goes, I imported an iPad 2 (I know I know, call the cavalry) right on launch and so far that has been my only tablet to date. So, yes. I will be comparing this with the iPad 2, I'd say I'm not very inclined on either camp, although I prefer Android over iOS.
The Nexus 7: Long story short, I wanted this. Plain and simple. I've always wanted to own an Android tablet, and 7" form factor is something I've been willing to try. Came Nexus 7, I simply wanted this. It seemed like the best idea. So I got one, made a deal on XDA with GarJones27 and got the thing imported, arrived within 3 days on Friday and been using it since then. So let the opinions begin.
The build: It feels damn sturdy for a 250$ tablet (I have the 16GB edition), the grip and feel is quite nice. The rubberised back coupled with the gloss of the front feels fairly good in my hands. I'd say it feels better than an naked iPad which feels kind of cold and metallic. Thankfully I don't have any defects that have been plaguing a good number of people. If I have one complaint, I'd say that I prefer the power and volume rockers on opposite sides. I keep pressing the power button when trying to increase volume, apart from that it's great and has a nice and heavy premium feel to it.
The display: First thing one notices when he/she fires the tablet. The display on Nexus 7 is pretty good. I'd say it's better than the one on iPad but slightly worse than the one on Galaxy Nexus/Note when it comes to colour reproductions. Although mine Galaxy Nexus has colour corrected through franco's app, so there's still a pretty good hope. But it's still quite good. The brightness is okay, good for indoors but can be not enough for outdoors. Overall I'd say it's a pretty usable display.
The JellyBeans: The greatest Android OS to date, and it is truly one of the best mobile OS I've used. It's much faster than previous iterations of Android, whether on Nexus 7 or my Galaxy Nexus. It just feels fast. The notifications are quite a treat as well along with general improvements throughout the UI. Up until Gingerbread, I've more or less hated the stock Android experience, I've been more inclined towards HTC Sense or MIUI. But since ICS, I've been keeping as stock as I can. With JellyBean it's the same story, it's just a better ICS with no (real) downsides. On Nexus 7 we're presented with a new "hybrid" UI. Can't say I'm happy or sad about it, it feels a little bit to phone-ish but the tablet experience is still their and well. The slimmed notifications look good. I've also tried the true tablet UI on Nexus 7 (DPI 160), and it's pretty good as well except maybe the font's a bit too small in some cases. Can't say I really prefer that over Google's hybrid UI although I love the bottom status bar. I still have to try the patches to enable tablet UI on this DPI, will try those as well. At this point though I'm pretty content with the hybrid UI and in more ways than not, it makes sense on a tablet this size.
My only other tablet OS experience has been iOS, and it's also been a pretty good one. Although limited, it still works quite well and has a lot of capabilities. iOS can still be considered smoother overall although not by much. Plus given the trade-offs one makes and the fact that the tablet itself costs half of the iPad, it's not bad at all.
The apps: This is one area where iOS beats Android hands down, especially when it comes to quality apps (even more so games) for tablets. Since I'm a big gamer, my primary concern is and always has been games. Although the scene on Android isn't bad with plenty of big-name games coming on Android with nice graphics, the situation over iOS is simply better. I own a lot of games on both platforms, more so on iOS (~300$ worth of games) than Android. But I see the situation improving, and am hoping with time things will be even better (especially with the Tegra 3 games coming around). This tablet is especially great if you game a lot and want Android, because of Tegra exclusive games out their. I'd love to see more games optimised for Tegra, as the ones which are are simply great when it comes to graphics (and I own a whole bunch of them)
The performance: It's a 200$ tablet made by ASUS...and has a bloody Tegra 3 in it! That's the second best SoC available in the market (after Exynos Quad) and it simply shows. Although it has a downclocked version of Tegra 3 when compared to bigger guns, the downclocking isn't much and if felt, can be simply overclocked (this is what this entire site is about!). The tablet is pretty smooth throughout, even when playing games and constantly shifting back and forth tasks. Can't say much, if you want benchies then I guess you can just Google them.
The camera: Couldn't care less...
The microSD slot (or lack thereof): Perhaps my only biggest gripe with the N7 is the lack of a microSD slot, I got a 64GB card on my 16GB Note and it still isn't enough. I've already got 8GB worth of apps on my N7 and still need to download a couple. Although with USB-OTG the situation isn't as bad but I could definitely use a microSD card slot.
The other things: The speakers are okay. They work but nothing to be proud of. I know it doesn't have 3G and while it can be a disadvantage for some, I always have my phone with me. So I can always tether.
The summary: It's a great tablet, period. Short of the lack of microSD slot and perhaps the potential build problems (which I don't have BTW), I can't really flaw it. If you're in the market for a tablet, get it. Just make sure the 7" form factor is for you.
Nice mini-review. One massive advantage the Nexus 7 has over the ipad (even if you jailbreak it) when it comes to gaming is the fact that you can install fully featured emulators as well pair a ps3 controller if you want to. This means you've got access to play literally millions of games on that tablet.
I challenge you to find a better 3D platformer than Mario 64 on iOS
Sent from my HTC One X using xda app-developers app
I'll give you the controller argument but AFAIK iPad also has a good number of emulators. I remember completing Pokemon Fire Red and Emerald on my iPad.
Having to jailbreak the iPad, fight with the lack of a user-accessible file system and having to go through the whole jailbreaking process each time an update comes out. Meh. I'll stick with a proper operating system I think... And that's being completely unbiased having owned every generation of iPhone and iPad.
Sent from my HTC One X using xda app-developers app
Fair enough, the process on iOS is far more complex and I agree with that.
I have been contemplating buying this tablet for a couple days after a friend suggested it to me. I have been doing extensive research on the tablet and quite like it as whole but, some things that annoy be about the tablet is:
- Colour Saturation
The colours just aren't as lively as I would like but I guess you could get used to that..still quite a disappointment.
- Up scaled games and apps
Games and apps on the playstore are up scaled for the resolution of the tablet obviously...and this really annoys me because the quality goes down and also a lot of the apps aren't well optimised for the android OS and such.
I have been doing a lot of comparisons between the iPad mini and this tablet and I am mostly leaning towards this tablet but at the same time I think I would probably get the iPad mini if it had the retina display or had a much tighter price gap between the nexus and itself.
The main thing that annoys me is the colours, if that wasn't a problem then I wouldn't even be making this thread, is there any hack or something that a dev created that could possibly tweak these things and make it better?
Basically, the main thing I want to gain from this thread is making a decision to get the nexus 7 or the iPad Mini..
I want to make this decision based on your opinions and experiences and your own decision on which one you think would be better...money aside.
Also, I want to ask as a last question if you think I should wait for the nexus 7" 2 that is rumored to be announced at the dev conference somewhere in may...also do you think there will be a big price difference between the nexus 7" 2 and the normal one.
Thanks.
tl;dr
iPad mini or Nexus 7 or wait for the Nexus 7" 2 to be rumored to be coming out in may. Some problems with the nexus is colours and proper app support and optimisation which could be annoying. Give your opinion on the matter...money aside.
Well honestly, colour saturation on this device isn't to bad. I've had no complaints with the screen at all. And from what I know, the nexus 7 is closer to retina display than the iPad mini. There are actually a lot of apps that look very nice on this device. I'd really recommend getting an Nexus 7. As I made the same decision between iPad mini and n7, I do not regret it
Sent from my Nexus 7 using xda app-developers app
I also holded back with buying it.
I'm happy that I did in the end!
Go for it.
You need to stop listening to and believing everything Apple say. It's rarely true.
Games and apps certainly aren't all upscaled phone versions. The majority of the popular apps you will use all have tablet layouts in them.
The bit that Apple don't mention, is that this means you only buy the app once, not twice... I wonder why they forgot to mention that........
Colour saturation is also another myth spread about to try and discredit the Nexus7, which spanks the iPad Mini on specs, performance features and price... If you really want a differentiator, then look at the screens between the ipad mini and the N7. The N7 is miles better, not only in resolution.
The iPad Mini is an out of date shrunk down iPad2, a rushed out answer to the N7, still hobbled by Apple's fixed ratio 4:3 fat panel format.
CrazyPeter said:
You need to stop listening to and believing everything Apple say. It's rarely true.
Games and apps certainly aren't all upscaled phone versions. The majority of the popular apps you will use all have tablet layouts in them.
The bit that Apple don't mention, is that this means you only buy the app once, not twice... I wonder why they forgot to mention that........
Colour saturation is also another myth spread about to try and discredit the Nexus7, which spanks the iPad Mini on specs, performance features and price... If you really want a differentiator, then look at the screens between the ipad mini and the N7. The N7 is miles better, not only in resolution.
The iPad Mini is an out of date shrunk down iPad2, a rushed out answer to the N7, still hobbled by Apple's fixed ratio 4:3 fat panel format.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well said that man.:good:
Go for it, you wont be dissapointed
Sent from my Nexus 7 using xda app-developers app
I honestly haven't noticed anything bad about the screen.
Sent from my MB612 using xda app-developers app
I know people...a few....that after owning an ipad.....got the nexus 7 next. They were very happy!
Tho.....Steve job's ghost haunts them now and won't leave them alone!!!!!
Sent from my cell phone telephone....
I have no idea what kind of unbiased answers you're looking for from a N7 enthusiast forum... These kinds of threads are stupid. Just compare the two devices yourself to make your own judgement.
I like technology, and although I can't be unbiased (I have nexus 7), I'll try to give my as-fair-as-possible opinion here:
Reasons I would go for nexus 7 and not iPad mini:
- ecosystem - if you already have android phone, all those apps will simply work
- great bang for the buck - you get a lot for your 250
- amazing high res. screen with 16:10 aspect ratio. And as soon as you disable the stupid "tegra dimmer battery saver", the colours are as good as on any other high end tablet. Aspect ratio great for movies/TV shows.
- android is really good at being the latest in terms of software. There is always something new happening: new roms, new updates, new cool apps.
- Google now, notifications, multitasking.. as mentioned, android feels fresh while iOS is pretty much outdated by today's standards.
Reasons I would go for iPad mini and not nexus 7:
- gaming. The combination of pretty average gpu (tegra 3) and lack of proper optimization from many games (all gameloft, many ea games) makes nexus 7 only an average gaming machine. iPad mini, on the other hand, runs everything with full graphics and much higher framerate, despite being "iPad 2" hardware.
- larger screen and 4:3 aspect ratio. Yes, it has lower resolution, but larger size. This works well for things like reading or browsing, esp. if you are comfortable holding the tablet further away from face. Also 4:3 is, imo, better for these things. However, movies and TV shows will be significantly worse due to lower resolution and 4:3 aspect ratio.
- Apple ecosystem - if you already have an iphone, many apps will simply work.
- looks. iPad mini is honestly the sexiest tablet I've ever held. It is much thinner and lighter than Nexus 7. And the smaller bezel size looks really good. I'm not saying nexus 7 is ugly - but iPad mini is much better looking. (also don't listen to ppl claiming that the small bezel makes it impossible to hold the device in one hand without touching the screen. I tried it a lot, and never had a problem with accidentally touching something with my thumb.)
\\edit:
BTW, in CNET's prize fight of Nexus 7 vs iPad Mini, Nexus 7 won. I was shocked, CNET was always very biased towards Apple products..
Just go a buy the damn thing you want!!
If you want an ipad mini made from ipad 2 junk scraps it's up to you but i got a nexus 7 and am the happiest guy there is (tablet speaking ).
Yes it's an awesome tablet.
I bought it as a stop gap till the nexus 10 showed up, now I don't feel like I need a nexus 10 no more.
The nexus 7 is so handy size wise. It's perfect.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using xda app-developers app
Nexus 7
The iPad mini does have better color saturation and the most apps. It also probably has better gaming performance. If those things matter to you then get the mini and pay about $100 more.
If open source software and the idea that software should be free as in free to use it how you see fit then I think the Nexus 7 is it. The screen is awesome. I have seen the two side by side and the apple looks better color wise but the resolution on the N7 is awesome. Also looking at it daily I have never thought the colors were bad.
The amount of things you can do and the amount of customization you get is unequal to anything else. Updates are super fast as well. For the price I simply do not see any reason to own anything else. The apps on android work great and most have updated to tablet scaling. There is an app for everything I need and google navigation is the best.
I think Google is a better company than apple for several reasons. They sold this device at cost and develop their software in an open source ecosystem not locked down and proprietary. Sure they want your personal data but rooting and custom roms will solve that. The other thing is the hardware is the best you can get for the cost while Apple sells it's hardware for a premium and usually cripples the device or gives outdated hardware so as soon as you buy your device is outdated forcing you to continually upgrade and buy a new device. Designed obsolescence is Apple's business model. They certainly make good products and good software but their business tactics are worse than Microsoft.
I guess I still have a bad taste from buying a powerpc iBook right before the intel versions came out and the salesperson telling me that they will support powerpc for years and at least two OS versions. Not even a month later intel came out and my iBook was junk. Sure a few months it was good but after that, after Leopard I was stuck with a perfectly good machine but no support. Flash forget it. Oh well that was then. Now I want hardware that is not tied into software. I will only buy Nexus tablets from now on because of the updates and mods. I will only buy Windows pc's so I can choose windows or Linux. I have a friend with a mcbook pro from 08 and no hdmi?? A macbook pro!! My old $500 2007 gateway laptop has an hdmi output??
Enough of my rant. I like Apple products but I just know it is a money drain and no freedom. Other than that they just work great
R
Without a doubt.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk HD
iPad mini is good...for sheeple
Just kidding about the Sheeple comment. I like Apple hardware, just not their software and proprietary, curated ecosystem.
The Nexus 7 is thicker and heavier than an iPad mini, and the colors aren't as bright, but I like it a lot compared to an iPad mini because:
1. It's something different than what other people around me already have (apple devices).
2. I prefer to support free or ad-supported software. Google Play seems a bit less commercial than the iTunes store, and that appeals to me somehow.
3. Better customization with android over iOS, ability to root, try different ROMS
4. Much less expensive than iPad mini. I won't be out a lot of cash when/if I upgrade in a year or so
5. I hate iTunes. iTunes is bloatware that never does what I want: simply move files back and forth and organize them how I want. Lock me out of my own device, and move and rename all 1,500 of my music files without warning? I don't like being locked into one single software option for managing my own data files.
6. Works great as an eReader with the Calibre desktop program and a lot of eReading software like Moon+reader, FBreader, Kindle reader, Aldiko, etc., and I can also sync my books and comics between Android devices with these programs. Calibre works so much better than other programs I've tried.
7. My whole life is on Gmail, Google calendar, and so on. Why not go all in with Google?
To me, it feels like Apple and it's flunky iTunes is like some kind of bandit gang guarding the bridge to the internet and customer data, shaking down travelers.
Apple makes excellent, although overpriced hardware, and then tries to restrict how I use it with iTunes, and that doesn't even do what I want. Android offers way more options.
I've had The N7 for about a week now and it's been great, I haven't come across one app that didn't have a tablet UI. Of course the extent of my testing with it was downloading a bunch of free games and playing them for a few minutes. On the color saturation note, i don't see anything wrong with it, I watch quite a bit of anime and colors look vibrant.
robbbzilla said:
I think Google is a better company than apple for several reasons. They sold this device at cost and develop their software in an open source ecosystem not locked down and proprietary. Sure they want your personal data but rooting and custom roms will solve that.
R
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The main thing about this quote that I noticed is how you said that google takes my info. I wanted to ask you about in rooting and custom roms would I need to customise a setting of some sorts to enable that or does it do it automatically?
I am getting a nexus 7 guys btw. Made my final decision and I think it is a pretty good one, so yeh haha
The main thing I dislike about my Nexus 7 is the colors being too bright.
For instance, the Tapatalk app has a tan/yellowish background with black text. On my iPad and other Android devices it's a medium shade of tan/yellow. Fairly easy to read text. On my Nexus 7 it's a very light tan/yellow, and also the text does not seem to be a dark black. Very difficult to read text. I rarely use the TapaTalk app on my Nexus 7 because of this. I wind up using my other devices.
Sent from my Samsung Galaxy Note 2
cdf3 said:
The main thing I dislike about my Nexus 7 is the colors being too bright.
For instance, the Tapatalk app has a tan/yellowish background with black text. On my iPad and other Android devices it's a medium shade of tan/yellow. Fairly easy to read text. On my Nexus 7 it's a very light tan/yellow, and also the text does not seem to be a dark black. Very difficult to read text. I rarely use the TapaTalk app on my Nexus 7 because of this. I wind up using my other devices.
Sent from my Samsung Galaxy Note 2
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Oo I don't have that. the colours are really nice here..
I'm using the N7 especially for reading and xda. Since I have it, I'm using the phone only for texting and messaging..
I love everything about this tab x)
Sent from my Nexus7.
Buy it. I bought it twice because a month after selling it for the N10 I missed its small form factor when I'm out on the road. For the price and size it is the perfect take a long planner, gps, mp3 player, gaming device and movie player etc. I love my N10 but it is awkward to carry along to appointments, use in the car, train etc.
Sent from my Nexus 10 using Tapatalk HD
Is it fair to say that Samsung has stopped competing when it comes to high-end tablets? It very much looks to me that, with the utterly underwhelming release of the Tab S2, it has all but admitted defeat in its war against Apple. What could be the motivation for this major disappointment? Could it be that behind this is the failed Qualcomm 810? Could that be it? Were Samsung relying on Qualcomm's SoCs, and when Qualcomm failed to deliver, they saw themselves forced to go with their older Exynos silicon?
Opinions and speculations welcome.
In my opinion the Tab S2 is great... what made me ditch my iPad was because the S2 has a microsdxc-slot, 4:3-aspect ratio, amoled-screen and it's fast!! If any of these criteria hadn't been fulfilled I would still be using my iPad. LED-flash would have been nice though, but in my case it wasn't a deal breaker.
The only advantage the iPad still has (in my book) is lower audio latency for musicians apps.
Brgds...
Tubgirl said:
In my opinion the Tab S2 is great... what made me ditch my iPad was because the S2 has a microsdxc-slot, 4:3-aspect ratio, amoled-screen and it's fast!! If any of these criteria hadn't been fulfilled I would still be using my iPad. LED-flash would have been nice though, but in my case it wasn't a deal breaker.
The only advantage the iPad still has (in my book) is lower audio latency for musicians apps.
Brgds...
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Click to collapse
This !!
Excellent tablet for my needs and considering there are no other high end Android tablets to chose from you can either got with an iPad or get the S2 at the moment.
The nexus 9 which was suppose to be a high end machine was a serious flop, mostly by hardware.
Sent from my SM-T715 using Tapatalk
I, for one, am yearning for a 4x3 Android tablet in the same vein as Microsoft's Surface4 (stylus etc.), though hopefully much less expensive.
I also went from iPad to Tab S2. I hovered long between air 2 and Tab s2 but the android platform, amoled screen and microsdxc slot won against slightly better battery, iOS smoothness and faster processor.
Battery life has actually been better than expected due amoled blacks not eating charge and my use consisting plenty of video and reading in night mode. The weight and thinness are also a plus even though I didn't put much thought in them when considering which one to buy. I don't play games apart from Hearthstone which works perfectly so I don't feel that the tablet is lacking in speed at least in my usecase.
I even considered Touchwiz a minus for the tablet but this newest iteration is pretty snappy and not too intrusive. So all in all I'm positively suprised and happy that I took the risk from "safe" iPad air 2 and went with Tab S2.
Still not perfect but I wouldn't call it nowhere near a failure.
Sent from my SM-T810 using Tapatalk
The only failure is everyone else gave up on making android tablets.... The s2 is the best one available so get off the rock.
Sent from my SM-N910P using Tapatalk
I really like my S2. I have the 8" SM-T710 wi-fi model. The amoled screen is very good quality for oudoor use. I purcased a Survivor by Griffin case for my S2. I inadvertantly tested it by dropping it from about 5 ft to a concrete floor. It survived eit no damage.
My S2 is my daily driver that has replaced my aging Acer laptop.
I hate the S2 speaker arrangement. When you watch a movie, all the sound is overloaded on the right side. That is awsome!
Best tab. Trolls ignored.
I wanted a phone-tablet in one... apple surely never delivered... but Samsung did... the fast and stable OS is a big bonus.
...
I think it's a bit 'meh' too.
It's great having a 4:3 tablet, but the speakers are crap and there's no IR blaster (we use our phones a lot at home for controlling the TV).
I was expecting to it handle Samsung Pro Audio better for using it for creating music (it stutters every now and then as the processor isn't up to the job). At least we do now have a low-latency audio production method on Android, though.
I can just about get the fact it's battery is small, as the device is very thin and light - which I like when using it as for reading. Which I do a lot.
I still like it, but am fortunate enough to know I can afford to ditch it and get another device when a better device comes out.
I don't think Samsung has really used the highest possible SOCs on their tablets before, maybe I'm wrong.
I was quite pumped about the Tab S2 and ended up disappointed by it to the point where my mind was made not to buy it in the end. The bottom speakers and the lack of features Samsung tablets used to have (IR, vibration motor) are far from good things, but the deal breaker for me is ironically the screen. I love Amoled but I felt that 264 dpi on that screen is not good enough to justify the expense when text on my Tab Pro looks far better to me... and that should never be the case for an expensive tablet released almost two years later.
Anyway... on my wishlist for future devices there's now a Samsung clone of Google's Pixel C, 2560×1800 10.2″ with Amoled screen. A man can dream
I'm a bit hacked off my Note 4 phone beats the S2 in Antutu. Which is also borne out in day-to-day 'feel' as well.
At 4:3 it does make a good e-reader and web device, but it is an expensive option for that.