Database Develop

[REVIEW] My quick review of the Nexus 7

{
"lightbox_close": "Close",
"lightbox_next": "Next",
"lightbox_previous": "Previous",
"lightbox_error": "The requested content cannot be loaded. Please try again later.",
"lightbox_start_slideshow": "Start slideshow",
"lightbox_stop_slideshow": "Stop slideshow",
"lightbox_full_screen": "Full screen",
"lightbox_thumbnails": "Thumbnails",
"lightbox_download": "Download",
"lightbox_share": "Share",
"lightbox_zoom": "Zoom",
"lightbox_new_window": "New window",
"lightbox_toggle_sidebar": "Toggle sidebar"
}
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

Quad core vs dual core

Hi Everyone,
I plan on purchasing a 7 inch tablet for email, calendar, browsing, some light word and excel updating, and occasionally Netflix. While nice to have, I don't think the quad core processor provides any advantage for the apps I will use? Tablets such as the Samsung 2 7 that have a built in SD Card look nice and don't seem like they are suffering the same quality control issues the Nexus 7 is suffering. I had a really bad experience with the Transformer Prime and don't want to go down that path again.
Thoughts/Suggestions?

What nexus7 quality control issues?
Get some perspective......
One of the main advantages of the Tegra3 is the superior power management using the 5th CPU core
Sent from my LT18i using Tapatalk 2

What issues did you have with the transformer prime?
Sent from my HTC One X using xda premium

>I don't think the quad core processor provides any advantage for the [productivity] apps I will use?
Dual-vs-quad is mostly a marketing thing, like the old megahertz wars. For most operations, the Teg3 uses only one core (5th core, see video below) to conserve power. 3D gaming uses all 4 cores, which results in short battery life.
Most tablet use is not CPU-gated, except for hardcore gaming. Video playback nowaday has dedicated circuitry. In other words, if you don't do hardcore gaming, ignore SoC.
I think foremost criterion is screen size. A 7" is more portable, but for productivity (text-heavy) use, a 10" is more suited for its larger display. Would suggest a 10" for single-location use (ie in-home or at-work) and a 7" for mobile use. Best bet is to have one of each.
People tend to ask "what to buy," but a more useful question may be "when to buy." Now is not the best time to buy, as companies are just starting to roll out their wares for the fall shopping season.

e.mote said:
>I don't think the quad core processor provides any advantage for the [productivity] apps I will use?
Dual-vs-quad is mostly a marketing thing, like the old megahertz wars. For most operations, the Teg3 uses only one core (5th core, see video below) to conserve power. 3D gaming uses all 4 cores, which results in short battery life.
Most tablet use is not CPU-gated, except for hardcore gaming. Video playback nowaday has dedicated circuitry. In other words, if you don't do hardcore gaming, ignore SoC.
I think foremost criterion is screen size. A 7" is more portable, but for productivity (text-heavy) use, a 10" is more suited for its larger display. Would suggest a 10" for single-location use (ie in-home or at-work) and a 7" for mobile use. Best bet is to have one of each.
People tend to ask "what to buy," but a more useful question may be "when to buy." Now is not the best time to buy, as companies are just starting to roll out their wares for the fall shopping season.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have used both the galaxy tab 2 and the nexus. The nexus is definitely faster and smoother. My nexus had the screen lift thing. Its getting RMAed. We'll see if the new one is better. From the tab 2s I have played with I haven't seen any defects really.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium

They recently did a poll, and only a small portion of the people had issues. The people that didn't (myself included) just didn't have a reason to say anything.
Sent from my Nexus 7

Mine is perfect, no issues what so ever and couldn't be happier with it. Seems people share complaints more than praise. This is my first tablet and have nothing to compare to but I haven't put it down very much since I received it Friday my phone finally gets a little break. I'm not big into games but I have a nephew that now loves my tablet because of the games. Guess it will be good entertainment when kids come over. Good luck, don't think you would be disappointed with this one.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 2

Go and buy one... if you get one that's defected you can always return it! Mine is perfect by the way.
Sent from my Nexus 7

What problem did you have with the Eee Pad prime?

[/COLOR]I like the nexus 7. Defects always happen with the launch of a new product. My tablet has defects. The nexus 7 is a great deal and their are some other new tabs due out soon that's as cost effective as this tab. nexus 7 will have better support and faster updates. You need to research and figure out what it is you need. The only dual core tab that will out perform the tegra 3 is probably the samsung enyos 2 ghz tab that doesnt exist in real world yet.

BostonDan2 said:
Hi Everyone,
I plan on purchasing a 7 inch tablet for email, calendar, browsing, some light word and excel updating, and occasionally Netflix. While nice to have, I don't think the quad core processor provides any advantage for the apps I will use? Tablets such as the Samsung 2 7 that have a built in SD Card look nice and don't seem like they are suffering the same quality control issues the Nexus 7 is suffering. I had a really bad experience with the Transformer Prime and don't want to go down that path again.
Thoughts/Suggestions?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have a Samsung galaxy tab 10.1 with dual core cpu and the nexus 7 with quad core. The performance is night and day. Whether that is due to software or hardware or both, I don't know. All I can tell you is that the dual core tablet is very rarely getting used, and I like the nexus 7 so much I ordered a second one as a gift for someone else. Mine is perfect, absolutely no quality issues, though it did give me a scare once taking longer than expected to reboot. And based on the ifixit rating, and the popularity of the device, this one will be around much longer than the other tablet, simply because it will be possible for me to fix it, if it breaks after it's out of warranty.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 2

Jelly bean has a lot to do with smoothness. Having a Galaxy Nexus upgraded to JB, it makes a big difference.
There is big noticeable differences between this and the Transformer running ICS but I haven't upgraded it to JB to do direct tests.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using xda premium

rockaholic112 said:
They recently did a poll, and only a small portion of the people had issues. The people that didn't (myself included) just didn't have a reason to say anything.
Sent from my Nexus 7
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The polls consistently showed 50% having issues, unless there's one I don't know about.

thebobp said:
The polls consistently showed 50% having issues, unless there's one I don't know about.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Think about it, a poll in a place where people with issues would come is not going to reflect the actual numbers. It will be heavily skewed.

Nospin said:
Think about it, a poll in a place where people with issues would come is not going to reflect the actual numbers. It will be heavily skewed.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The pre-arrival population was already large enough compared to the size of the polls that I find it hard to believe 50% of them would've come from nowhere, rather than having been randomly selected from said population.
I'm still interested to know where this poll with low rates was.

Thanks to all that responded. This is helpful and given me a lot to think about.
To provide the background on the Transformer Prime, I received one with really bad wifi. Throughput was painful from 1 floor away from my router and I had a little bit of screen bleed, but I was ok with the screen bleed, it was the wifi that mad it unusable. I received really bad support from Asus, that was the tipping point that made me return the product.
I ended up with an iPad and it mostly works great, but I like the 7 inch form factor and I am curious if Android will provide more functionality with google apps that I'm already using for my business.
I keep going back and forth, but now I'm leaning towards the nexus as the problems being reported are not being reported as much anymore and this seems to have a lot of development interest.
Thanks again everyone.

The TF Prime lol. That thing was a nightmare and a complete design fault failure.
Sent from my Sensation using xda app-developers app

BostonDan2 said:
Thanks to all that responded. This is helpful and given me a lot to think about.
To provide the background on the Transformer Prime, I received one with really bad wifi. Throughput was painful from 1 floor away from my router and I had a little bit of screen bleed, but I was ok with the screen bleed, it was the wifi that mad it unusable. I received really bad support from Asus, that was the tipping point that made me return the product.
I ended up with an iPad and it mostly works great, but I like the 7 inch form factor and I am curious if Android will provide more functionality with google apps that I'm already using for my business.
I keep going back and forth, but now I'm leaning towards the nexus as the problems being reported are not being reported as much anymore and this seems to have a lot of development interest.
Thanks again everyone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If development is a big factor for you then get a Nexus and never look back. The Nexus devices will always have tbe latest and grestest softwsre cause it comes straight from google. Good luck with the other OEMs as you could wait months to years for official updates.

Should I buy this tablet?

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
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
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
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
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

Thinking about buying one

I'm thinking about buying anexus7 . do you guys think it is still a good buy? Should I wait? I like the idea of a nexus 10 but the dual core CPU compared to a quad to me does not seem right. Suggestions?
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda app-developers app

Quad core does not 'always' mean better than dual core. If I had a chance (the money) to buy a nexus 10, I definitely would.
In my opinion android isn't even optimized properly for quad core, its not needed.... My nexus 7 VERY rarely needs to put use to more than two cores. The two cores of the nexus 10 are powerful ones
Not saying the nexus 7 isn't still worth buying. If I didn't have a nexus 7, I'd still end up buying one its a great device and does everything I need easily, while having a smaller screen size. (Which is perfect for me)
Press thanks if I helped ~ Nexus7/ParanoidAndroid/M-Kernel

Another should I? LOL
Well...to add something more....
The n7 is awesome. Period. If you want more awesome....spend way more, or wait for new devices.
Honestly ....people keep asking this, and its up to you. I bought one at Christmas cause its cheap and arguably the best 7" out there.
Budget, desperation and size preferences make this an apples to oranges discussion.
Not being a Dink, but seriously ....read the many threads that exist with the same question. Might help you.
People have stated their opinions on this in lots of similar threads.
Good luck, if you get one....enjoy!
Sent from my cell phone telephone....

I got my nexus about 3weeks ago. I do love it. But i got my so the samsung galaxy tab 2. It has things likw better. It is dual core vs quad. Bur i dknt feel any performance difference. It has sd card slot. 2 cameras. Both are better than the one camera on nexus.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using xda premium

kj2112 said:
The n7 is awesome. Period. If you want more awesome....spend way more, or wait for new devices.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
^ this. already into march, a case could certainly be made for holding off a few months until new devices are unveiled, like the much anticipated successor to the nexus 7 (this would be my course of action if i didn't already have an n7). but if you need a tablet now, you can't really beat throwing down $200 for this beast.

I disagree on the N10. Power wise, the Dual core snapdragon is faster... but since it is pushing that insane resolution, it is about the same speed, or laggier, then the N7.
This is why I think uber high resolutions are a waste. Useless number game with no benefit. Just a waste of resources.
The N10 has some nice features like HDMI out but 7" and price is right on the N7. The N7 has a super high DPI. Don't upgrade something that doesn't need upgrading.
This is why the Transformer 300 is faster then the Prime, different res.
I'd buy the N7 again... and I did. We have 4 of them. And I just bought 30 for a job.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using XDA Premium HD app

For me the N7 hits my sweet spot in terms of performance, prize and size! :good:

I'm in the same boat. I know I definitely want a Nexus tablet to replace my crappy PlayBook but I think I'm going to hold off to see what is unveiled at Google I/O before making a decision. If a successor is released I will buy that instead.

I was thinking about selling my TF700+Dock for a Nexus 7, but then again the Nexus 7 Successor should be coming out later this year. May just wait for that.
Will miss the Transformer though because of the keyboard dock (extra batt life) and it propping the screen up for viewing. Just couldn't stand the laggy IO of the TF700 though. I was reading a few other threads on here about the current Nexus 7's IO being a bottleneck, but I'm sure it's nowhere as bad as the TF700s.

ronkironki said:
For me the N7 hits my sweet spot in terms of performance, prize and size! :good:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I agree! I love the size of this. It's basically pocketable, even with the Sharkk keyboard case I bought. I haven't touched my iPad in three weeks since I bought it.

What's with all these "Should I buy?" threads?
Look. If you want to buy it, buy it. If you don't, then don't. How are we supposed to know your needs and what you'll be using it for? Watch some videos (there are around 3 million on YouTube) for the N7 and make the choice yourself. It's just a $200 tablet, not an Aston Martin DBS.

ynrozturk said:
What's with all these "Should I buy?" threads?
Look. If you want to buy it, buy it. If you don't, then don't. How are we supposed to know your needs and what you'll be using it for? Watch some videos (there are around 3 million on YouTube) for the N7 and make the choice yourself. It's just a $200 tablet, not an Aston Martin DBS.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What he said... I didn't like the sgtab2 cuz the screen was fuzzy and wasnt sharp and clean like the n7
Sent from my SCH-I535

Hi, after owning the asus TF201 for over a year now, I also wanted to change to the nexus 7 3g.
I had several problems with the TF201 (laggy wifi, laggy bluetooth, no gps, bad overall performance). During the last year I started hating asus for this design flaw.
Now i noticed, that the N7 is also produced by asus. Should I really try another product of this company?
However, yesterday I wanted to set my order.
Fortunately I found some posts about a stuttering when streaming the audio by bluetooth and additional wifi usage. Some have this stuttering, some others report that their wifi-speed drops near zero.
For me that all sounds like the same strange problems I had with the TF201 (always thought the only reason for my problems was the aluminium-case of the TF201).
Now I'm really dissapointed. The benefit of the N7 3G would be the mobility and the additional connectivity.
I also know that the nexus is a really cheap device. Nevertheless the main-functions should work.
What do you think is the reason for this bluetooth audio stuttering? Software based or really a crappy hardware (I trust asus wouldn't mind).

It all depends. I don't remember reading about a lot of people having Bluetooth problems on a stock device. Those of us who have it are the ones usually on custom ROM's. For example I'm on Paranoid Android 3+ and it's known to have Bluetooth issues. There is also a fix for it but I didn't bother as I never use Bluetooth.
Bottom line is, most people don't have these problems. What you're reading here is a great majority of people who only have problems. That's why they're here, because they're looking around for help. Millions of users I'm sure are perfectly happy with their N7's.

HP Slate7 - Nexus 7 competitor?

Just saw this pop up on Engadget:
http://www8.hp.com/us/en/ads/slate-7/landing.html?jumpid=ex_r10104_go_slate
Decent specs, camera, microSD slot and the possibility of HDMI out. Probably too late to the game, but I might have opted for it over the Nexus 7 had it been available last August. While I like the fast Android updates, I feel like Nexus owners are sometimes used as Guinea pigs to beta test the newest bug-filled features.

Eh low resolution screen is kinda a deal breaker, anything lower than 720p is a pain to use.
Sent from my LG-P999 using xda app-developers app

ED2O9 said:
Just saw this pop up on Engadget:
http://www8.hp.com/us/en/ads/slate-7/landing.html?jumpid=ex_r10104_go_slate
Decent specs, camera, microSD slot and the possibility of HDMI out. Probably too late to the game, but I might have opted for it over the Nexus 7 had it been available last August. While I like the fast Android updates, I feel like Nexus owners are sometimes used as Guinea pigs to beta test the newest bug-filled features.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That link doesn't have the most detailed info. I found; http://www.gsmarena.com/hp_slate_7-5317.php
Honestly disappointing screen kills it right there. The cam is better, but really I don't think 3.5mp means anything compared to a 1.2 both were good10 years ago.

ED2O9 said:
Just saw this pop up on Engadget:
http://www8.hp.com/us/en/ads/slate-7/landing.html?jumpid=ex_r10104_go_slate
Decent specs, camera, microSD slot and the possibility of HDMI out. Probably too late to the game, but I might have opted for it over the Nexus 7 had it been available last August. While I like the fast Android updates, I feel like Nexus owners are sometimes used as Guinea pigs to beta test the newest bug-filled features.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think the slate looks good and is more of an alternative or maybe a compromise between some of the very cheap tablets and the nexus 7.
For me the smaller battery would be the killer. HP quote 2AH where as the N7 has a 4.3AH battery with 3 hours more use available. A four hour flight to Lanzarote would be marginal with the Slate by the time you take time at the airport into account, it will be used to keep my 2 year old entertained.
The expandable storage isn't an issue for me as I have the 32GB version. Not interested in holding a tablet up to take picture, I have a phone and a camera for that. HDMI; had that on my Nokia N8 and used it once to try it, I have used dlna to stream to the telly though.
To me it looks like someone at HP has bought a N7, looks at the pros (cheap, light,size) and cons (fixed storage, no back camera) and used it as a starting point and tried to beat it. Good luck to them but I think it will suit a slightly different market to the N7.

ED2O9 said:
Just saw this pop up on Engadget:
http://www8.hp.com/us/en/ads/slate-7/landing.html?jumpid=ex_r10104_go_slate
Decent specs, camera, microSD slot and the possibility of HDMI out. Probably too late to the game, but I might have opted for it over the Nexus 7 had it been available last August. While I like the fast Android updates, I feel like Nexus owners are sometimes used as Guinea pigs to beta test the newest bug-filled features.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It looks good... but I think you're probably right about it being too late to the game. If HP can market/advertise this as aggressively as Google has with the N7, then it might stand a chance. Google are repostioning themselves as 'content providers' - music, books, magazines - and the 'cheap-as-chips' N7 is a loss leading gateway, somewhat similar to Amazons Kindle.
Hewlett Packard are a tech company first and foremost, and don't have a similar repository of IP content that they can push to make this 'slate' a compelling purchase. In this digital age, people buy their tech based on what they can watch, read or listen to.
----
Still, having said all that... it's an intriguing device... I like the microSD card slot (something sorely lacking on the N7).
If it has an easily unlockable bootloader (I don't know what HP's track record is on that), then I might consider getting one.
Rgrds,
Ged.

No GPS either.
Sent from my HTC Vision using Tapatalk 2

I had it with HP a long time ago. Laptops dropping dead all over the place for no apparent or discoverable reason. And then tech support being worse that shoving a cactus in my rear end. So no. HP is just. No.
Sent from my Motorola XPRT

Screen aucks no GPS thick and ugly silver plus HP logo on there automatically kills it. The HP brand is no longer a symbol of cutting edge got to have technology. It is a symbol of a relic technology company that is holding on to its last strong hold which is server technology and enterprise.

I think it's a good timing. with N7 2.0 coming soon, ppl will consider this one as a cheap alternative to the N7 2.0 instead of the old N7.

rather be a Guinea pig and get more regular updates than to be stuck with something that will 99% of the time will never see the latest is update. plus don't have to worry about all the bloat that other companies seem to love to fill phones/tablets up with. Google has also shown even with older nexus devices they have been kept updated to atleast ICS where as other devices you could forget about it. I am sure when keylime pie comes out the nexus 7/10 will see it. how many tablets the same age or newer will see that?
like the genie off Aladdin said often imitated but never duplicated.
Sent from my Infected HTC Rezound using Tapatalk 4 Beta

I don't feel the HP Slate is anywhere near a competitor for the N7.

HP Slate 7 Android Tablet Review
Uhhh.. The Slate 7 is a stinker.
This is a quick unboxing and review of HP's latest attempt at an Android tablet.
I can't say a whole lot of good things about this tablet. I was sorely disappointed in the overall build quality. The screen was almost rubbery to the touch and it appeared to be warped and separated on the edges. The screen was odd and had almost a glazed look to it. The back camera is decent, but the front camera is not even adequate for video conferencing, let alone the occasional "selfie". The specs are sub par for the price, in my opinion. I wouldn't spend more than $99 US for a tablet like this. I have seen off brand, generic tablets that are build better. I suppose the one saving grace is the stock Jelly Bean 4.1.1. For what you would spend on this tablet ($170 US), you should jump on a Nexus 7 or a Kindle Fire HD.
This thing is starting to make the HP Touchpad look like a great success.
These are my opinions, of course.

not a bad tablet but hp customer support is pretty crap. That and the fact that there laptops are gone really bad lately.

I think if they priced it at $99 you'd have a real alternative for people don't wanna spend $200 for a quality tab. But its only $30 less than the nexus 7, with considerably weaker specs. Who wouldn't just cough up the extra cash?
Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk 2

It beats the nexus 7 in all benshmarks exept gl
sent from my UNLOCKED gt-s5360 using the XDA app

It's better to look at the Fonepad.
Sent from XDA app

I was considering getting one of these, but then all the specs fell below what the Nexus 7 had in store for me so I went with the Nexus.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using xda app-developers app

Doesn't even compete just look at the specs.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using xda app-developers app

yousef8824 said:
It beats the nexus 7 in all benshmarks exept gl
sent from my UNLOCKED gt-s5360 using the XDA app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Look at the wild benchmark differences on exact same devices!! Depends on a lot what you score. So benchmarks are basically meaningless. Anyone can sacrifice battery and smoothness to put up a good score!
Sent from my cell phone telephone....

jimbobvfr400 said:
No GPS either.
Sent from my HTC Vision using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Got one today. It appears it does have a GPS. It pinned me right down to my house in Google Maps.
I will say this, it doesn't seem laggy at alll. The problem is that some apps (Instagram, SiriusXM, Foursquare, UPS Mobile, Jetblue, and others) are marked incompatible in the Play Store. Apps like Twitter, Facebook, Angry Birds Friends, etc. work fine.
I'm not sure what the delimiting factor is, but it may have something to do with the resolution and how the apps were built.