So the Nexus 7 is my first and probably my only tablet for the next long while. I have been a fan of owning Nexus devices since I got my Nexus S (Which is still on duty today!)
When I saw Google I/O I think we all had the same reaction... "WOW! A quad core, HD tablet with Jelly Bean and from Google, For only $199!" and I was no exception. After some thinking, I figured that I would probably enjoy owning a tablet and I went and got a 16gb model.
First Impressions...
The tablets box was just beautiful and I couldn't help but take a picture of it before opening it up. Simple, colourful and elegant. After opening up the box (Man that slip cover is on tight eh?) I was greeted to the 100% clean and clear screen and a small overlay showing the button functions. The tablet set-up was a breeze and looked wonderful, just like ICS and other JB devices all do, but what was sweet is the tablet some how entered my gmail address automatically for me, so I am guessing that is because it recognized the Wi-Fi network I connected her to, but none the less the first time start up took no more then a minute.
As I said I have a Nexus S rooted running JB so this is not my first JB device, but the Nexus 7? This was a whole new playing field for me. Every single touch and swipe was instant and smooth, much more so then my Nexus S ever has been. It to this day is running smooth as silk on the stock ROM. Well done Google.
Screen was very clear and responsive, not quite a retina display (I know, blasphemy) but still very very good. One downer was it's colours aren't quite as vivid as an AMOLED screen, but in fairness, they are more natural on the Nexus 7.
Feeling and weight wise was no compromise. The tablet feels great in the had and I can say that I can easily use it one handed for videos for a fairly long time before my arm gets the least bit tired. The back of this baby is textured just right in my taste. My parents have a Lenovo Ideapad and in my comparison, it is rather heavy, and after a while feels bad in the hands, but the Nexus 7 is curved just the right amount to be easy to hold, yet still modern in design so this one is just as Matias Duarte says: "Feels perfect in the hands".
After Some Time?
The tablet is still holding up as I have said with only one complaint...
I dropped this girl from about 2 feet off the ground when I got out of my car, and it feel on to gravel. It works just fine, but the damage to the silver outter ring was not very good looking.... It seems like a very easy to scuff little ring so I would be careful with that part... The screen to had a very very minor scratch which I often forget, but still is there and all from one very small drop. I guess I should get a case very soon hahahaa. Again, very minor drop and damage, but it reflects how it would handle if it were dropped while standing for example. Hopefully, I won't find out...
Am I satisfied? Yes. I am very happy with my purchase, and I recommend it to anyone really. This has fit into my daily schedules more then I have ever thought! 60% of the time I use this over my laptop for web browsing and YouTube videos. It is just wonderful for daily interwebz, videos, games etc. The build quality I assume could be better (judging from peoples other reviews) but to me it seems very substantial and I am completely happy with it, especially at $249 for 16gb.
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And this is the damage if you were wondering. Keep in mind it is only from 2, maybe even 1.5 feet high from out of my car.
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As for the first run problems, I am guessing they are there, but bare in mind... When there is a issue with a new device, you go online but when there isn't, you don't. Think of all the other tablets that are working fine that have shipped. For what it's worth mine is of the C7 serial.
I agree devices no matter how cheap they may be, should ALL be put through equal quality control. Asus I think is doing a decent job with their devices, and my Asus laptop is handling better then better. Call me a fan boy but I think it really is a pretty good device. As for the comparison people make to cars, there is none. Often times I wonder if cars are built like disposable cameras these days but what ever. Phones are not wonderful either but most all the ones I have had, have done their work.
Related
I got to spend a good bit of loving time with a friend's Transformer today, and was rather surprised to discover that even with the 10-inch display and long battery life, the weight is shockingly close to the same as the diminutive NC. Why is that?
Rodney
In my experience the nook is a heck of a lot lighter than any 10in tab I've held but I've never used a transformer.
Sent from my NookColor using Tapatalk
rhester72 said:
I got to spend a good bit of loving time with a friend's Transformer today, and was rather surprised to discover that even with the 10-inch display and long battery life, the weight is shockingly close to the same as the diminutive NC. Why is that?
Rodney
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
weight: NC 450g Transformer 680g
Because it's filled with love.
A long time ago I worked for a boiler room calling people up to tell them they won "one of five fantastic gifts" ranging from a camera to a new car. Well, because it was a scam the only prize that I ever heard being given out was a Yashita (no, not Yashica the once reputable photographic equipment company) 35mm camera.
Anyway, the crooks that ran the place decided that top sales that night would get one of the "fantastic" Yashita cameras. I was the lucky winner. The heft of the thing was impressive and it even came with an electronic flash!
I was so excited that on the way home from work I bought batteries and some film to try out my prize. A few days later I go to pick up the pictures from the drug store only to my confusion there were no prints in the envelope at all. Every single frame on the negative was black! A note attached that said something to the effect that maybe I should make sure the lens cap is off next time. Arrgh. The first thing I did when I got home was closely inspect the camera for light leaks but started noticing that there were numerous blocks of lead filling voids of the interior which gave a false sense weight (i.e. quality). After seeing that I gave up trying to find the problem as it lived up to the YaSHITa name. A few weeks later the owners of the business skipped town and screwed all of the employees out of that week's pay.
The weight of the Nook Color is probably attributed to the battery and metal framed housing on the back of the unit. The above camera story didn't really have anything to do with this but I wanted to tell it anyway.
rhester72 said:
I got to spend a good bit of loving time with a friend's Transformer today, and was rather surprised to discover that even with the 10-inch display and long battery life, the weight is shockingly close to the same as the diminutive NC. Why is that?
Rodney
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It aint heavy....its my NOOK!!!
there is a kernel script to lower it!
I would say all the weight is in the bezel, my friend has a galaxy tab 7" and it is around 100 grams lighter although it feels more than that when comparing them. I guess the trade off is that I like the look of the nook color more than the galaxy tab 7.
Imbroglio said:
A long time ago I worked for a boiler room calling people up to tell them they won "one of five fantastic gifts" ranging from a camera to a new car. Well, because it was a scam the only prize that I ever heard being given out was a Yashita (no, not Yashica the once reputable photographic equipment company) 35mm camera.
Anyway, the crooks that ran the place decided that top sales that night would get one of the "fantastic" Yashita cameras. I was the lucky winner. The heft of the thing was impressive and it even came with an electronic flash!
I was so excited that on the way home from work I bought batteries and some film to try out my prize. A few days later I go to pick up the pictures from the drug store only to my confusion there were no prints in the envelope at all. Every single frame on the negative was black! A note attached that said something to the effect that maybe I should make sure the lens cap is off next time. Arrgh. The first thing I did when I got home was closely inspect the camera for light leaks but started noticing that there were numerous blocks of lead filling voids of the interior which gave a false sense weight (i.e. quality). After seeing that I gave up trying to find the problem as it lived up to the YaSHITa name. A few weeks later the owners of the business skipped town and screwed all of the employees out of that week's pay.
The weight of the Nook Color is probably attributed to the battery and metal framed housing on the back of the unit. The above camera story didn't really have anything to do with this but I wanted to tell it anyway.
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Click to collapse
lol, nice. by the time i got to the end I had forgotten what the thread was about
I would tell my friends "not to load too much of apps on the NC since they would make it heavy"
It's all in your head. The Transformer weighs in at 25-26 ounces where the nook Color weighs about 15 ounces.
I really don't think so. I haven't actually weighed the devices myself, but I've had 3 people compare them, and nobody believes the Transformer weighs twice as much as the Nook. By feel, they are very nearly identical.
Rodney
rhester72 said:
I really don't think so. I haven't actually weighed the devices myself, but I've had 3 people compare them, and nobody believes the Transformer weighs twice as much as the Nook. By feel, they are very nearly identical.
Rodney
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Click to collapse
lol, it is all in your head and your friends heads as well. My brother has a Transformer and it's the one thing he complains about that it's so much heavier than the nook and doesn't make it ideal for reading.
Having tried both, you can easily feel the difference in weight, and if you can't then you must have one seriously weak arm!!
Just put mine on a very accurate scale and i must have a nook light. Its only 440gm. Guess my nook doesn't need a diet.
Sent from my NookColor using XDA Premium App
rhester72 said:
I really don't think so. I haven't actually weighed the devices myself, but I've had 3 people compare them, and nobody believes the Transformer weighs twice as much as the Nook. By feel, they are very nearly identical.
Rodney
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The perceived weight differences is probably caused by the way in which the two devices are held. Since the nook is smaller, you hold it more with your fingers rather than your palm. If you're conceptualizing the weight via the torque you feel on your wrist then the device more held with the fingers is going to "feel" heavier. The larger device is held more with the palm, thus less torque on the wrist.
Could be completely wrong, but it sure sounds like it could be right.
Sent from my Nook Color using Tapatalk pro
Imbroglio said:
...The above camera story didn't really have anything to do with this but I wanted to tell it anyway.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
LMAO, thanks for the read!
Nburnes said:
Because it's filled with love.
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Click to collapse
Ha ha ha! I love it.
worst thread ever what the crap
Along with how you hold it, the weight is going to be distributed differently between the bigger and smaller device. So if you were say holding it flat on your palm to gauge it's heft, then obviously it's going to feel lighter.
The truth is, if B&N were to make a 10' nook it would most likely be heavier than the transformer. Every review I read for the transformer said it felt cheap compared to other 10' tablets and that it was lighter... Not necessarily a good thing, especially when there was originally a shortage on them.
After having my nexus 7 for a while now i decided to make a little review in case someone was wondering about the small things.
Display
It's just so amazing how wonderfully nice the screen on this tablet is, colors are very vibrant, very smooth all around. Viewing angles are ok, not the best in the world but it gets the job done. I have noticed that my display has that ghosting effect, not much but very little ghosting even if on a page for an hour. I also have noticed that the grey's on the display are very lacking, sometimes you can see outlines of certain grays mixing its actually quite weird. So far i have only seen 1 dead pixel which is quite impressive, you know compared to other Nexus 7's in the forum, Other than those little details it is perfect all round.
Touchscreen
I have yet to notice a problem with the touch panel. It is very responsive all around, i dont have any dead spots or anything on the screen, the glass is very smooth compared to the kindle fire, ugh i always hated playing fruit ninja on my kindle fire because it was so sticky and so unsmooth. On the Nexus 7 it is absolutely perfect, no getting stuck or anything. Fingerprints on the tablet is very little compared to the kindle fire, i remember having to wipe the kindle's screen every 10 minutes or else it would get really foggy, not the case on the Nexus 7. I also like that the LCD is stuck to the touchscreen because that reduces the grey on the screen, im not sure if its me or not, but i can not stand a screen that has the LCD all grey and showing up, it just seems like a poor quality device, Again the Nexus 7 has none of this.
Build Quality
Man it is pretty much the highest it can go, i thought the Kindle Fire was just perfect on the build quality side, but the nexus 7 surely does beat it. The plastic around the bezel of the screen is really nice, it almost looks as if it were metal. The glass is very high quality, unlike my Samsung Galaxy Player. The back is really good, the grip it has prevents it from slipping out of my hand like other plasticy tablets i've owned. The weight is just perfect, not to heavy nor to light just right.
Design
Very well designed, just one little detail. The buttons are kinda hard to get to, no matter its fine with me. Seems like a perfect size for media, a 10 Inch tablet is just to big and heavy, unlike the nexus 7. Its easy to hold in the hand without it getting tired, perfect for reading in the night or watching videos. The back is really nice, having all those dimples really helps out with the grip.
Software
Really stable and very fast, a few hiccups here and there but doesnt everything have that. Project butter actually makes the device very smooth and super fast. When playing intensive games such as Modern Combat 3 and you click the home button it does not take long to take you to the homescreen, compared to the Kindle Fire it is a major speed upgrade. Almost feels as smooth as IOS. Very easy to use, if i were to give it to my mom, im pretty sure it wouldnt take long to figure it out. Don't see why everyone is complaining about no camera app, i don't see why you would need it other than video chatting, taking pictures is pretty bad with the Camera Launcher app, it's a 1.2 Mega Pixel camera, don't get your hopes high.
Sound
The back speaker are pretty quiet, but in sound quality they don't lack anything. Very nice and very good with bass, especially with games such as war games, the kindle fire would start crackling if you put the volume over %75. The headphone jack actually isn't as bad as everyone says, i used some cheap little Samsung in ear headphones and they worked quite nicely without any crackling or lose in quality of the audio. I did notice that some songs that are in low quality such as 128, would sound a little weird, but most of my songs where 320 so it didn't matter to me.
Networks
NFC works really good on this tablet easy to use no problems at all while i was using it. Wifi works extremely well, never disconnected once and it was actually faster than my Desktop computer. While downloading games like Dead Space and Modern Combat the download completed succesfully without interuption once, unlike the Kindle fire, it would constantly disconnect from the wi-fi, it made the Pain in the A** Downloading seem not so bad. Browsing and using youtube works very well, no buffering issues at all. Bluetooth seems to be working just fine, connected it to my bluetooth speakers in the living room and they worked just fine without a problem. Have not tried keyboard or anything like that.
Shipping, Customer Support
Customer Support is useless, they just tell you that it will ship soon, no help at all. The shipping was actually fast, i ordered on the 20th and got a shipping email today and it said it had shipped yesterday and i got it today in the morning like 3 hours after my shipping email.
OTG
Waiting for my adapter will update you guys once it arrives.
So how was my review did i miss anything leave a comment below.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts on the nexus 7. I'm definitely getting one by the end of the week.
Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk 2
Nice write up!
Couple of things I respectfully disagree with however.
I believe the viewing angle is excellent. Most excellent. At every degree. The picture remains just as sharp, smooth and visible.
I also feel the camera is quite amazing given it was put in this device as an afterthought.
In full light the pictures and video are marvelous!
Only thing really I am not completely head over heels about is the battery life.
Sure, while its sleeping it sips juice like an ant. But hammering away with activities while on, I was expecting a little more out of a single charge. Maybe that will improve after a few drain cycles.
Terrific review and glad to see you are enjoying it. I know I sure am!
My only other tablet experience has been a Touchpad.
My otg cable I ordered from amazon shipped 2 days ago but will take 17-8 days! WTF!?! Psshhaawww I hope it doesnt
Sent from my Nexus 7 using XDA Premium HD app
Good review. Thanks!
Speaker is very quiet for me. Was just watching Reservoir Dogs on netflix with headphones and had to have the sound set to max. When I watch Top Gear UK on the speaker I have to use speaker boost and up the output by 20%.
Another complaint is that the tablet ui isn't official. Current hacks are great, but I'd like it included.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using XDA Premium HD app
I'd first like to give everyone a big hello as I am normally a wall flower in this sense. I wanted to discuss the whole evolution in the mobile and PC world, specifically using the nexus 7 as an example. For instance I tend to find the new PC keyboard much easier to use, and the predictive text with auto correct seems to actually help than hinder. I am excited to try the new swype like keyboard in 4.2 but I'm hoping it soon takes on the keyboard in keymonk. I have noticed that things seem to be running much smoother in 4.1.2, namely screen transitions. In my experience the slides used to have a slight jitter, yet now they are back to their flawless motion. I am a not urked that we don't have a micro expansion or a rear facing camera as both features were put in the galaxy tab 2 7inch. I have experienced one drop already, it fell screen down completely naked and only suffered a small scrape to the bezel of the device. Lastly I'd like to see some more nexus friendly peripherals, like a manufactured attachment for surface charging or cases with built in storage and batteries. Sure you'd face the ever ugly sacrifice size for capacity and performance..but what can you do. I was a bit upset when only patrons who purchased the 16 got upgrade offers, and I'm hoping that by the end of the year maybe if the device goes through enough revisions I can claim my warranty and maybe get a newer model. Oh and one final note is a fine point stylus! I would love a stylus like the note, it seems so much more accurate compared to the rubber tips. Maybe bluetooth enabled so it can use angle sensors, or provide map able keys. Or maybe a nifty half case keyboard like the I pad and windows 8 tablets have. So in turn I want to hear what others think on that level. Maybe we can get some solid ideas in one place for the higher ups to see.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using xda app-developers app
First things first: I love this device and would recommend buying it. But there are some minor issues that bother me a little, but do not make me hate this device at all.
Pros:
Its super fast! A lot of benchmarks show it to be slower than other similar devices, but trust me you will not notice it! This phone is flying like crazy! 5 days of use - not a single glitch!
Sexy design! It does look amazing in comparison to some other devices that I've owned (see my signature).
Beautiful display! Display on this baby is awesome. I watched YouTube and transformers video - quality is amazing.
Sound quality! Even though people were *****ing about small speaker opening, it still sounds great. I enjoyed listening to music, and it had no distortion.
Cons:
Front glass. On the first and second day I found new scratches on the front from regular use. People were telling me that its my fault... But please tell me - should a phone screen scratch just from being in the pocket or on the table? Why did my Galaxy SII never!!!!!!! Got scratched from the same use?
Battery life. Battery life is OK, but it is not what was advertised by Google (15 hours of talk time). I am down to 65% now after intensive use for 3 hours, with screen on 51%.
Loose parts. My phone, like most of other nexus 4s, has a loose part in the top of the phone.
Creaking. My phone creaks if I press on the bottom part, but it happens one in a long while from regular use - and does not bother me at all!
Creaking USB port. When I plug my USB cable, it seems to be bit loose and makes a creaking noise when I move it slightly. Not a big issue.
After all, the above CONS are not that bad. But, expecting a flagship Android device, I did not expect to see such minor design flaws.
I still recommend this device. Its awesome, and with time you won't notice these issues.
Update: 5 hours of moderate use. Few phone calls, few YouTube videos, a lot of typing. Some browsing. Screen on for 60%. Down to 49%. The phone is pretty warm on the top.
Sent from my Nexus 4 using xda premium
Nice review.
With regards to battery life, I never take a manufacturer's word for what they claim. So I'm not surprised it falls short.
As for the screen, I'll be sure to pick up some protectors prior to my purchase (as I always do. )
The rest I can deal with..
Sent using a message in a bottle...
There are way too many variable with battery life. Everyone will get a different result depending on set up, apps, settings, etc
sent via xda premium with nexus 7
All the defect and issues treads are making me sad. We bought a phone to enjoy it not sit and complain about it.
I'll start by naming a few things I like. The speakers in my opinion actually sound good. There's plenty of bass and it's not full of tremble. I can actually do homework and play music with out issues.
The screen has nice colors and really pops out at ya. Ya there's bad viewing angle but who looks at there phone from the side. These are a few things I like so far.
All in all I find this an improvement all around. It's a $350 device and I will enjoy it tell the nexus 6.
Thanks.
Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk
right now i'm stoked. however, i may end up getting one of those red cases from the play store, because the ever so slight camera lens protruding out from the back drives me crazy when laying on a completely flat surface, it rocks tops left to bottom right lol
Ya a case is almost needed with the camera sticking out like that. I've been a big fan of diztronic cases, which should be here soon.
Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk
Been an android fan for years, and have always rooted tweaked my phones grew tired of it, used the iphone 5 for the past 7 months and really enjoyed not wanting to tweak the phone or anything. Longest I kept a phone within the past 3-4 years. Typically trade or sell every android phone I've had.
Nexus 5
love the feel & size of the phone, screen is pretty solid. Android kit kat OS is pretty solid very happy with it, not all the apps are working thought, still need updates on some. No complaints on speakers, screen etc... only issue for me is battery, will get a solid 7-9 hours use but I do need to place on the charger at work to be able to use it all day. Typically off the charger at 530 am and not home till about 7-8pm.
Posted on craigslist and have few offers that I'm considering
Galaxy s4 with spigen matte black slim armor view case
moto x plus a nexus 7 32gb
iphone 5 32gb
iphone 5s 16gb
Main concern is battery, need something to last all day for me with medium to heavy use. Root and new kernel?
I ordered two one for me and one for a friend, both are perfect, no rattling power buttons, no dead pixels maybe I'm just lucky but I love my nexus 5.
I'm not sure if I'm lucky, or the people who are satisfied and not having issues are just keeping quiet, but I have none of the issues commonly mentioned in the defects thread
-- Very minimal backlight bleed
-- Vibration motor is fine... maybe a LITTLE soft, certainly not loud.
-- No dead pixels
-- Speaker sounds fine
-- No rattling or loose buttons
I have the black 32GB model. I must say, I'm absolutely LOVING the device. Android 4.4 is beautiful, the device is screaming fast (anyone coming from a Galaxy Nexus must just be thrilled). The screen is gorgeous... everything about it is just great.
Interestingly, my favorite thing of all might be the soft-touch back. Yes, it's a bit of a fingerprint magnet, but wow does it make holding and navigating the device comfortable. It feels wonderful.
No complaints whatsoever.
What was wrong with this thread? http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2514166
What MaxCarnage said...
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