Database Develop

Surprised by great gaming performance

I didn't think the nook color would play higher end games, but so far I'm really impressed. I have the following running quite well so far:
Raging Thunder 2
Asphalt 5
N.O.V.A.
Dungeon Hunter
Dungeon Defenders
Krazy Kart Racing
Pool Break Pro
Oh, and the graphically intense Angry Birds and Angry Birds seasons...

It also runs the Snesoid/Gensoid/Nesoid emulators perfectly. I wasn't expecting that just looking at the clockspeed (800mhz)

I'm not surprised because I know that the NC contains the same PowerVR GPU that the Mid-Range Droid X / Droid 2 devices do. I've run "Dungeon Defenders" (first game powered by Unreal Engine and more graphically intense than Angry Birds) and it runs fairly smooth. The high end devices like those of the Galaxy S family have even more powerful PowerVR GPU and run it better of course. The PowerVR GPU model in Apple's products is between the NC and the SGS family if anyone is interested.

epakrat75 said:
I'm not surprised because I know that the NC contains the same PowerVR GPU that the Mid-Range Droid X / Droid 2 devices do. I've run "Dungeon Defenders" (first game powered by Unreal Engine and more graphically intense than Angry Birds) and it runs fairly smooth. The high end devices like those of the Galaxy S family have even more powerful PowerVR GPU and run it better of course. The PowerVR GPU model in Apple's products is between the NC and the SGS family if anyone is interested.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The latest generation of Apple products actually use virtually the same processor as the Hummingbird found in the Samsung products. They use the same PowerVR SGX540 GPU.
But Apple seems to set mystery clocks on their A4 chips that appear to vary depending on the device. So the iPad's CPU/GPU appear to be clocked higher than the iPhone's. The iPhone may or may not dynamically clock up though based on what I've read.
An iPad should have identical performance to a Galaxy Tab though as far as raw hardware power goes. Any differences are likely purely in software.

pfcwintergreen said:
It also runs the Snesoid/Gensoid/Nesoid emulators perfectly. I wasn't expecting that just looking at the clockspeed (800mhz)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Id be mad if it couldnt handle those, my old 200mhz Wing managed that.

tekdemon said:
The latest generation of Apple products actually use virtually the same processor as the Hummingbird found in the Samsung products. They use the same PowerVR SGX540 GPU.
An iPad should have identical performance to a Galaxy Tab though as far as raw hardware power goes. Any differences are likely purely in software.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not quite true, the A4 iOS line is still using a SGX535 (same as the 3GS). Capable GPU, bit better than the 530 on the Nook Color (and Moto Droid line) but not up to par with the 540 on the Galaxy Hummingbird in terms of specs (it's about half as fast as the 540).
But, unlike the 540, the 535 is actually being used for UI acceleration on the iOS devices, giving them that trademark smoothness in everyday use, making iOS devices feel much faster than Android.

Croak said:
Not quite true, the A4 iOS line is still using a SGX535 (same as the 3GS). Capable GPU, bit better than the 530 on the Nook Color (and Moto Droid line) but not up to par with the 540 on the Galaxy Hummingbird in terms of specs (it's about half as fast as the 540).
But, unlike the 540, the 535 is actually being used for UI acceleration on the iOS devices, giving them that trademark smoothness in everyday use, making iOS devices feel much faster than Android.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
From what I could find it's only slightly better than the 530 and merely amounts to a slight clock freq increase... the 540 was PowerVR's big perf change.
Anyways, I'm not surprised that these games run OK given that this is likely the level of hw that they were targeted at. Next year might bring some problems as more games will be targeted at Tegra 2.

game performance of NC is great, but I hate the poor video playback capabilities, I admire Samsung galaxy can play 720p mkv files without any problem because most of my movies are 720p mkv files.
Sent from my LogicPD Zoom2 using XDA App

ctos said:
game performance of NC is great, but I hate the poor video playback capabilities, I admire Samsung galaxy can play 720p mkv files without any problem because most of my movies are 720p mkv files.
Sent from my LogicPD Zoom2 using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I broke down and picked one up yesterday, but it's going back since I'm finding it way too hard to insert the mini-USB and couldn't manage it at all this morning. Anyways, NC is nowhere near as fast as Tegra 2. It's not bad, definitely better than ARM11, but still... not even close to Tegra 2...
...going to give B&N one more shot at not trying to sell sh!t quality for $250...

pfcwintergreen said:
It also runs the Snesoid/Gensoid/Nesoid emulators perfectly. I wasn't expecting that just looking at the clockspeed (800mhz)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Where can I get the emulators?

bassrebel said:
Where can I get the emulators?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Either get market going, or find them elsewhere online... IIRC they're paid apps, but there might be some free ones for Genesis, SNES, & gb...
(Got a replacement NC. Idiot guy in the store was trying to tell no, thats as far as it goes, it's OK... so I asked got power? Yep. Plug it in. See no nice shiny LED lighting up on the cable... tries their store charger same deal as my cable, tries the demo unit and in it goes...
I tried the new one's cable BEFORE I left the store this time, but when I got home and started it charging I find that I have one with the SUPER sensitive touch screen...)

I haven't been too happy with gaming performance on this. Mostly because many of my games look like this...
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They don't play full screen and look bad. That screenshot was from Raging Thunder 2 Lite.

Wonder if the Spare Parts trick we used for the Galaxy Tab will work on the NC.
I'm not rooted* and don't plan to be or I'd test it.
But basically, you install Spare Parts from the Market, fire it up, check Compatibility mode if it is unchecked, or uncheck it if it checked, reboot the device, then un-check or check Compatibility mode one more time, reboot again, and it will start stretching apps to full screen.
*Not rooting because I already have the far more capable, faster, lighter/smaller Galaxy Tab for full-on tablet duties. The dirt cheap Nook Color is probably going to be my dedicated bathroom device (replacing my Kindle WiFi) for throne and tub reading. I won't miss the eInk at all indoors, so the Kindle will now be just for camping trips thanks to its incredible battery life and outdoor-friendly display.

camwinnn said:
Id be mad if it couldnt handle those, my old 200mhz Wing managed that.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
only reason im suprised it runs the "oid" emulators so well is because they run pitifully slow on my android phone running at 600mhz. naturally i concluded that the app required alot of juice to run properly. maybe its a software problem on my phone

Ravynmagi said:
I haven't been too happy with gaming performance on this. Mostly because many of my games look like this...
They don't play full screen and look bad. That screenshot was from Raging Thunder 2 Lite.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah, spare parts & the compatibility setting gets you full screen, or at least in everything that I've tried on various devices so far, and no incompatibilities yet either.

Ravynmagi said:
I haven't been too happy with gaming performance on this. Mostly because many of my games look like this...
They don't play full screen and look bad. That screenshot was from Raging Thunder 2 Lite.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah, you need to do the Spare Parts fix (that's what I did). All of the games I listed play fullscreen (Raging Thunder 2 included) and are the HD versions. They actually look and play great.

cutterjohn said:
I broke down and picked one up yesterday, but it's going back since I'm finding it way too hard to insert the mini-USB.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
LOL! That's probably because it's a Micro-USB rather than Mini-USB. They're similar connectors but are certainly different enough that you won't succeed in inserting one into the other. I certainly wouldn't fault B&N or the NC for that.
cutterjohn said:
Anyways, NC is nowhere near as fast as Tegra 2.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It was never advertised as such or intended to be. It's common knowledge (especially here) that the NC only sports a PowerVR 530 (unlike the 535 in the iPad). The Tegra 2 is even faster than the 540. Of course the NC wouldn't be anywhere near as fast. LOL! Perhaps, you should return just return the NC and purchase an actual tablet like the ViewSonic G-Tablet with it's awful screen for much more $$$ instead of an E-Reader if you have such high expectations.

epakrat75 said:
Perhaps, you should return just return the NC and purchase an actual tablet like the ViewSonic G-Tablet with it's awful screen for much more $$$ instead of an E-Reader if you have such high expectations.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
God, I couldn't believe how bad the G-Tablet screen was. Bought one from Office Depot when visiting my family for Christmas, because my Dad fell in love with my Galaxy Tab, and I thought it would make a nice gift for him. The display unit was locked down to the kiosk tight, so I was always looking at it from above in landscape mode.
Lucky for me, I decided to play with it and get it set up for him before wrapping it. Made me sick how bad it was off-angle, not to mention the blizzard of force closes on the very first boot up. Took it back and got him an Acer 10" netbook instead, which he does love.
I'm positive B&N is losing money on the NC, based on what they had to have spent on the display alone. Somebody there bought a clue or two when they opted for high-end parts and farmed out the industrial design to a real design firm. I imagine they've sold thousands upon thousands of these things just on the look and feel, functionality be damned. I know that's why I impulse bought one even though I already own and love a Galaxy Tab.

What is the fix? I am wanting to get magic gem to play full screen. I downloaded spare parts from the market but didn't see any option that would help.
sent from nook color

ethion said:
What is the fix? I am wanting to get magic gem to play full screen. I downloaded spare parts from the market but didn't see any option that would help.
sent from nook color
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=10224035&postcount=13

Might give up Nexus S for G2x :(

Is it a good idea? I'm tempted to sell off my Nexus and get the G2x the 15th when it comes out.
Discuss?
(If this is the wrong section, my bad, I'll gladly ask a mod to move it or delete it)

I also have a mytouch4g. I am going to keep my Nexus S because it is too good of a phone to sell in my opinion but I'm definitely selling the mytouch and getting the g2x.
Nexus S

The g2x looks very good but just cause it has a duel core
Doesn't make it better then the nexus s the ns will always get the first updates
over any phone on android plus the 1ghz hummingbird is a beast ..... I do
Like the g2x tv out options but when comes to speed the nexus s is just so fast I don't see how
they can make it any faster if I was u I would keep the nexus

512mb ram =(

Both have 512 mb of ram, but honestly you don't need more.
I really hate people that think more ram = more speed.
You probably think that 100 gb of ram would make a beast phone.
Anyways: Buying he G2x is plain stupid, android is not optimized to take advantage of dualcores, and the gpu is also weaker than the SGX 540.
The phone itself is kind of hard to hold, when I tried it in the store, it was just bad.
The sound is worse, the screen is worse, it lags more, there are no developers on any of the Tegra 2 devices (almost), its just a bad move to do that.
Stick with faster updates and a better phone in speed, stability, screen, sound, and other stuff.
The G2x is a great phone, but all its problems or disadvantages outweigh the positives.
Please do your self a favor and stop wasting your time thinking about this.

dario3040 said:
Both have 512 mb of ram, but honestly you don't need more.
I really hate people that think more ram = more speed.
You probably think that 100 gb of ram would make a beast phone.
Anyways: Buying he G2x is plain stupid, android is not optimized to take advantage of dualcores, and the gpu is also weaker than the SGX 540.
The phone itself is kind of hard to hold, when I tried it in the store, it was just bad.
The sound is worse, the screen is worse, it lags more, there are no developers on any of the Tegra 2 devices (almost), its just a bad move to do that.
Stick with faster updates and a better phone in speed, stability, screen, sound, and other stuff.
The G2x is a great phone, but all its problems or disadvantages outweigh the positives.
Please do your self a favor and stop wasting your time thinking about this.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
A lot of people really like the lg Optimus 2x. I also think I'm gonna get the g2x anyways because I like new gadgets. Paulobrien is one of the major android developers in my opinion, and he is using the 2x. Not trying to argue with you, just my reasons for wanting to get it, although I am not going to sell my nexus. I'm sure teamdouche will have someone with the g2x too, I think I saw koush or kmobs tweet about how they are gonna get it, I forgot which one of them
Nexus S

dario3040 said:
Both have 512 mb of ram, but honestly you don't need more.
I really hate people that think more ram = more speed.
You probably think that 100 gb of ram would make a beast phone.
Anyways: Buying he G2x is plain stupid, android is not optimized to take advantage of dualcores, and the gpu is also weaker than the SGX 540.
The phone itself is kind of hard to hold, when I tried it in the store, it was just bad.
The sound is worse, the screen is worse, it lags more, there are no developers on any of the Tegra 2 devices (almost), its just a bad move to do that.
Stick with faster updates and a better phone in speed, stability, screen, sound, and other stuff.
The G2x is a great phone, but all its problems or disadvantages outweigh the positives.
Please do your self a favor and stop wasting your time thinking about this.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There are already many ROM options for the LG O2X. I don't see why the T-mobile G2X will not work with these.

Honestly I/O is right around the corner!!! I would wait to see what google has up its sleeves before I jump ship to the G2X. Its not all about hardware guys, the Nexus S is still one of the top of the line phones!!!

i'm jumping ship as soon as i get the Tmobile USA version
the SNS is not getting nearly as much attention from DEV & Coders as the N1 did

dario3040 said:
Buying he G2x is plain stupid, android is not optimized to take advantage of dualcore
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm sorry, but where are people getting this information from?
Everything on android uses threading or else the UI would be unusable. Threads are delegated to the available cores, more cores equals better performance.
You can have UI thread doing it's own thing and in the background have another thread calling sqlite, fetching a bitmap, crunching some numbers or whatever.
See that nice and smooth Flash video playing and your browser still being able to do other things ..threading.
You may not notice it on light applications, but anything that does heavier work will benefit from multiple cores.

why is this in the galaxy s II section.... lol

AllGamer said:
i'm jumping ship as soon as i get the Tmobile USA version
the SNS is not getting nearly as much attention from DEV & Coders as the N1 did
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Lets make that NO dev atention
JD

bbm21 said:
why is this in the galaxy s II section.... lol
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't know lmao, I posted it in the General Section of the Nexus S and it got moved?

dario3040 said:
Both have 512 mb of ram, but honestly you don't need more.
I really hate people that think more ram = more speed.
You probably think that 100 gb of ram would make a beast phone.
Anyways: Buying he G2x is plain stupid, android is not optimized to take advantage of dualcores, and the gpu is also weaker than the SGX 540.
The phone itself is kind of hard to hold, when I tried it in the store, it was just bad.
The sound is worse, the screen is worse, it lags more, there are no developers on any of the Tegra 2 devices (almost), its just a bad move to do that.
Stick with faster updates and a better phone in speed, stability, screen, sound, and other stuff.
The G2x is a great phone, but all its problems or disadvantages outweigh the positives.
Please do your self a favor and stop wasting your time thinking about this.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Are you sure the Tegra 2 GPU is weaker than the SGX540? I lag on my Nexus S playing need for speed :/.
The screen is worse, I would miss the Super Amoled, maybe it's best to wait for the Galaxy S 2 and skip the G2X all together

The G2x does look nice but I've been spoiled to much with the super amoleddisplay on my vibrant so I'll stick with the SGS2.
Sent from my Xoom using XDA Premium App

This thread wasn't even move to right section
anyways release date announced
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none contract $499
Im waiting for galaxy S2 hopefully the none tegra version has SGX543

demo23019 said:
This thread wasn't even move to right section
anyways release date announced
none contract $499
Im waiting for galaxy S2 hopefully the none tegra version has SGX543
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nope, will have a Mali 400 quad core gpu
Sent from my PC36100 using XDA App

JupiterDroid said:
Lets make that NO dev atention
JD
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Its quite sad too because it's a very very capable phone
Sent from my PC36100 using XDA App

Serious_Beans said:
Is it a good idea? I'm tempted to sell off my Nexus and get the G2x the 15th when it comes out.
Discuss?
(If this is the wrong section, my bad, I'll gladly ask a mod to move it or delete it)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
To welcome yourself back to the random reboot days? Jk
Hopefully due to completely different software, hopefully the g2x has none of the 2z issues.

Yeah, it's a great phone, but the screen :/, after using SAMOLED I can't go back to LCD.

Anyone Else Disappointed By The CPU?

I know I am. I really hope there is a good open hardware tablet soon...

GBGamer said:
I know I am. I really hope there is a good open hardware tablet soon...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Why what where you hoping for? An Intel i7??

ben83s said:
Why what where you hoping for? An Intel i7??
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
no, something open, with full data-sheets available, and open source drivers, i can tell you first hand how bad proprietary drivers suck.

GBGamer said:
I know I am. I really hope there is a good open hardware tablet soon...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i am not into this topic right now but afaik there is no real open source hardware competitor on a tegra 3 level

gh123man said:
no, something open, with full data-sheets available, and open source drivers, i can tell you first hand how bad proprietary drivers suck.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I see what you mean. But when your trying to copy the Kindle Fire and go main stream global, you need something that proven to work. IMHO at £160 its a big anouph gamble all ready.

No, the tegra 3 isn't as good as it should be, but for web surfing, a little gaming and movies and music, its more than enough. Quit griping. Lol
People always find something to complain about. Lol

OP the problem is the price. For $200 you need to go with the cheapest high end processor available, and apparently that is what Nvidia did with the Kai El project to put out speedy, low price tablets. Personally dual core is quick enough for me, plus I just bought a 7" tablet so...
Sent from my GT-P3113 using Tapatalk 2

Yes, the tegra 3 isnt the best chip-set, but if they went with the snapdragon s4 they would have horrible supply issues, as there isnt enough s4's as it is. Also this was made by asus who has an existing relationship with nvida. Google has used this as a reference platform so it will be heavily optimized so performance shouldn't be an issue especially considering the screen resolution, keep in mind this is the same processor that runs the transformer prime at 1080p, without all the new gpu goodies. fyi all current tablets run tegra 3's

Sure let's put in the top of the line CPU that costs $1000 and try to sell it main stream against the Kindle Fire priced at $199.

Cares said:
Sure let's put in the top of the line CPU that costs $1000 and try to sell it main stream against the Kindle Fire priced at $199.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm not talking high end, I'm talking open hardware, like TI OMAP.
Sent from my SGH-T989 using Tapatalk 2

So does this mean a non developer Nexus device? So does that mean no custom ROMs? No CM9? No kernel tweaks?

darkamikaze said:
So does this mean a non developer Nexus device? So does that mean no custom ROMs? No CM9? No kernel tweaks?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nah, it just means slower Dev updates after Google has given it up.
Sent from my SGH-T989 using Tapatalk 2

GBGamer said:
I'm not talking high end, I'm talking open hardware, like TI OMAP.
Sent from my SGH-T989 using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
AFAIK TI OMAP4 is performance-wise inferior to Tegra 3 in nearly every aspect, it's not wise to limit flagman device(it's Nexus, after all) capabilities just to please indy ROM developers. Especially concerning the fact that Nexus 7 is tightly bound to Google Play to squeeze from grateful consumers as much money as possible .
So does this mean a non developer Nexus device?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It surely is a developer device, but it's for application developers, not ROM makers, because ROMs are not profitable for Google, but apps are.

dalkor said:
AFAIK TI OMAP4 is performance-wise inferior to Tegra 3 in nearly every aspect, it's not wise to limit flagman device(it's Nexus, after all) capabilities just to please indy ROM developers. Especially concerning the fact that Nexus 7 is tightly bound to Google Play to squeeze from grateful consumers as much money as possible .
It surely is a developer device, but it's for application developers, not ROM makers, because ROMs are not profitable for Google, apps are.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yea, that's why I'm hoping for a tablet with quad core OMAP5
Sent from my SGH-T989 using Tapatalk 2

My opinion tegra 3 is the best CPU+GPU combo until the s4 quad core. I have a tegra 3 on my one x and hardly any lag whatsoever. Games look amazing, and amazing standby times. Maybe the nexus 7 will force nvidia to release drivers ect because of the demand
Sent from my HTC Desire using xda app-developers app

tegra3 optimized games are by far the best Android games around. Tegra3 is no slouch, CPU or gpu wise. there will be no issues with custom roms. One X has a ton of custom roms/kernels. Prime has alot of roms also. I'm sure Nexus 7 will be far more popular than either of them.

GBGamer said:
Yea, that's why I'm hoping for a tablet with quad core OMAP5
Sent from my SGH-T989 using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
For $199 ? And they don't arrive until Q3/Q4.

For 200$ hell no I'm not disappointed
Stop complaining about everything!!!
Sent from my SGH-T989 using xda app-developers app

I <3 Tegra. Got a Tegra phone and tegra tsblet... so gonna get the N7. I don't see what the problem is. Its very fast and good for gaming from the TegraZone
Sent from my Asus Transformer Prime TF201 using XDA Premium HD app

The Tegra 3 is actually a pretty powerful chipset. Think it's tainted a bit by being the 'child' of the Tegra 2, which was not as great as we hoped it would be. Combined with some of the performance improvements in Jelly Bean I expect this device to fly.

Superfluous Nexus 7 Review

Google Nexus 7
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Android phones first hit the scene in 2008 with the G1. Compared to the venerable Windows Mobile and Blackberry platforms, and the new iPhone, Android was primitive to say the least. Slowly, and steadily, Android has grown to a full-fledged operating system. In February, 2011, not even a year and a half ago, the first true Android tablet was released. It was the Motorola Xoom and was the first device to see the Android 3.0 "Honeycomb" operating system. Probably the best we can say about the original Xoom was that... it did the minimum that was expected of it. It had good specs- a dual core CPU, a gig of RAM, and a 720p screen. But, it was twitchy, laggy, and personally, I found it annoying. It was also thick, heavy, and amazingly, cost MORE than the Apple iPad. It was a recipe for disaster.
Let's fast forward to 2012. Honeycomb is gone. It was replaced with a streamlined OS called Ice Cream Sandwich. Suddenly, older tablets started screaming the way we all wanted. But, that's still not 2012. Today, we have Android 4.1 "Jelly Bean". Using the Ice Cream Sandwich underpinnings, everything has been further refined and optimized. Google had "Project Butter" specifically deal with making the OS as smooth and lag-free as possible. And they succeeded. Introduced first on the Google Nexus 7, our first look at Jelly Bean is impressive. It's as smooth as was promised and finally can go toe-to-toe with iOS... and come out ahead in many areas.
Google has had their own branded phones for years with varying degrees of success, and now they have their own tablet, the Nexus 7. Anything else you hear about this tablet falls secondary to this fact: This tablet was meant to beat the Amazon Kindle Fire. The Fire was the first true commercial success for any Android tablet. The problem was, it's barely recognizable as one. Most Google apps are gone or buried, there's no access to the Google Play app market, and the whole device is geared to get you to spend money at Amazon. Google makes no money on a platform like that, so enter the Nexus 7.
The Nexus 7 is thinner, lighter, and has a better screen. The Fire has no camera, has a weaker processor, and what's essentially a modified phone operating system. The Nexus beats it in about every measurable category.
Specifications:
DIMENSIONS
98.5 x 120 x 10.45 mm
340g
SCREEN
IPS LCD
1280x800 resolution
Multitouch
Corning scratch-resistant Glass
PROCESSOR
Quad Core Tegra 3- 4 cores @ 1.3Ghz, 1 low consumption core @ 500Mhz
NVidia GeForce 12-core GPU
MEMORY
1gb RAM
16gb internal (13.5gb useable)
CAMERA
1.2mp front-facing camera
PORTS
Headset
Micro USB
Battery
4325mAh
MISCELLANEOUS
Bluetooth 4.0
Stereo Speakers
GPS
WiFi 802.11 b, g, n, a
Accelerometer
The Nexus 7 is comfortable to hold and is light enough for extended reading in bed. The edges are rounded and the back has a rubber-like coating that makes for an easy grip. Remember- this is an Android e-reader first and all else secondary. The LCD screen is bright and has a good pixel density. Since e-reading is a primary function, I'll talk about that first. Like most Android devices, you get Play Books from Google. But, you can also get the Kindle and Nook apps as well, so you're not limited to one format. There's even other programs out there like Aldiko that are good for reading generic .pdf books, too. Turning the brightness down to about 75% gives a comfortable reading experience and the text is crisp in all the readers I've tried.
OK, here's some downsides. It's designed to compete with the Fire and doesn't really try to go that far beyond it. You have a choice of 8gb or 16gb. That's not much storage in todays world. I suppose they're really trying to push cloud storage, but you're not always near a wifi hotspot. Worse, there's no micro-SDXC slot to expand your storage. Also lacking is the HDMI port that Android users have come to expect. It's really great to plug your phone or tablet into a TV at a hotel and watch your own media. Not happening on the Nexus 7. For some inexplicable reason, Google forces the tablet into portrait display mode at all times unless some app calls for a landscape view. Yes, even video and picture viewing. The camera? Front facing, and no app to take a picture. It's usable by most video calling programs- Google, Skype, etc, but you can't snap a picture. Not a big deal, but it is odd. Lastly, when really putting the Tegra 3 throug it's paces, the back does get very warm. Not hot, but warm enough for you to tell it's getting a workout.
But the plusses... there are a lot. The device, manufactured for Google by Asus, feels very solid. No creaks or snaps, no flexing, it just feels solid. Integrated into the design is a smart cover feature- a magnet sensor that will shut off the screen when a "smart case" (that contains a small magnet at a strategic location) closes and turns it back on when the case opens. The video player is awkward in Portrait, so I don't use it. MX Player is fantastic and offers hardware and software acceleration. It plays all formats thrown at it. Anyway, video is crisp and without lag or stutter. Battery life is great. You'll average about 9+ hours and that should take you through a full days use and then some. The speakers are loud enough to hear without straining and the sound is decent for what it is. It sounds great through headphones. Gone is the old reliable Android Browser. Chrome is now the preferred web app. It's fast and integrates with your desktop settings, saved bookmarks, etc. Then, there's the wifi... I have NEVER seen reception this powerful on any device. I can go anywhere inside and stay connected... that's expected. What's more, I'm seeing strong signals I've never seen before. It's a little piece of terrific. And when tethered to my phone, gets the same great 4g speeds.
Jelly Bean- It's very much a matured OS. Beyond the silky-smoothness, there's some great new features... some came with Ice Cream Sandwich, some with Jelly Bean. Face unlock has been refined. Originally, you could trick it by putting a picture in front of the camera. Now, there's the option for it to withold unlocking until it tells that you blinked! Google's Voice Search has advanced a great deal. Google's had voice input and search since 2009, and it's never been bad, but with all the press and ad revenue Apple's Siri has received, Google knew they had to step up their game. Google's voice search now answers in a very human, non-computerized voice. And the answers are literally twice as fast as Siri's. When it doesn't have an exact answer, like when there's a range of answers, it doesn't ask you if you want to search... it just gives you the results. Navigator has been updated with the same natural voice, too. And speaking of that, Google Maps now allows you to cache a pretty large area for offline mapping. Being it's a wifi-only device, this is extra handy.
There's all sorts of throw-ins when you buy a Nexus 7. The biggest is $25 credit at the Google Play app market. In case you needed inspiration to gouge out your eyes and ears, they threw in a complimentary/punitive copy of Transformers: Dark of the Moon. I guess if you're traveling with kids and they act up, you could force them to watch it instead of something good. They also threw in 20 complete songs in a variety of styles. Some recognizeable, some new and kinda neat, and some quickly eraseable rap songs.
Benchmarks are great. The powerhouse CPU/GPU combination takes everything you throw at it in stride.
So, what am I going to do with this thing? I have no idea. It's fun, it's a great size, but it's not for someone who wants a complete tablet experience. The lack of storage alone sees to that. At best, it will be a secondary device, but unlike a full-on tablet, you're going to rely on a smart phone more when you carry the Nexus 7 around. I'll take it to work and see how it is for wiring diagrams and flowcharts, so stay tuned. I'm either going to give it to my folks or make it an extended loan. Mom's somewhat Android-savvy, having had 2 Android slider smart phones. Dad's completely technophobic, so I want to see how he likes things like the NFL and ESPN apps. Regardless, they're going on a cruise along with a flight to Europe and back, so this will certainly help matters.
So, it's a nice tablet in a great package. Not unlike the Apple ecosystem, if you're OK with the limitations of the environment, you'll have a great experience. If you want a fully expandable complete tablet experience, you might want to look at a Samsung Galaxy mini tablet instead. The Nexus 7 is priced at $199.99 for the 8gb version and $249.99 for the 16gb model. It's available at https://play.google.com/ and at retailers like GameStop, Sams Club, Staples, Office Max, and others. Availability is very limited now, but within a couple weeks everyone should be stocked up.

:good: Archer likes this!

Great review! I'm excited to get my hands on mine this week. I bought it primarily for reading as my retina iPad is a little too big for comfortable reading. I also got it for the development community that will certainly filling in the small holes that Google and ASUS surely left due to either cost or other reasons. Still, after a year with the Xoom and TPrime I have to say this is the first Android tablet I've actually been excited about. I grabbed the 8GB version as I won't be playing much games (I will use the iPad for that, plus I just don't play many games and I have my trusty 360 and new Vita for those purposes). It will be more of a simple web browser, twitter, small amounts of Google+, and more importantly, like I mentioned above, an eReader. I'm sure I will miss the storage space, but then again I didn't even use 6GBs on my Xoom or Prime especially since all my 40GB of music lives in the Google Music cloud. This will be my go to device for bringing to work and I can leave my very expensive and kind of irraplaceable retina iPad safely at home.
Thanks for the review!

Is that Babou???
Good review, thanks for being honest and not completely sided on it like some reviews have been.

"For some inexplicable reason, Google forces the tablet into portrait display mode at all times unless some app calls for a landscape view. Yes, even video and picture viewing."
Not true at all. If you're having problems rotating it, disable screen rotation lock from the notification menu. Just about everything will rotate at that point (not the stock launcher).

firehazard said:
"For some inexplicable reason, Google forces the tablet into portrait display mode at all times unless some app calls for a landscape view. Yes, even video and picture viewing."
Not true at all. If you're having problems rotating it, disable screen rotation lock from the notification menu. Just about everything will rotate at that point (not the stock launcher).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Haaaa... that's terrific. Thanks.

:good: Wee baby Seamus likes this!

could you please run androbench and post the results here? want to know if this device suffers from IO problems like all other Asus tablets!

Good job with your review, I found it balanced and informative. It would be nice if you made a followup about general UI performance at some point. I know it's supposed to be rather speedy, but I have found mixed verdicts on the forums. It would also be nice if someone made a review from a dev's standpoint (maybe I will ), but overall excellent work!
---------- Post added at 04:30 PM ---------- Previous post was at 04:28 PM ----------
Tempie007 said:
could you please run androbench and post the results here? want to know if this device suffers from IO problems like all other Asus tablets!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Based on the quadrant benchmark, it seems to suffer from some amount of I/O deficiency, which I have learned the hard way can be quite a headache. Nothing a custom rom wouldn't fix, but still worrying.

No one else bothered by the really low I/o score
nvm didn't refresh the thread lol

hanthesolo said:
Good job with your review, I found it balanced and informative. It would be nice if you made a followup about general UI performance at some point. I know it's supposed to be rather speedy, but I have found mixed verdicts on the forums. It would also be nice if someone made a review from a dev's standpoint (maybe I will ), but overall excellent work!
---------- Post added at 04:30 PM ---------- Previous post was at 04:28 PM ----------
Based on the quadrant benchmark, it seems to suffer from some amount of I/O deficiency, which I have learned the hard way can be quite a headache. Nothing a custom rom wouldn't fix, but still worrying.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If the I/O is slow then there's only so much a rom can do. It's a hardware problem.
Sent from my LG-P999 using xda app-developers app

Yeah, of course I know that! I have had a lot if experience speeding up low-io devices, so I meant that it wouldn't be too hard for someone to patch things up to increase usability in a custom rom, assuming the I/O is not TOO shoddy.

Thanks for the positive feedback! I'll run some more tests, and give some impressions after a couple days use. After the first overnight leaving the battery at 25%, the battery meter seems to have calibrated and battery life has been great. For the first time in my Android experience, you can load a media-rich page (like the last one) and flick-scroll top to bottom and back with no lag, pause while loading times, or anything. It's very home PC-esque.
More to come.
And to all the other Archer fans here... DUH, and/or HELLO!!!

OK, well... no more to come, for awhile at least. I gave the N7 to my parents. It was a leap of faith that they'd be up for the concept of an Android tablet, especially since they're in their 70s... but Mom has a basic Android slider phone, has a Nook reader along with a PC and a really crappy netbook. So, after spending a couple hours with them, setting up their accounts, giving them a tour of the device, and walking them trough the different Google features... they're excited. Dad, who's terrified of computers, was even playing Angry Birds. They loved the new Jelly Bean voice search. So, I'll give some updates on how a pair of seniors are dealing with some cutting edge technology.
Me, I'm looking forward to what Google has next... I'd love a 10" full-featured tab with expandable memory, 1080p screen, and all the great tech the N7 has.

Nice review!
Another nice (and glowing) review is http://gdgt.com/asus/nexus/7/reviews/r22/

The Kindle Fire OS is as much a tablet version as JB for the Nexus 7. Both are essentially phone OS.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using xda app-developers app

ijeff said:
The Kindle Fire OS is as much a tablet version as JB for the Nexus 7. Both are essentially phone OS.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I couldn't disagree more Much of the evolution of Jelly Bean came from Honeycomb, which was without question, a tablet OS. The Kindle Fire IS a phone OS. It's based upon Gingerbread. That was NEVER intended for tablets. Now, Android devices have a single upgrade path, and it's ICS/JB... but I simply can't see where you could refer to JB as a phone OS.

Tempie007 said:
could you please run androbench and post the results here? want to know if this device suffers from IO problems like all other Asus tablets!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, now that I have a Nexus 7 again... here you go:

Some follow-up notes after using the Nexus 7 (well, the 2nd Nexus 7) for a week.
1) The GPS locks pretty quickly, and although ridiculously huge, works great with Navigator and having internet tethered from my phone.
2) No glitches or defects in my current one or the one I gave my parents. Feeling pretty lucky all around with these gadgets.
3) The tablet fits quite well in the pocket of most cargo slacks.
4) Google's voice search is a blast to show to iPeople when they get all uppity over their beloved Siri. Snicker.
5) Early concerns over the lack of Flash are mostly eased. Many of the sites I use at work that formerly required Flash seem adapted to HTML5. And, they all work well with Chrome. I guess we can say Chrome is now a grown-up browser.
6) Grab the free game Dark Meadow: The Pact from the Play Store market. It really shows off the abilities of the Tegra 3. You're Welcome.
7) This tablet is taking more and more time away from my old (well, in technology terms anyway...) Acer A500 tablet. I never thought I would get so much use out of a 7" tablet. It's a pleasant surprise. I really appreciate how thin and light it is.

I think I regret buying the Nexus 4

I had the HTC One S before, but wanted the Google Nexus experience (vanilla Android, latest updates (and on this phone compared to the One S quad core, 2GB RAM, etc..) and the price was too good to pass up. I mean, the value for money with this phone is amazing, I don't think I have ever seen, or will ever see better, but...
Coming from the One S, it seems like a huge step down. The phone seems a lot bigger in comparison (mainly width and especially depth), yet when taking into consideration the on screen back/home buttons, the screen is pretty much the same size, but a little wider (maybe 5mm)
Also, when doing a Quadrant test, the One S looks much smoother on the video parts, and the overall score is miles better (score of 6452 vs 4798) on everything
One S v Nexus 4
CPU: 9211 v 10402
RAM: 12383 v 7020
I/O: 7408 v 4149
2D: 1014 v 247
3D: 2245 v 2173
The One S also has HTC Sense which I like (but can live without)
Maybe I will get used to this phone, or just appreciate it more when the next update comes out, but in the mean time I don't really see a huge improvement in speed/responsiveness or the screen over the One S
I can imagine it being a huge improvement over plenty of other phones however, but I think the One S is unbelievably underrated and actually more powerful than I thought it was before. I feel like the Nexus 4 is a downgrade for me right now. I understand the Nexus is thicker because of the wireless charging plate? Well, this is something I would give up for a slimmer phone, especially considering the phone doesn't come with a wireless charging unit.
I don't wanna sound like I'm just bashing the phone, is there anything I should try out on the Nexus 4 that I would be missing on other phones (already tried Photosphere which is great btw)

There is already a nexus 4 vs any other phone thread present as a sticky in which this should have been posted. Didn't need a whole new thread dedicated to this
Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk 2

Honestly, noone cares...

I think I regret reading your thread

ingenious247 said:
I think I regret reading your thread
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Awe man you beat me to it:good:

Eh, if anything, I'm sure you could probably trade back for a One S.
Both are great phones, but at least you can say you gave the Nexus 4 a try.

I don't get why people care so much about the quadrant score. Nexus 4 runs very smooth; no lag at all. Does it makes you feel special when u see a higher number? Most of the stuff OP mentioned could been avoided if he/she done a little research before purchasing N4. It all comes down each user likeness. Now days just Google any phone vs any phone and you will see a very great comparison of every spec.
Sent from my Nexus 4 using xda premium

badboy47 said:
I don't get why people care so much about the quadrant score. Nexus 4 runs very smooth; no lag at all. Does it makes you feel special when u see a higher number? Most of the stuff OP mentioned could been avoided if he/she done a little research before purchasing N4. It all comes down each user likeness. Now days just Google any phone vs any phone and you will see a very great comparison of every spec.
Sent from my Nexus 4 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This. Quadrant is a random number generator at best.

naripsta said:
Eh, if anything, I'm sure you could probably trade back for a One S.
Both are great phones, but at least you can say you gave the Nexus 4 a try.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I like the Nexus 4, but I really like the One S too
In fact one thing I just noticed (found in another Google search) is if you put them side by side on a table they're the same depth (of course the One S is slimmer in the middle)
Maybe I need to get used to the feel of it...
I'm gonna use the Nexus 4 for one full week instead of the One S and see how it goes
Anything you recommend me trying out on the N4?
badboy47 said:
I don't get why people care so much about the quadrant score. Nexus 4 runs very smooth; no lag at all. Does it makes you feel special when u see a higher number? Most of the stuff OP mentioned could been avoided if he/she done a little research before purchasing N4. It all comes down each user likeness. Now days just Google any phone vs any phone and you will see a very great comparison of every spec.
Sent from my Nexus 4 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nah I don't care about the Quadrant score, but the scores just really surprised me. I think the RAM comes down to LPDDR2 (low power DDR2 instead of DDR2) and I don't know about the I/O (thought it was all flash storage)
The GPU results surprised me though (the video looks smoother) as I thought the N4 had a dedicated GPU chip?
One of the problems I think is everybody compares phones to the One X, nobody has really done any great One S v Nexus 4 comparisons

The nexus 4 runs fast, is a great phone to use, has sufficient battery life for me, and cost half of the HTC phone you mentioned.
I really don't see the point in running benchmarks all day and not worrying about real usage and real cost. If you want to be a benchmark jockey you will always be running after the latest and greatest phone and lusting after every new phone ever 2 months.
The nexus 4 is a great phone and a solid purchase. If you regret buying it, sell it and get something else. But if your nexus 4 isn't defective in some way realize that the problem is with you and your inability to be happy with anything, and not with the phone that is a great performer and great value. I can already see that you're the kind of guy who will never be happy with anything, as you owned an HTC One S and then bought a phone that came out 6 months later. You won't be happy with anything as long as you see something shinier. You are the perfect customer.

Quadrant gets weird scores on Nexus 4, no one really 100% sure why.
Try Antutu, with a bionic optimised rom (most roms have this now) you get 21000+ scores; Antutu had to be updated when Nexus 4 (with 4.2.1) came out because of weird low scores, quadrant was never updated.
Also get your full screen by removing the nav bar and using something else like pie controls from LMT.
edit.. also '3dmark' test will show you the adreno320 in the nexus4 blowing everything else away.

You're incredibly stupid to base your phone choice over some benchmarks.

meangreenie said:
Quadrant gets weird scores on Nexus 4, no one really 100% sure why.
Try Antutu, with a bionic optimised rom (most roms have this now) you get 21000+ scores; Antutu had to be updated when Nexus 4 (with 4.2.1) came out because of weird low scores, quadrant was never updated.
Also get your full screen by removing the nav bar and using something else like pie controls from LMT.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah, I have seen some people posting Quadrant scores of like 7500+ on the Nexus 4
I'm still running stock everything (unrooted) - maybe I need to just root it and try some different ROMs, etc..
Pie Control looks sweet too, will check it out

bsaidmalta said:
You're incredibly stupid to base your phone choice over some benchmarks.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
leave it out

Quadrant doesnt like 4.2. Antutu and 3Dmark are better guages of performance.

LooieENG said:
Anything you recommend me trying out on the N4?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hmm, not sure really. The Nexus 4 is pretty much that, a Nexus device with pure Android. I can see why it may (not saying that it does for you) be boring or not as flashy. But there's not much to try out for the Nexus 4. Everything is pretty basic and minimalistic, and that's why some go for the Nexus I suppose.
With the N4, you get a decent device that can run with the best of them. If you're into flashing ROMs, pretty much almost every ROM posted here will work with very very minimal bugs, if any bugs at that. Although the One S isn't a bad device at all, so it's really up to you. :good:

My Nexus 4 absolutely fly's.. it speeds through everything.
It's all well and good having a number on a screen but I owned a HTC ONE briefly and many apps on that lagged yet run fine on my Nexus 4?

Oh great another one of these threads. IB4L
Sent by my Kitteh he chews on muffins on my Sexy Nexi 4 using Tapatalk

Can you please give your phone to me? I will pay you 50 $ because its so not good and you can go back to your wonderfull htc one s... :banghead:
Sent from SpeedMachine i9100

LooieENG said:
Yeah, I have seen some people posting Quadrant scores of like 7500+ on the Nexus 4
I'm still running stock everything (unrooted) - maybe I need to just root it and try some different ROMs, etc..
Pie Control looks sweet too, will check it out
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yea, if you are running your device at 1.8ghz+ and have other things optimized(custom rom/custom kernel), itll score high. at stock speeds and the stock rom/kernel it will never get close.
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