Wednesday, January 30, 2013

Asus (Google) Nexus 7 Tablet Analysis

After positioning in the smartphone market with its Android phones like Nexus and establish a great system for telephony, it's time for Google to attack the market for tablets.

The first bet would be called Nexus 7, was presented at the last Google I / O and is manufactured by ASUS, which has done an excellent job. Moreover, this tablet debuts Nexus 7 version 4.1 of Android. Do you want to know why I found this Nexus 7? Then-depth analysis on Engadget, just as in that is already selling online form and it will be in a few days in physical stores.

Nexus 7: Google to repeat the success of smartphones

Whatever they say, for now, the combination of hardware and software not found the right balance in the universe Android for tablets.

Apple's iPad is still the product that the user associated with the word tablet. To reverse this association come this year Windows 8 RT and a more serious offense of Google, once well positioned in the phone market, seems to finally pay attention to your operating system looking at it from the perspective of the user of tablets.

As it did with smartphones, their choice has been to take his own model of the hand of an outside manufacturer - in this case ASUS, very good choice - and brand new with the latest version of Android.

Completing the equation an excellent finish and combination that Amazon has shown with its Kindle Fire that can work: 7 inches and psychological price.

Design and finishing

As much as I try 7-inch tablets, I find it very strange face with such a diagonal pattern. Personally I prefer the 9-10 inches, but if you need mobility admit that is a good choice.

The Nexus 7 is shown on the table with its bright dominating everything. The framework, broad, is indistingible except for a capped plastic that simulates the metal. So far nothing beyond expectations.

It is when we give back and we see the back cover in a nice material improves grip the tablet when you know that, despite its entry price, ASUS has taken care of the details for this Nexus 7 is not appreciated as a tablet " cheap. "

That quality finish is also seen in the connections. At the bottom we have a microUSB port for charging the device and the headphone output, while on the right side we find a port for future accessories like keyboards and accessories-dock. On the right stands the on-off button and volume control, both with a very good touch. Perhaps professional bias or just because the 7-inch format so requests, I struggled to get used to not seek the power button / lock on the top right.

In the design you will notice that there is only one camera, the front of which you already advance that only worthwhile - and I think that ASUS has placed, not for anything else - for video calls. And why in this 7-inch format, a main chamber makes more sense - or at least some sense, but still close to zero - in a 10-inch model.

As mentioned, in the back there is no trace of the main camera, and just appreciate the finish that simulates skin with plenty of grip to thank tablet catch with one hand, with the ASUS logo on the bottom - just above a bar that is the speaker - and the word Nexus dominating the housing should not empeƱarte to open because you can not. Nothing microSD card or change the battery.

In hand, thanks to its 7-inch format, the finish on the back and the weight of just 340 grams - about 60 grams less than its great rival, the Kindle Fire - The Nexus 7 is very comfortable and manageable. In thickness're talking about a little more than the iPad: 10.45 mm. This figure could be improved to give a feeling in hand still enjoyable, but for $ 200 I think we can not ask for more in this section.

The whole has been very pleasant to use for various tasks, including reading of content through the housing leaves a wide margin next to the screen to place the fingers without touching the screen. That space could have been trimmed to make the tablet more closely, but I think overall, the Nexus 7 wins over wide frame with that loser.

Screen

If the outside and as we shall see in the next point, and battery performance are important values ​​in a tablet, the screen is more so. At the end of the day is what are we going to "use". This Nexus 7 and the price of 200 euros could raise doubts on the quality of this, but just turn the tablet these unknowns are faded and forgotten forever.

The 7-inch IPS panel of the Nexus 7 is an excellent solution that ASUS has given a resolution of 1280 × 800 pixels which gives a figure of 213 ppi density. That is a really great value and normal viewing distance, it is impossible to see pixels. The icons are clear, just as the associated text.

The touch screen allows up to ten points of contact, and the answer is great too. In return, I was impressed by the black level is achieved with this panel, very deep, but I think brightness falls a bit behind other tablets. Indoors is not significant, but if you take it out for a walk, which makes sense with a 7-inch tablet, cast them into a plus lack of brightness.

Performance and battery

Despite its small body, the Nexus 7 includes power to give and take. As we found a main processor Tegra 3 in its most light (T30L to 1.2 Ghz), no half measures. RAM pulls no tiny either and stands with 1GB DDR3 type with bandwidth of 5.3 GB / s.

If you are someone who likes to have a lot of content stored on a tablet, the Nexus 7 you may fall short, especially in the affordable version of 8 GB, so think carefully what use can you make when choosing the model you want to buy. As I indicated, there is no microSD card slot and no possibility of using the microUSB port to connect extra storage directly. As with the Amazon Kindle Fire, here goes the ante by streaming ... but at home, as there is no integrated 3G or LTE.

The only option is direct Internet connection via WiFi technology that tops the list in which you follow the bluetooth, GPS, conventional sensors (gyroscope, accelerometer and digital compass), topped with NFC connectivity.

Moving on to talk about cold figures, this combination of Nexus 7 nosa has left some numbers in the test with 1620 and 3612 Vellamo with Quadrant, some evidence that power will not be for this ASUS tablet and Google.

In reality and everyday it becomes websites load very fast - Chrome blessed that comes standard - good multimedia performance and fluid passage by Android 4.1.

And it is the turn to the evidence of its integrated battery of 16 Wh, which in the real world has proven to live up fully. In our test with Wifi navigation has been just one hour of autonomy of the new iPad. Yes, with this Nexus 7 have a few minutes more than 9 hours to enjoy in its 7 inches. In video mode loop have also far exceeded the nine hours of battery life, but yes, pulling video stored on internal memory. No streaming or Wifi connected.

Looking at the figures in the U.S. analyzes give the Kindle Fire - not yet for sale in Spain - we see that the distance you would take this Nexus 7 is nearly twice autonomy in these two aspects. Logical to think that Amazon has to make a move soon.

The battery of the Nexus 7, which is loaded in less than four hours, suffering much more when we introduce games that rush full power of tablet, so if you tend to get video game between sessions or web browsing, subtract about three hours autonomy that I have given above.

OS

JELLYBEAM or Android 4.1 is the operating system that handles make good use of the hardware that ASUS has placed in the hands of Google. This operating system version was premiered in this very tablet.

The innovations introduced mainly focus on the search, the better - yes, even more - notification system, and better performance through more efficient use of hardware. The result is that Android is moving into this Nexus 7 as a high-end tablet is involved.

Personally I'm also the integration of Google Play, for me the highlight of this Nexus 7-level direct appreciation for the novice user in Android. However, the deployment of the full potential of Google Play music or magazines in still fails with this tablet, but hopefully not take long to do.

Nexus 7, Android Trojan horse: the opinion of Engadget

Amazon Kindle Fire and decided to go their own way to stand up to the king of the tablet, the Apple iPad. Your bet was a very tempting price, a 7-inch format and user experience 100% controlled and integrated with all the mediocre hardware for stay not in evidence.

In this field of affordable Android tablets were admitted multiple brands under different names - and the same base hardware that leaves much to be desired for those who want to take advantage of a tablet - but always with a user experience very far, very far of what a rival needed for the iPad.

Then we have the range of high-end tablets with excellent hardware but high price and a user experience that under Android, not quite take off.

And now comes the Nexus 7 model where Google takes control of the situation as it did in the smartphone market, with the spirit of repeating success and get the other manufacturers take note of where you have to work to be competitive - for real - in the market for tablets.

The partnership with ASUS has come round, and have gotten a tablet that has a lot to say thanks to the improvements made by Jelly Bean and the great hardware that both companies offer the user by 200 euros in its 8GB version, especially in the screen, and battery performance.

It is the perfect tablet but with that price and if you do not need an ecosystem with millions of applications are neither apple tree, is almost an offense not to add to your shopping list. The positive side effect for the consumer is that both the other brands that want to sell on Android as Amazon and Apple in some way, should already be thinking that a tablet quality at low prices is not a bad idea.

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