Hot Demands for Google's Nexus 7 Lead to Supply Shortage
The Nexus 7 will be arriving in the UK, US, Australia and Canada in the middle of July this year. Google

The price point of the newly unveiled Google Nexus 7 tablet may make it an appealing choice for some but the lack of features could, analysts in a PC World report suggest, create a few problems. The 7in tablet will run on Android 4.1 (Jelly Bean) operating software and the ASUS-built device will come in two models - with 8GB and 16GB of internal storage space. The general consensus is that the Google Nexus 7 will be more of a threat to the Amazon Kindle Fire. The tablet should be available, for UK, US, Australian and Canadian markets, by the middle of July.

Check out how the Google Nexus 7 stacks up against the Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 7.0, which was announced in February

Display

The Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 7.0 features a 7in Super PLS LCD capacitive touchscreen. The resolution of the display is 600 x 1024 pixels with a density of 170 pixels per inch (ppi). The display features the TouchWiz UX user interface (UI).

The Galaxy Tab 2's display has less resolution and pixel density compared to the Galaxy Tab 7.7 but compared to the Galaxy Tab 7.0 Plus, the Galaxy Tab 2's screen is bright and gives better viewing angles, according to a review by The Verge.

Google's Nexus features a 7in back-lit In-Plane Switching (IPS) LCD capacitive touchscreen with scratch-resistant Corning Gorilla Glass. The resolution of the display is 800 x 1280 pixels with a pixel density comparatively higher than the Galaxy Tab 2 7.0 at 216ppi.

An analysis by AnandTech revealed the Google Nexus 7, with a ppi density of 216 beat the Apple iPad 2, ASUS Transformer Prime and the 11in MacBook Pro. It did not do as well against Apple's new iPad, the MacBook Pro with Retina Display and ASUS Transformer Pad Infinity.

Dimensions

The Galaxy Tab 2 measures 193.7 x 122.4 x 10.5mm and weighs 344g. The Nexus 7 measures 198.5 x 120 x 10.45mm and weighs 340g.

Both tablets carries similar physical dimensions and although the Nexus 7 is slightly thicker, it is a lighter and more portable tablet, compared to rival 7in tablets like the Blackberry PlayBook and Kindle Fire.

Operating System

The Galaxy Tab 2 runs on Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich (ICS)). The Nexus 7 will run on Android 4.1 (Jelly Bean). Both tablets pack 1GB of RAM.

Processor

The Galaxy Tab 2 is powered by a Texas Instrument (TI) OMAP 4 dual-core processor clocked at 1GHz. The Nexus 7 will run on the Nvidia Tegra 3 quad-core processor, which has been clocked at 1.3GHz.

Both chips - TI and Nvida, offer good value for money and are known powerful performers. The edge is, perhaps, with the latter, after reviews by The Verge suggested there were a few issues with delivery.

Camera

The Galaxy Tab 2 packs a 3.15 megapixel rear-facing camera with geo-tagging and smile detection. The camera can record video at 720p and 30 frames per second (fps). The device features a VGA quality secondary camera. The Google Nexus 7 has a 1.2 megapixel front-facing camera that has been designed for video calling and 720p video capture. unfortunately, it does not have a rear-facing camera.

Connectivity

The Galaxy Tab 2 offers Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n, DLNA, Wi-Fi Direct, dual-band, Wi-Fi hotspot and Bluetooth v3.0 with A2DP and HS. The tablet supports data speeds of up to HSDPA 21Mbps and HSUPA 5.76Mbps. The Nexus 7 will offer Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n, Bluetooth and Near Field Communication (NFC).

Storage

The Galaxy Tab 2 offers double the storage option, for each model, compared to the Nexus 7. Therefore, while the latter has 8/16GB models, the former has 16/32GB options. Samsung's product offers expansion by way of a microSD card slot, something Google's does not.

Battery

The Galaxy Tab 2 is powered by a Li-ion 4000mAh unit. A test, conducted by Engadget, suggested its battery could survive for a little over seven and a half hours, beating the endurance displayed by the PlayBook, Acer's Iconia Tab A500 and A100, the Toshiba Thrive and a few more.

The Nexus 7 will be powered by a Li-ion 4325mAh battery which is expected to survive up to nine hours.

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