Google Nexus 7: What’s Good and What’s Not About New Google Tablet

Internet search giant Google recently launched the Google Nexus 7 tablet, to run on the latest iteration of the company's mobile operating software, Android 4.1 (Jelly Bean). The tablet will feature a 7in screen and should, it is expected, compete against budget models like Amazon's Kindle Fire.

The Nexus 7 will be manufactured by Taiwanese tech giant ASUS and the tablet is expected to be available in the UK, US, Canadian and Australian markets by the middle of July. Other features include the integration of technology like Near Field Communication (NFC) and a powerful battery of 4325mAh.

IBTimes UK runs the rule over the pros and cons of the Google Nexus 7 tablet...

Pros:

High Resolution Display: The Google Nexus 7 features a 7in IPS LCD capacitive touchscreen with a resolution of 800 x 1280 pixels and a pixel density of 216 pixels per inch (ppi). A review of the product by a CNET report suggests the Google Nexus 7 provides a wider viewing angle and sharper visual than many similarly-sized rivals, including the Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.0 Plus, the Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 (7.0), the BlackBerry PlayBook and the Amazon Kindle Fire. These challengers all feature a similar display resolution (600 x 1024pixesls, 170ppi). Meanwhile, AnandTech's analysis reveals the Google Nexus 7, with a ppi density of 216 actually beats the Apple iPad 2, ASUS' Transformer Prime and the 11in MacBook Pro. Predictably, it doesn't do quite so well against high end tablets like Apple's newer iPad, the MacBook Pro with Retina Display and ASUS' Transformer Pad Infinity.

Android 4.1 (Jelly Bean): Google announced the latest version of the Android operating system - 4.1 (Jelly Bean) at its recently held I/O conference. The much vaunted successor to Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich) Jelly Bean offers several stated improvements, including revamped User Interface (UI), a better notifications system and home screen management, as well as an improved voice search, text input with offline voice typing, camera and enhanced Android Beam app. Incidentally, the Google Nexus 7 will be the first device to run Jelly Bean.

Lightweight Tablet: The Google Nexus 7 measures a mere 10.45mm thick, making it a very portable tablet. It wins a fair few friends in the weight stakes as well. The Google Nexus 7 weighs 340g, which is similar to most of Samsung's 7in entries but lighter, crucially, than Amazon's Kindle Fire (413g) and Blackberry's PlayBook (425g).

Low Cost: The Google Nexus 7 tablet could find an attractive niche courtesy its pricing. The Nexus 7's 8GB model should enter the UK market at a very affordable £159, while the 16GB could cost £199.

Amazon remains something of pioneers in the low-cost tablet section. The company's 7in Kindle Fire was introduced at approximately £130. In what could, however, be bad news for Google, Amazon is reportedly planning to upgrade the Kindle Fire. The Kindle Fire 2 is expected sometime in the third quarter, meaning the company could drop the Kindle Fire's price to approximately £100.

Fast Processor: The Google Nexus 7 tablet will be powered by an Nvidia Tegra 3 quad-core processor clocked at 1.3GHz. This is the same processor that powers ASUS' Transformer Prime and the newly launched Acer Iconia Tab A700. Furthermore, Slash Gear confirmed Microsoft's newly launched Surface Windows RT tablet would, adding to the Tegra 3's reputation as a world-class chip.

Cons

Camera: The Google Nexus 7 will be equipped with a 1.2 megapixel front-facing camera but the tablet will not feature a rear-facing shooter and that is likely to be a disappoint, particularly since 7in rivals like the Samsung Galaxy Tab Plus 7.0 do. On the plus side, the Amazon Kindle Fire also does not offer a rear-facing camera.

No Expansion of Storage Space: The Google Nexus 7 will be offered with two storage options - 8GB and 16GB. Unfortunately, neither tablet will offer microSD compatibility for expansion of storage space.

Connectivity: The Google Nexus 7 does not offer 3G connectivity, which is something both of Samsung's 7in competitors do. The Nexus will have Bluetooth onboard but we are unsure which version this will be.