Google Nexus 7: A Work Tablet?
Category: Tablets, Notebooks
I recently wrote about how to turn a Kindle Fire into a "real" Android tablet and using Samsung's Galaxy Tab 2 7.0 for work-related tasks. So how does Google's first Android tablet, the Asus-manufactured Nexus 7, compare to these other 7-inch tablets as a work slate? I decided to find out.
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In BYTE's first look at the Nexus 7, Todd Ogasawara called it the best Android tablet that he'd used so far. This review dives more deeply into the tablet's Android 4.1 Jelly Bean user interface and functionality, and covers some useful apps for system customization and management, productivity, and more.
Three 7-Inch Choices: Nexus 7, Kindle Fire, Galaxy Tab 2 7.0
It's easy to see from the photo below that the Nexus 7 and the Galaxy Tab 2 7.0, its closest competitor, are much svelter than the Kindle Fire.
Top to bottom: Nexus 7, Galaxy Tab 2 7.0, Kindle Fire
But how do the tablets stack up otherwise? The table below compares the key specs of all three 7-inch tablets. Later in this review we'll zero in on the Nexus 7 vs. the Galaxy Tab 2 7.0, arguably the best two 7-inch tablets available today.
The specs alone tell us two things: the Kindle Fire is due for a hardware and software refresh; and the Nexus 7 and Galaxy 2 7.0 are fairly evenly matched, each with its pluses and minuses (more on that later).
| Google/Asus Nexus 7 | Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 (7.0) | Amazon Kindle Fire | |
| Processor | 1-GHz quad-core ARM CPU | 1-GHz dual-core ARM CPU | 1-GHz dual-core ARM CPU |
| RAM | 1GB | 1GB | 512MB |
| Internal flash | 8GB or 16GB | 8GB | 8GB |
| MicroSD flash expansion | No | Yes (up to 32GB) | No |
| OS | Android 4.1 (Jelly Bean) | Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich) | Android 2.3 (customized) |
| App store | Google Apps Marketplace | Google Apps Marketplace | Amazon |
| Screen (pixels) | 1280 X 800 | 1024 x 600 | 1024 x 600 |
| Camera | 1.2MP front | 0.3MP front 3MP rear | None |
| Audio input | Mic, line-in | Mic, line-in | |
| Wi-Fi | 802.11 a/b/g/n | 802.11 b/g/n; Wi-Fi-Direct | 802.11 b/g/n/x |
| Bluetooth | Yes | Yes | No |
| GPS | Yes | Yes | No |
| Battery | 4325 mAh | 4000 mAh | 4400 mAh |
| Hours battery life (continuous Netflix, full brightness) | ~ 5 | ~ 4 | ~ 3 |
| Size (inches) | 7.8 x 4.7 x 0.4 | 7.6 x 4.8 x 0.4 | 7.5 x 4.7 x 0.5 |
| Weight (ounces) | 12.0 | 12.2 | 14.6 |
| Price | $199 (8GB) $249 (16GB) | $249 (8GB) | $199 (8GB) |
Quick tour: Nexus 7
When it's first turned on, the Nexus 7 guides you through a few simple configuration steps, after which you'll arrive at the tablet's two default home screens (shown below).
The Nexus 7 default home screens.
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Tapping the widget in the middle of the dock at the bottom edge of either home screen switches the display to the all-apps and all-widgets view. The far left screenshot below shows icons for each of the 28 apps that were preinstalled on my Nexus 7. The other two screenshots show 12 of the tablet's 26 preinstalled widgets.
The Nexus 7 comes with 28 preinstalled apps and 26 preinstalled widgets.
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At this point, you can customize the home screens; add and remove app icons and widgets; create folders containing multiple app icons; and modify the home screen and lock screen backgrounds if you like. The first thing I always do is literally sweep the slate clean, by wiping away all the default app icons and widgets from the home screens. I then install my favorite home screen wallpaper and sideload a dozen-or-so system management apps.
