Nexus 7 review

Nexus 7 review: Well worth the wait

Fast and light, Google's latest tablet is a good device on-the-go 

by Hiranand Sunny Naresh

Updated 01:50 PM Oct 10, 2012

SINGAPORE - More than two months after its launch on July 14 in the United States, Google's Nexus 7 tablet was finally made available on Sept 29. But I only laid my hands on a review unit last week, almost three months after its debut.

As expected, Android fanboys expected great things from it, and barring a few minor flaws, the Nexus 7 does not disappoint.

Like most tablets, it does look like an oversized smartphone but it is also slim and weighs just 340g, making it the perfect on-the-go entertainment gizmo.

The Nexus 7 is also blazing fast, thanks to its Android Jelly Bean operating system and quad-core Tegra 3 processor which can clock speeds of up to 1.2 GHz. I experienced no lag at all when switching between apps and videos loaded in a matter of seconds. It also downloaded apps from the Google Play store at lightning speeds, justifying its quadrant score of 3640.

Battery life was also decent, and I could browse the Web, watch videos, listen to music and play games for about 10 hours before plugging the Nexus 7 in. Its 216 ppi, 1280x800 HD display also made reading ebooks and magazines on MediaCorp's ilovebooks.com app a real joy and my eyes did not hurt even after poring over the expansive titles for hours.

I also like the fact that the Nexus 7 makes it very easy for users to fully customise their tablet. Apps and widgets can be arranged however you want, and folders are created by dragging one app over another. Users can personalise their tablet by changing the wallpaper using pictures from their gallery or pre-loaded designs.

But the Nexus 7 is not without its flaws. There is no expandable memory card slot so you will have to make do with the 16GB of storage on board. There is also no 3G connectivity, but tethering it to your smartphone's data connection to the Nexus 7 will keep you connected to Facebook and Twitter wherever you are.

The Nexus 7's 1.2-megapixel camera also takes decent photos but you will have to download a photo taking app such as Instagram first because the tablet has no dedicated camera app. Plus, the camera is front facing so you will not be able to see a preview of the picture you are taking.

Despite its flaws, I will still recommend the Google Nexus 7 if you are hunting for a 7-inch Android tablet, and will not need 3G connection. But if you already own an oversized Android phone like I do, this tablet is not the 'droid you are looking for.

Google's Nexus 7 is available for S$399 from major electronics stores. HIRANAND SUNNY



WE ANSWER YOUR QUESTIONS ABOUT THE NEXUS 7

Sportyreds and @sportyshili wants to know if we recommend getting the Nexus 7.

A. The Nexus is the only tablet on the market that comes with the latest version of Android (Jelly Bean). So if you want the latest and greatest, it is a compelling buy. It's slim, light and highly customisable (with apps and widgets), which makes it a very good device to have on the go - compared to bigger tablets. It's also very fast and a joy to watch videos on. Check out our video to see how fast it performs with apps and videos.



Facebook user Hiao Wee asked: "Where can I buy the 7-inch Nexus cover?"

A. The covers will also be sold at the stores listed above. Asus loaned us a pink cover and we are loving it!



More readers' questions answered on our Techtalk blog at http://tdy.sg/nexus7ans


 Source:  www.todayonline.com