Google Nexus 7 Pro Reviews

The Google Nexus 7 (2013) is more expensive than the original but sees a small change in the design, while its exceptional screen and added rear camera help justify this price hike. It’s still lacking a microSD card slot but for many people with be the best 7in tablet around. We now await the challenge of the Apple iPad mini 2.

Google has set a new standard for budget tablets with the Nexus 7. It's an unbelievably well-equipped device for such an affordable price. The silky smooth performance and high resolution IPS screen are the highlights for us. If you're looking for a tablet under £200 then look no further than the Nexus 7.

The Nexus 7 remains the best option for those on a budget - £159 is a steal. Apple's iPad mini is also a great device with a lot to like if you want to spend the extra money. While the Galaxy Note 8.0 is the most expensive (we await the cellular model price), you have to remember it's a phone and tablet in one device.

Samsung Galaxy Note 8.0 vs Google Nexus 7 There can be no two opinions here – the Samsung Galaxy Note 8.0 easily trumps the Google Nexus 7 by Asus in every aspect... as it should, because it comes out almost a year later! The bigger screen, S Pen, superior browsing, reading and multimedia experiences are enough to tip the scales in favor of the Note 8.0 here, meaning that it's easily the better tablet of the two. However, it also comes at a much higher price. When you think about it, the Nexus 7 is also one very capable tablet that can do many of the things the Note 8.0 does, although not as satisfyingly. In the end, if you are looking for a good tablet at a very affordable price, the Nexus 7 may be all that you need. On the other hand, if you're really searching for an amazing tablet experience and are ready to shell out some additional cash, don't think twice about it – just go for the Galaxy Note 8.0.

All of this is to say that if you're thinking about buying a tablet, you're still probably best off with an iPad. But if you're sold on a Nexus 7, I can't think of a good reason not to buy it with mobile data. I recommend buying the cellular version of any tablet, actually, but it's an even easier sell on this device. The deciding factor with other tablets is price: you pay a $130 premium on the iPad for LTE connectivity, and the Galaxy Tab 7.7 is only available for $399.99 from Verizon. At $299, the Nexus 7 costs only $50 more for the HSPA+ model — it's $100 more than the entry-level model, but you also get 32GB of storage instead of 16. Even if you don't plan on using the data plan, spend the extra $50 — I bet you'll end up using it. I'm already looking for ways to hack a SIM card slot into my own Nexus 7.

A fantastic little tablet at an unbelievable price, though it's not perfect for every need

If you want a cheap or small tablet, buy the Nexus 7; if you want the best performance, get the Nexus 10. And if both are too big for your needs, buy the Nexus 4 smartphone: Google owns the Android mobile market right now.

Powerful, well built and with a better screen than you’d expect for the price, Asus and Google's Nexus 7 sets the new gold standard for budget tablets

So that's that then - it's time we summed our experience with the Nexus 7. The short version is that Google and Asus have done a great job. If this is what Android slates looked like from the start, they wouldn't still be playing catch up with the iPad. The Google Nexus 7 is extremely fast, has all the major features covered and is priced incredibly attractively to make you easily forgive the few corners cut. Google could afford the luxury of selling the tablet at manufacturing cost and rely on other sources of revenue (apps and content) and it's great that they made it count. The Tegra 3-powered Google tablet offers performance incomparable to anything in its class, a sharp (if slightly washed out) screen and great build quality (aside from a few units with faulty screens). The stock Google experience might not be as feature-rich as some custom skins, but changing the launcher on Android is a dead simple task.

The Nexus 7 is the best small tablet on the market, but we'd rather tether it to a 4G smartphone than use the built-in modem here.

Thanks to some of the new features in Android 4.2, the Nexus 7 gets mostly better with age, but should you buy it? While that decision will depend on what your needs are, the Nexus 7 is still the overall best small tablet. The Kindle Fire HD has a better screen and excels as a pure media consumption device, especially if you're an Amazon Prime member. The Nook HD's higher-resolution screen delivers sharper movies and books, and its thin, grippy design makes it a joy to hold. The Nexus 7 delivers with a low price, a comfortable design, and its trump card: the latest and greatest version of Android. Android 4.2 seamlessly builds on version 4.1 with useful features like multiuser, lock screen customization, and Gesture Type. It's also a complete and open Android experience, and unlike the Fire HD and Nook HD, the Nexus 7 features a full, uncurated apps store.

Value is something that’s profoundly in the minds of consumers, especially in this unpredictable economy we’re in right now. At $200, there’s clearly a ton of value found with the Google Nexus 7, while at the same time, it’s wonderful to know that it’s not going to drain your pockets entirely. Frankly, its design pales in comparison to the premium nature of the iPad mini, but it’s actually sporting some impressive hardware under the hood – like it’s higher resolution display and quad-core processor. In addition, the Android 4.1 Jelly Bean experience has the edge over iOS 6 over on the iPad mini. So why would anyone side with the $330 priced iPad mini? As we’ve made it obvious already, its premium design and construction is in a league of its own – blowing away what the Nexus 7 has to show. On top of that, there’s a rear camera that some people will find beneficial in those unpredictable moments when something needs to be captured. And even though the software experience doesn’t match the level found with its rival in some aspects, it’s both effective and functional in keeping us productive at the same level.

Google’s Nexus 7 isn’t just an excellent tablet for $200. It’s an excellent tablet, period. In fact, it’s the first Android tablet that I can confidently recommend to buyers — and not just because it’s got a low price tag (though that certainly helps). It’s a well-designed, powerful, and useful product, with lots of bells and whistles that makes it feel like a device that should be more expensive than it is. There are still issues that need to be addressed — particularly around growing the tablet app footprint and expanding content offerings — but I don’t think those are deal breakers. The Nexus 7 delivers way more functionality than I expected, and it delivers it in a package that’s sleek, smart, and affordably priced. Believe it or not, the last time I was surprised by a product with those same qualities, it was called the iPad.

I admire both Google and ASUS for producing a tablet with the pretense that the Nexus 7 was developed under: a high-quality, low-cost device to mass produce for the market that meets most user requirements and is, most importantly, small and light. In that respect, the Nexus 7 is an absolute success. There is no tablet user or prospective buyer who shouldn’t in their right mind take a look at the Nexus 7 at the very least. And even if they feel like it’s an impulse buy, $200 for a tablet is not a major regrettable investment. But if you want the absolute best in a tablet, the Nexus 7 does leave a lot to be desired. First and foremost, the 8/16GB storage is pitiful, and no expandable storage, while understandable in today’s marketplace, is something we all want. From Google and ASUS both, it’s just odd to see this headlining device is the most closed-off handheld they’ve released yet. Second is the display, which is decent, but certainly not great and far worse than competing screens like the iPad, TF700T, or even smaller screens like the equally-priced Kindle Fire HD and Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.7. The two companies didn’t have to go all-out with the Nexus 7, but the one thing you don’t want to do wrong is make a poor display; the Nexus 7′s isn’t bad, but it does leave a lot to be desired.

Admittedly, the Nexus 7 needs a 3G version for true data portability, an absence which might deter some. Likewise, it can't match the media choices of Apple or Amazon and it won’t give the massive battery life of an e-ink reader either. Even so, the Nexus is good enough to make it a logical choice for anyone thinking about a smaller tablet for reading or watching video while out and about, and it's a steal at the price.

Put simply, Google nailed it with the Nexus 7 tablet. It took aim at the Kindle Fire and it hit its mark, creating a tablet that's not only equally affordable at $200 (or $250, $50 more than the Fire if you want the 16GB version), but also more powerful and feature-packed. Aside from its quad-core processor and a newer, improved version of Android, the Nexus 7 also has access to the Google Play store, giving users a wider selection of apps. Tack on a sexier build and a front-facing camera for video chatting and it starts to become clear that the Nexus 7 can do everything the Fire can do, but better. The Nexus 7 may not be perfect -- the odd button placement, horrific speaker, and the Tegra 3 processor not quite living up to the very high standards that are expected of quad-core chips, for instance -- but it sure is close. For $200, the Nexus 7 is the best of both worlds: it's a great deal without any compromise. It's the best budget tablet out there because with its high-end specs it is, in fact, not a budget tablet at all.

The best 7-inch Android tablet you can buy today, the Nexus 7 delivers solid performance and usability at a value price; but it also has at-times funky text rendering and its lack of a microSD card slot makes the 16GB model the better option.

In all seriousness, we have to first applaud Amazon for bringing to market a worthy competitor to the budget level Android tablet market, which is a nice upgrade over the original Kindle Fire from last year. Even though it packs along some appreciable features that are absent on the Google Nexus 7, like its microHDMI port and double the storage capacity, it’s still not enough to offset the comprehensive features found with the full Jelly Bean experience of the Nexus 7. As we’ve detailed previously, diehard Amazon users will shout with joy over the Kindle Fire HD’s close ties to Amazon’s various services, but it simply pales in comparison to the overwhelmingly deep features and superb functionality found with the Nexus 7. In the end, if you’re looking to shell out $200 for a tablet in the near future, our bet is to invest it into the soundly more adept Google Nexus 7 – especially when you know it’ll continue to reap all the benefits of being one of the flagship devices for the platform.

Overall the Nexus 7 is a great table that currently has no competition whatsoever. It clearly outperforms the Kindle Fire as it features a faster processor and full Android 4.1 operating system. Google+ integration is definitely a nice tool that can make your life easier. The battery life is also good, close to 10 hours, so it is enough for a whole day of entertainment. It’s not heavy, it fits the hand nicely and it has a beautiful 1280x800 screen, perfect for ebooks and magazines. It will play demanding games, play HD video and at just $199 it is without a doubt the best bang-for-buck tablet on the market today. The $249 16GB version is also a good deal and since the Nexus 7 has no microSD slot, it might be a worthwhile investment. Build quality is good, the soft, rubberized finish on the back feels pleasant and durable. The lack of a rear facing camera could be an issue for some users, but you will have to learn to live without it. In any case, if you are in the market for 7-inch tablet this is definitely the device to go for and we really can’t recommend it enough.

Never has an Android tablet felt so clean, uncluttered, and customizable right out of the box. The ease-of-use and silky smooth software is presented in a tight-fitting chassis and with a display that is simply unmatched at this price range. Android aficionados can absolutely pick this up without hesitation as all core functionalities work and perform flawlessly with no hiccups or any flashy visual flare. The hardware side, although by no means bad, is less impressive than the software it runs. The case feels a bit less firm than the Kindle Fire, physical connectivity options are limited, the camera is average, and the brightness could have been improved. But in the end, we feel that the lighter weight, higher resolution, superior aesthetics, and less reflective glossy screen more than make up for the shortcomings. For all intents and purposes, the Google tablet trounces the Kindle Fire and other similarly priced tablets. The low $200 MSRP may convey a sense of no frills mediocrity and quality when in fact the Nexus 7 carries the same powerful processor found in current high-end Android tablets and smartphones for a price similar to budget or second-rate mobile devices. This, combined with priority updates and the pure Android experience that it shares with the Nexus smartphones, could be an advantage significant enough for users to purchase a Nexus 7 over even more expensive tablets.

The Nexus 7 is the absolute best 7” tablet . With no questions it offers way more bang for the buck than the Kindle Fire. Tablets are mostly used for entertainment, and Google pushed the envelope on that front like there is no tomorrow, making sacrifices in the right places, like going with only one front camera and providing only 2 ports. Knowing how hard it is to manufacture a low-cost tablet with a great display, a decent build and battery life, the Nexus 7 is a “tour de force” in terms of product design, of course we do not know if Google makes any money out of it, the company is well known for throwing cash at any market it wants to take over (think YouTube) – but who cares? The device is a killer for gaming and watching videos, we can just tell by looking at the graphic performance and TegraZone games. The IPS display is great to look at whether you browse the internet, read books, flick through your photos, or watch a movie. Last but not least, the design is still quite elegant and the device gets a good quality build with a very light and well balanced body (only 340 grams – 0.4” thin)

The Nexus 7 is an amazing package for something that costs a penny less than $200. It feels like something that could sell for much more. It has a great screen, solid performance and a clean, clear, uncluttered version of Google's latest operating system, Jelly Bean. From a pure hardware standpoint it beats the Kindle in every way possible -- except for content. Amazon's selection almost always trumps that of Google's, both in terms of variety and cost, but that's one wonderful problem to have, because almost all of that content is just as available on the Nexus 7 as it is on the Fire. The only major exception is Amazon Instant Video, and with Netflix, we can live with that. So, while we tend to prefer larger tablets that better differentiate themselves from phones, if you've been toying with the idea of getting a real Android slate but didn't want to spend big bucks for a big device, this is what you've been waiting for. This is the best Android tablet for less than $200 and the best budget 7-inch tablet on the market. For the moment. The race to the bottom in the tablet space is, after all, just getting started and, if the Nexus 7 is any indication of what's to come, we're in for a very good ride.

Google and ASUS put some time and effort into designing this tablet, and it shows. The Nexus 7 is very responsive, and some of the extra widgets and controls found in the OS add to the overall enjoyment of using the tablet. Google says Jelly Bean is the fastest and smoothest version of Android to date. From our tests, we'd have to agree: Jelly Bean was very responsive and we didn't experience any hiccups during our hands-on time with the Nexus 7. There are plenty of other 7-inch tablets on the market today, including the popular Kindle Fire and Nook Tablet. For a relatively similar price, we feel the Nexus 7 is much more attractive than either of these tablets since it provides a full Android experience without bloatware, as well as a powerful processor that can handle demanding games and content. All in all, we feel Google and ASUS have a hit on their hands with the first Nexus tablet. Although the 7-inch form factor is popular at the moment, we also like what 10-inch tablets have to offer. Now that we've seen the first Nexus tablet in action, we're hoping Google continues to expand their line-up with a 10-inch model that's equally as powerful and as much fun to use.

We don’t agree with Google that the Nexus 7 is a no-compromise tablet. If that were true, it would have microSD expansion capability and also a cellular data option. The exclusion of these two features is peculiar: you can’t endlessly download content because of the limited 8GB or 16GB of storage, nor can you stream content from anywhere because you need to stay within reach of WiFi. Regardless, these limitations, plus the others listed above, become less of a concern when we bear in mind the breakthrough price. If you’re considering a Kindle Fire or Nook Tablet…don’t: get this instead. If you’re considering an Android tablet for work, play, and everything else, the Nexus 7 is an impressively good choice.

Honestly I think ASUS and Google have really done an excellent job here with the Nexus 7. The combination of a quad core SoC, IPS panel, solid construction, and the latest version of Android all for such a killer price point pretty much make it hard to really find any faults. Sure, it'd be useful to have a full size USB host port, microSD slot (though no Nexus has shipped with one since Nexus S), 5 GHz WiFi (Nexus 7 is 2.4 GHz only), or cellular, but the tablet wouldn't be $199 anymore. I also really feel like the 7 inch diagonal form factor is an ideal one, and the Nexus 7 is quickly growing on me.