Nexus 7 2013 Review: The Best Small Tablet Got Even Better

Google's Nexus 7 was the best small tablet of 2012. Rather than mess with success, Google did something uncharacteristically conservative: It made little improvements here and there and left the rest mostly as is. The result? This year's Nexus 7 is more low rumble than tectonic shift, but it's still our new favorite tablet. For now, at least.

WHAT IS IT?

It's Google's new 7-inch tablet. The hardware was made by Asus, and the operating system is the latest and greatest pure Android experience from Google (Android 4.3 Jelly Bean). It starts at the very easy entry point of $230 for the 16GB Wi-Fi version.

WHO'S IT FOR?

Commuters, travelers. People who want their tablets to be as portable as possible. People who do a lot of reading on their tablets. Gamers. People who want a more capable e-book reader.

DESIGN

This tablet could fit in the rear pocket of a lot of people's jeans, and almost everybody's jacket. That's a huge advantage. It comes in at 7.87 x 4.49 x 0.34 inches, versus 7.81 x 4.72 x 0.41 inches on the 2012 Nexus 7. In other words it got only slightly longer, but noticeably narrower and thinner. It also only weighs 10.5 ounces verses 12 ounces for the last version. The result is a tablet that doesn't feel quite as bulky, which was one of the main knocks against the previous iteration. It has a soft-touch plastic back (non-removable) and sadly no removable battery or expandable storage slot.

Despite that slimming down, the new Nexus 7 got fat with pixels. Its HD IPS screen has a resolution of 1920 x 1200 for a pixel density of 323 pixels per inch (PPI). That's an unprecedented resolution from a tablet this size-or any size (the current-generation iPad has a PPI of 264, while the iPad mini is stuck at a sad 163. 

There are now two separate speakers-one on each side if you're holding it landscape-to give the tablet actual stereo sound. The whole thing is powered by a 1.5 GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro CPU, an Adreno 320 GPU, and 2GB of RAM (twice last year's). The micro USB port doubles as a SlimPort for mirroring your tablet to your TV (via an adaptor or a cable sold separately), and you can charge the tablet wirelessly via the Qi protocol. Oh, and it has a rear camera now. It's 5MP, but really, who cares?

USING IT

For starters, Android 4.3 is nearly identical to Android 4.2. It's a very incremental update. The most tangible new benefit is that Bluetooth 4.0 Low Energy is now supported. That means you can use it with new heart rate monitors and/or activity trackers like the Fitbit One. I tested it with the Withings Pulse and it worked flawlessly. There are a few other perks, like profiles you can set up to keep your kiddies from making in-game purchases. And there are some yet-to-be-quantified performance enhancements. On the surface that's about it.

In practice, the tablet itself hauls ass. Apps open up lightning-quick, scrolling is smooth, and it auto-rotates quickly, all things which my 2012 Nexus 7 has been failing to do lately. The reduced size makes it once again hands-down the easiest tablet to carry with you. Hand-fatigue, even on long subway rides, is extremely minimal.

Android tablet apps have come a long way over the last year, and while it still doesn't have as many truly optimized tablet apps as iOS, it's very nearly caught up, and most of the ones you care about look just as good on both platforms. Spotify, IMDB, Instagram, Kindle, Evernote, for example, are all solid. This is a different story from just a year ago. The good news is that even apps that aren't optimized don't look so bad when stretched to seven inches, since they're all made to work on phones that are 5.5-inches now anyway.

THE BEST PART

That would have to be the upgraded screen. It is absolutely gorgeous. Not only does text look sharper on it than on any other tablet to date, but it's very bright, and colors are wonderfully accurate. The old Nexus 7's screen had sort of an orange-ish tint to it; this year the whites look white. It blows every other small tablet out of the water. (Above: the new Nexus is on the left, the old Nexus is on the right.)

TRAGIC FLAW

The new Nexus features Qualcomm's Snapdragon S4 Pro processor. The HTC One and Samsung Galaxy S4 both use Qualcomm's newer, faster Snapdragon 600 processor, and soon devices will be released in the U.S. with the even fasterer Snapdragon 800 or Nvidia's Tegra 4. It is utterly baffling that Google/Asus would choose to go with an outdated processor. Yes, it's plenty fast now (faster than any tablet, but slower than the HTC One), but so was my 2012 Nexus 7, and now it's slow as hell. This seems like bad future-proofing, even if it did help keep the price down.

THIS IS WEIRD...

You may recall that 2012's Nexus 7 had some Wi-Fi issues. The Wi-Fi radio performed very inconsistently and struggled to deliver a solid connection. The new Wi-Fi radio performs better, but not by very much. We used the app Wi-Fi Analytics Tool from Amped Wireless and started walking down the block with both tablets, slowly getting further from our router. While the newer Nexus was often 10 or 20 dB better than the older one, it wasn't consistent. Sometimes the older one would even pull ahead. This is really the only place were the iPad mini beats the new Nexus 7 handily. Google and Asus had the chance to make this much better, and they didn't do much with it.

TEST NOTES

• The 4,345 mAh battery on the 2012 Nexus 7 actually got smaller, coming in at 3,950 mAh this year. This seems like it would be terrible move in theory. But in practice, battery life has been rock solid on this thing so far. It made it well through the day despite heavy usage, and it really sips power in standby mode, which is great. This is possibly due to improved display technology and/or the smarter processor. Or maybe it's Android 4.3. The jury is still out on why, but suffice to say it's very good.
• The stereo speakers are definitely an improvement. It's especially better when you're watching a movie or playing a game in landscape mode. They are also distinctly clearer, with less distortion. What they aren't, though, is louder. It seems that the old, single-speaker on the N7 actually pumped out more sound. Only by a little, but still, what a world. We definitely prefer the front-facing speakers on Google's 10-inch Nexus 10.
• While the differences from the previous version are subtle, this Nexus 7 feels much classier and more high-end (well, it is $30 more, I suppose). The last one felt thick and a bit clunky, with a slightly dotted plastic finish on the back. This one feels nice and trim, and the dots on the back have been replaced with a brushed, soft-touch plastic. It's smoother and better-looking, but it actually manages to be a little grippier, too. It's really nice.
• The front-facing camera has too narrow of an angle. If you're video chatting while holding the tablet at a comfortable distance, all your caller will see is a big close-up of your face. It's not a great look. HTC has been getting it really right with the wider angle on the front-facing cam. We tried to test the 5MP rear camera but were unable to get a steady shot while constantly punching ourselves in the face. (We kid. It takes fine pictures in bright daylight, but seriously, just use your phone instead unless you already have the tablet in your hands and Sasquatch is running past you.)
• The long-term performance of the previous Nexus 7 doesn't totally inspire confidence. Over time, it really got a lot slower, battery life got a lot worse, and mine still hasn't been updated to Android 4.3 (despite it being one of the first to be released). We want to believe that this tablet will last you at least a couple years, but some healthy skepticism is advised.
• There are a few versions: 16GB Wi-Fi only for $230, 32GB Wi-Fi only for $270, and a version with LTE for $350. T-Mobile has already confirmed that the LTE version will work on its network, so one would assume it will work on AT&T's as well. (You may be able to find the Wi-Fi modelsdiscounted to the tune of $25-$30.)

SHOULD I BUY IT?

Probably, but it's a tougher call than it should be. Google missed an opportunity to really pull ahead in the small tablet battle. Instead, it chose a still-good-but-definitely-outdated processor. This all but guarantees that the Nexus 7 will be surpassed in power and speed sooner rather than later. It's definitely an upgrade, but it's a little more incremental than we'd hoped it would be.

That said, this tablet is absolutely terrific and it's the one we'll be carrying with us for the foreseeable future. The screen is absolutely unsurpassed in the small-tablet category (or arguably any tablet category), and that's a big deal. It's simply a joy to look at, it's effortless to carry, it's extremely fast, and it's very cheap for how good it is. The 2013 Nexus 7 comes in at $230 for the 16GB Wi-Fi version, which is a cool $100 less than the not-nearly-as-good iPad mini with the same setup. Or it's $30 more than the Kindle Fire HD, though the Nexus 7 is better in virtually every way.

At the very least, though, it's probably worth waiting. While we'd definitely recommend this Nexus 7 over the current competition, keep in mind that the 2013 versions of the iPad mini and the Kindle Fire will probably be coming in the next few months. We'd bet the Nexus 7 will probably still be the best buy, but it doesn't hurt to sit tight.

Basically, we love this thing. We just can't shake the feeling that we'll be falling even harder for something else soon. Ah, l'amour. 

Google Nexus 7 2013 Specs

Display

: 7-inch 1920x1200 (323 PPI) LED-backlit IPS

Networking: Wi-Fi (LTE option)

Display: 1920x1200 (323 PPI) LED-backlit IPS

Processor:1.5GHz quad-core Snapdragon S4 Pro Processor

Memory: 2GB

Storage: 16GB/32GB

OS: Android 4.3 (Jelly Bean)

Camera: 5MP rear / 1.2MP Front

Dimensions: 7.87 x 4.49 x 0.34 inches

Weight: 10.5 ounces

Battery: 3,950 mAh Li-Ion

Price: $230-$270 Wi-Fi / $350 Wi-Fi + LTE

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How the new Nexus 7 and iPad Mini compare

Screen 

The new Nexus 7 has a 1,920x1,080-pixel 16:9 7-inch display, whereas the iPad Mini has a larger 4:3, 7.9-inch display at only 1,024x768 pixels. The iPad Mini's screen was bigger and better than the original Nexus 7, but the new Nexus 7 has the clear edge here -- although color quality, brightness, and viewing angles have yet to be determined.

Excited yet?

Processor/RAM 

The 2013 Nexus 7 has a 1.5Ghz Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 processor and Adreno 320 graphics, plus 2GB of RAM. Eric Franklin points out that these graphics match the Samsung Galaxy S4's, but the processing power isn't as impressive as an Nvidia Tegra 4 might be. In terms of gaming graphics, the Nexus 7 could have a big edge, thanks to being OpenGL ES 3.0 capable, which adds a lot of extra graphics effects to games.

The iPad Mini's processor is an A5, with performance similar to that of the fourth-gen iPod Touch and iPad 2. In short: it's a capable but older processor. And, it has only 512MB of RAM.

Storage size/price 

In small tablets, price is everything. On nearly every level, the Nexus 7 offers a better deal than the iPad Mini, and its storage configurations are less of a markup.

The 16GB Wi-Fi Nexus 7 costs $229, versus $329 for a 16GB iPad Mini. The 32GB Nexus 7 is only $269 -- $40 more -- but the 32GB iPad Mini costs $429, a $100 upgrade.

The Nexus 7 also has an LTE-ready 32GB model for $349, and it's unlocked to work across Verizon, Sprint, and AT&T. Apple's LTE iPad Minis are carrier-specific. A 16GB LTE Mini costs $459, and the 32GB version costs a whopping $559. The Mini also comes in 64GB configurations.

Design/color 

The Nexus 7 comes in just black. The iPad Mini comes in black as well as white/aluminum.

Cameras 

The new Nexus 7 has a 1.2-megapixel front camera and 5-megapixel rear camera. The iPad Mini does, too. We'll see which one takes better photos and video.

Wireless connectivity 

Both the Nexus 7 and iPad Mini support Bluetooth 4.0 for low-power connected wireless devices and 802.11n Wi-Fi, but the new Nexus 7 also supports NFC for near-field communication uses, like Google Wallet.

Operating system and apps 

The iPad Mini currently runs iOS 6 but will get iOS 7 capability this fall, and it runs the exact same apps and features as the larger Retina iPad, minus the Retina Display. The Nexus 7 comes ready with Android 4.3 Jelly Bean, a new version of Android with a few additional tweaks like multi-user settings, which also enables Bluetooth Smart, the low-energy Bluetooth element.

The iPad Mini already has Bluetooth 4.0, and iOS 7 is said to enable better support for Bluetooth accessories like game controllers and health monitors.

Apple has more tablet-optimized apps on the whole than Google, as well as a larger selection of games, but Google is making strides in gaming on Google Play.

Ports, extras 

The Nexus 7 has an HDMI output along with Micro-USB, and even has wireless charging. The iPad Mini has a Lightning connector for syncing and charging, and supports HDMI output, USB camera input, and SD card camera card importing -- with the purchase of accessories.

Conclusion (for now) 

The new Nexus 7 not only offers a better screen, processor, and bells and whistles, but it remains less expensive across the board than October 2012 iPad Mini.

The iPad Mini has a physically larger screen and the same wireless/camera capability, but it's clear that, right now, the Nexus 7 has a lot going for it. Of course, Apple's next iPads -- and perhaps a new iPad Mini -- may only be a couple of months away.

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Livestream: you can watch the new Nexus 7/Android 4.3 launch event here

We love the smell of fresh Android in the morning, don’t you? Of course you do, and, if you’re anything like us at Android Authority, you probably can’t wait to see what Google has in store for us today.

The chief of Android and Chrome OS development, Sundar Pichai, is expected to preside over today’s Google announcement. We look forward for him to show us a brand new Nexus 7 tablet, a new version of Android, and possibly a new media streaming service named Chromecast. Thanks to a steady stream of leaks, we know pretty much everything there is to know about the new Nexus and the 4.3 version of Android, but Chromecast is still in the realm of speculation, and we hope that Google still has a few more surprises for us today.

You don’t have to attend the San Francisco event with Sundar Pichai to witness live all the good stuff. As usual, Google is livestreaming on YouTube the entire event, and we’ve embedded it below for your viewing pleasure.

The stream is over, but check out our coverage.

• Play Store hits 1 million apps, 70 million Android tablets activated
• Android 4.3 rolling out to Nexus devices today, Google Play Edition phones to get it “soon”
• New Nexus 7 official: specs, features, availability
• Google Play Games app launched: a center for your Android gaming needs
• Android 4.3 Jelly Bean finally official – here’s what’s new

Stay tuned throughout the day for more information. With a little over four hours left, we’re in the final dash to what shapes out to be an exciting event.

As always, we’ll bring you all the news as it happens, so check back soon.

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New Nexus 7 release date is July 30 for Best Buy, alleged ad says

What looks like a leaked Best Buy ad seems to indicate that the new Nexus 7 will be launched next week, on July 30.

A few days ago, a similar leak suggested that Staples will start selling the new tablet on July 31, with shipments coming in as soon as July 24, which are to be kept under locked until launch.

The new Best Buy ad, discovered by Phone Arena, says the tablet will start selling “Tuesday.” Considering that next Tuesday is July 23 – and Google’s media event during which we believed the new Nexus 7 will be announced takes place on July 24 – it makes sense to assume that Best Buy would launch it a week later, on July 30.

The publication says that according to the tipster who sent the image, the Best Buy flyer is set to run next Sunday, or July 28.

While the July 30 date is implied rather than explicitly confirmed, the ad does clearly list the device’s price and some of its specs. We’re looking at a 16GB new Nexus 7 version that packs a 1920 x 1200 display, and costs $229.99, a price in line with previous leaks.

Furthermore, the tablet is listed as “Google Nexus 7″ and the device is apparently also shown in the ad, and marked as a “new” arrival. For what it’s worth, the device has a different wallpaper than the first-gen Nexus 7′s, similar to the current wallpaper of the Nexus 10.

That said, we’ll have to wait for Google to announce the tablet to get official details about its launch.

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New Nexus 7 press images apparently leaked, show certain features and hint Android 4.3 is on board

A popular Twitter account has posted the first alleged images of the new Nexus 7 tablet, showing some of the tablet’s features and hinting that it will run a new Android OS version right out of the box.

Considering  that we’re talking about, and that the image showing the front panel of the device has been spotted in an alleged Best Buy ad the other day, we’d say these images are showing us the real new Nexus 7, although there’s always a chance they’re fake.

As you can see, the wallpaper of the new Nexus 7 is different than the one the current Nexus 7 has in the Google Play Store. Interestingly, the time shown on the device is 4:30, suggesting the device will launch with Android 4.3 on board. A profile image of the new tablet is also available from the same source.

On the back, the Nexus logo now has a landscape orientation, rather than a portrait one as in the current model. The Asus logo is also present, also on the back.

The front and rear camera can be easily observed, as are the dual speakers, which you’ll find on the back (top and bottom). A notification light seems to be present on the front side.

Furthermore, this Nexus 7 image seems to show a cellular version of the handset, as a SIM slot can be observed on the lower right side of the device (on the left in the image showing the back of the tablet). Considering that such a feature would be present in press shots, it must mean the cellular version of the tablet will launch at the same time with the Wi-Fi model – presumably, there’s 4G LTE support in that version. As for storage capacity,  tweeted that the device will be available in 16GB and 32GB flavors, which is what we’ve heard so far.

The overall design is pretty similar with the current model, although the new Nexus 7 is slightly bigger and thinner. However, the display size has not changed. As you can see in one of the images above, a comparison between the two Nexus 7 generations is available to show the size difference, although we’ll note that it’s not provided directly  – instead it has been published by a different person, and then retweeted.

The new Nexus 7 is expected to be unveiled this week during Google’s July 24 media event.

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More press images of the new Nexus 7, with a new wallpaper

The new Nexus 7 is thoroughly leaked at this point, but, with still a few days until the official unveiling of the tablet, a few more leaked images can’t hurt, right?

After the ever resourceful evleaks showed us some clear shots of the Nexus 7 2, it’s time for the folks at Android Police to pull off a new Nexus 7 exclusive. The image gallery below doesn’t reveal anything new in terms details, although the new wallpaper you can see on the device is said to become the default wallpaper on devices running stock Android 4.3.

As a quick refresher, in terms of specifications the new Nexus 7 is rumored to feature a quad-core Qualcomm processor, a 1920 x 1200 7-inch display, 2GB of RAM, a 5MP camera, and 16GB/32GB storage options. We think that the device will be announced on July 24, with availability set to followjust before the end of the month.

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