NEXUS 7

GOOGLE'S NEXUS 7 MAY HAVE KICK-STARTED THE COMPACT TABLET PRICE WAR, BUT IT'S NO LONGER WORTHY OF THE BEST-VALUE CROWN

When Google's Nexus 7 arrived on the scene, it was the first quality compact tablet to retail for significantly less than 5300. Now, more than a year later, the 7in tablet finds itself sparring with a wide variety of keenly priced competitors.

The Nexus 7 doesn't look or feel like a budget tablet. It tips the scales at a modest 340g, the build quality is tough and sturdy, and the dimpled rubber rear is both attractively understated and pleasingly grippy.

If you look a little closer, you'll spy the Asus logo emblazoned on the all-black rear - there's a good reason why the Nexus 7 and the Asus Fonepad look alike, with their similar button arrangements and curved backs.

Upfront, the 800 x 1280 display puts in a solid performance. Brightness reaches an ample - if not stunningly bright - 330cd/m2, and the contrast ratio of 1100:1 ensures the Nexus 7 dredges up more than enough shadow and highlight detail to make watching movies and viewing photos a pleasure.

If there's a weakness, it's that the IPS panel struggles to reproduce the most saturated, vivid colours. Next to the best models here, such as Samsung's Galaxy Note 8.0, the Nexus 7's display left our test images Looking a little cold and washed out.

With Nvidia's Tegra 3 providing the Nexus 7's power, its performance remains competitive. The

1.3GHz quad-core processor achieved a score of 1469 in Geekbench, putting it in second place overall, and the average frame rate of 5.4fps in the GFXBench test was eclipsed only by the pricier iPad mini and Samsung Galaxy Note 8.0. In fact, the Nexus 7 only fell markedly behind in the Peacekeeper HTML5 and SunSpider JavaScript benchmarks.

In everyday use, however, the Nexus 7 is well up to the job. The Nvidia hardware is capable of running demanding games such as Real Racing 3 and Shadowgun at playable frame rates, and the stock version of Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean feels snappy and responsive.

Battery life is less promising, however, and the Nexus 7's non-removable 4325mAh battery produced a middling result in our rundown test. With the display at half brightness and Wi-Fi off, the Nexus 7 lasted 8hrs 48mins. That's fine for most purposes, but with the Asus Fonepad lasting well over 12 hours, the Nexus 7 is a little off the pace.

There are some obvious omissions to keep the price down, but the Nexus 7 is still well equipped. It has 802.11n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and NFC connectivity, plus GPS, a micro-USB port for charging and data transfer, and a 3.5mm audio output. The 32GB model is also available with 3G, too. In fact, the only glaring omissions are the lack of a microSD slot and the absence of a rear-facing camera - like the Fonepad, the Nexus 7 has only a 1.2-megapixel front-facing camera.

Google's Nexus 7 is a solid all-rounder, boasting good build quality and performance in a compact, attractive package, but it's no longer the unassailable bargain it once was. With Asus' multitalented Fonepad offering just a little more for the money, the Nexus 7 slips behind in the overall reckoning.

Posted By Lotfi Ben Taleb

Tunisian Blogger obsessed with technology news and innovations around the world. contact me

Thank You