Log In  or  Join

Breaking: Nexus 7 review

Triangle-netbar
FLASH DANCE!
Share comparison:
start over
Verge score: 8.8 Verge score: 7.5 Verge score: 7.1 Verge score: 7.7

Announced at Google's 2012 I/O conference, the Nexus 7 is the first tablet to be part of the Google-produced Nexus line of Android devices and is built by Asus. It was designed to compete against other budget tablets like the Kindle Fire and Nook Tablet but differentiates itself with an unmodified version of Android 4.1.

Description

The Kindle Fire has a multitouch-capable 7-inch IPS display, a dual-core processor, and at 14.6 ounces, a pretty lightweight frame. The resolution on that screen is 1024 x 600. The battery is rated to last for eight hours of continuous reading or 7.5 hours of video playback (with WiFi switched off).

The Nook Tablet from Barnes & Noble features a low-glare ("fully laminated") 7-inch IPS LCD touchscreen display from LG, 16GB of internal storage, and 1GB of RAM. Its primary competition is Amazon's Kindle Fire, which costs $50 less.

The Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 7.0 is an Android 4.0 tablet with a 7-inch display. Similar in design to the original Galaxy Tab, the 10.5mm thin tablet has a 1GHz dual-core processor, 1GB of RAM, and 16 or 32GB of internal storage.

  • Status: Announced
  • Availability date: July 2012
  • Price at launch: $199.00

Availability

  • Status: Available
  • Availability date: Nov. 15, 2011
  • Price at launch: $199.00
  • Status: Available
  • Availability date: Nov. 17, 2011
  • Price at launch: $249.00
  • Status: Available
  • Availability date: Apr. 22, 2012
  • Price at launch: $249.99
  • Height: 7.82 inches
  • Width: 4.72 inches
  • Thickness: .41 inches
  • Weight: .75 pounds
  • Color: Black
  • Speakers: Mono

Hardware

  • Height: 7.5 inches
  • Width: 4.7 inches
  • Thickness: 0.45 inches
  • Weight: 0.91 pounds
  • Color: Black
  • Speakers: Stereo
  • Height: 8.1 inches
  • Width: 5 inches
  • Thickness: 0.48 inches
  • Weight: 0.88 pounds
  • Color: Gray
  • Speakers: Mono
  • Height: 7.63 inches
  • Width: 4.82 inches
  • Thickness: 0.41 inches
  • Weight: 0.76 pounds
  • Color: Black
  • Speakers: Mono
  • Screen size (diagonal): 7 inches
  • Technology: IPS LCD
  • Resolution (X): 1280 px
  • Resolution (Y): 800 px
  • PPI: 216
  • Touchscreen type: Capacitive
  • Multitouch: Yes

Display

  • Screen size (diagonal): 7 inches
  • Technology: IPS LCD
  • Resolution (X): 600 px
  • Resolution (Y): 1024 px
  • PPI: 170
  • Touchscreen type: Capacitive
  • Multitouch: Yes
  • Screen size (diagonal): 7 inches
  • Technology: IPS LCD
  • Resolution (X): 600 px
  • Resolution (Y): 1024 px
  • PPI: 170
  • Touchscreen type: Capacitive
  • Multitouch: Yes
  • Screen size (diagonal): 7 inches
  • Technology: Super PLS
  • Resolution (X): 600 px
  • Resolution (Y): 1024 px
  • PPI: 170
  • Touchscreen type: Capacitive
  • Multitouch: Yes
  • Operating system: Android
  • Launch OS version: 4.1

Software

  • Operating system: Android
  • Skin: Kindle
  • Launch OS version: 2.3.3
  • Operating system: Android
  • Skin: Nook Color
  • Launch OS version: 2.3
  • Notable apps: Hulu Plus, Netflix
  • Operating system: Android
  • Skin: Samsung TouchWiz
  • Launch OS version: 4.0
  • CPU brand: Nvidia
  • CPU family: Tegra 3
  • Clock speed: 1.3 GHz
  • Cores: 4

Processor

  • CPU brand: TI
  • CPU family: OMAP 4
  • CPU model: OMAP4430
  • Clock speed: 1 GHz
  • Cores: 2
  • CPU brand: TI
  • CPU family: OMAP 4
  • CPU model: OMAP4430
  • Clock speed: 1 GHz
  • Cores: 2
  • CPU brand: TI
  • CPU family: OMAP 4
  • Clock speed: 1 GHz
  • Cores: 2
  • Brand: Nvidia
  • Model: GeForce

GPU

  • Brand: Imagination Technologies
  • Model: PowerVR SGX540
  • Brand: Imagination Technologies
  • Model: PowerVR SGX540
  • RAM size: 1 GB

Memory

  • RAM size: 512 MB
  • RAM size: 1 GB
  • RAM size: 1 GB
  • Internal size: 8 GB, 16 GB

Storage

  • Internal size: 8 GB
  • Internal size: 16 GB
  • External storage: Yes
  • External storage support: microSD
  • Max external size: 32 GB
  • Internal size: 8 GB
  • External storage: Yes
  • External storage support: microSD
  • Max external size: 32 GB
  • Wi-Fi: Yes
  • Wi-Fi support: 802.11n, 802.11g, 802.11b, 802.11a
  • GPS: Yes
  • Bluetooth: Yes
  • NFC: Yes

Connectivity

  • Wi-Fi: Yes
  • Wi-Fi support: 802.11n, 802.11g, 802.11b
  • Bluetooth: No
  • Wi-Fi: Yes
  • Wi-Fi support: 802.11n, 802.11g, 802.11b
  • Bluetooth: No
  • 3G: Yes
  • UMTS / HSPA: Yes
  • UMTS frequencies: 2100, 1900, 900
  • WWAN data standards: HSPA+
  • Max. WWAN downlink speed: 21 Mbps
  • Wi-Fi: Yes
  • Wi-Fi support: 802.11n, 802.11g, 802.11b
  • GPS: Yes
  • Bluetooth: Yes
  • Bluetooth version: 3.0
  • Effective pixels: 1.2 megapixels

Front Camera

  • Effective pixels: 0.3 megapixels
  • Video resolution: VGA

Rear Camera

  • Effective pixels: 3 megapixels
  • Focus type: Fixed
  • Video out: Yes
  • Headphone: 3.5mm
  • Data connections: Micro USB

Ports

  • Headphone: 3.5mm
  • Data connections: Micro USB
  • Headphone: 3.5mm
  • Data connections: Micro USB
  • Video out: Yes
  • Headphone: 3.5mm
  • Data connections: Micro USB
Gyroscope, Compass / Magnetometer, Accelerometer

Sensors

Ambient Light, Accelerometer
Accelerometer
Proximity, Ambient Light, Compass / Magnetometer, Accelerometer
  • Capacity: 4325 mAh
  • Quoted use time: 8 hr

Battery

  • Capacity: 4400 mAh
  • Removable: No
  • Quoted use time: 7.5 hr
  • Capacity: 4000 mAh
  • Removable: No
  • Quoted use time: 9 hr
  • Capacity: 4000 mAh

Benchmarks

  • Quadrant: 2011
  • SunSpider: 2541.9 ms
  • The Verge Battery Test: 5 hour 47 minutes
  • Quadrant: 2302
  • SunSpider: 4169.1 ms
  • The Verge Battery Test: 6 hours 57 minutes