
Google Unveils The New Nexus 7 Android Tablet - talhof8
http://techcrunch.com/2013/07/24/google-unveils-the-new-nexus-7-android-powered-tablet/
======
igravious
Like many of you here I have a Nexus 7. I got it as a present cuz I didn't see
why I'd need a tablet what with having a smartphone and nice laptop. I could
never justify the price of an iPad cuz I'm not really that well off.

The Nexus 7 is a joy to use. It's light, the screen is great - it's quick (I
got my daughter a Kindle Fire and sometimes you can see that device straining
a bit: eg. load times on Despicable Me (I know! I know!) The Nexus 7 battery
is great and I love getting the very latest Android s/w pushed to the device.
It's a great device for consuming media: books, audio, video. Stock Android is
a nice reference platform. Can't wait for Jelly Bean 4.3 real soon now. I
would recommend a Nexus 7 to anyone considering a tablet on a budget. I just
have to figure out how I can justify splashing out on the 2013 Nexus 7 :) I
know I must sound like a total shill but I really was surprised at how far
Android has come and how polished and optimized it is on the Nexus 7.

That is all :)

~~~
igravious
I should add that Jelly Bean was the first version of Android that I noticed
to lose all traces of lagginess and be comparable response-wise to any iPhone
or iPad I've used. Apple nailed this UX from the get-go, it took a while for
Google to nail this I feel; also perhaps unoptimized Android devices were not
helping matters. My HTC and Nexus, both with Jelly Bean are as smooth as, um,
butter.

~~~
mrbrowning
I don't want to over-generalize based on one data point, but on my Galaxy
Nexus I noticed that 4.2 pretty handily undid all of the improvements that 4.1
managed in this arena. It was indeed a paradise of smoothness for that one
point release, though.

~~~
yareally
I'll be building 4.3 for the gnexus after it syncs, so we'll see how it is.

~~~
yareally
Anyone wondering, it's performing faster than 4.2 on the gnexus imho. Battery
life is the same though. Superuser is problematic unless you undo a change in
one of the /davlik files[1]. That makes the system partition mount without
nosuid as it did before Android 4.3. The other solution is uglier, using
SuperSU (which is closed source) and runs as a hacky service that most apps
are not compatible with yet.

[1]
[https://android.googlesource.com/platform/dalvik/+/9907ca3cb...](https://android.googlesource.com/platform/dalvik/+/9907ca3cb8982063a846426ad3bdf3f90e3b87c2)

------
rayiner
Not so psyched to see that it's still got a 16:10 screen. One of the things I
love about my iPad mini is that it's actually usable in portrait mode for
reading PDFs and Word documents on the go. That said, I'm hoping the increased
screen resolution will make it practical to just zoom out a bit more and just
hold the device closer to my face...

Also really happy to see the LTE. I think having LTE on the go is crucial, and
a 7-8" tablet is the right place to put it. Much of the time I use my iPad as
an LTE hotspot (it get _way_ better battery life in that use-case than any
stand-alone LTE hotspot or tethered phone).

~~~
derekp7
I recently (just a few days ago) picked up the 9 inch tablet from B&N (Nook
HD+) just for reading PDFs. After zooming in to trim off the margins, I find
them very readable on this device (similar resolution to the new Nexus 7).

Question, however, about the need for LTE on a tablet. Assuming you have your
phone with you normally, why not just use your phone's hotspot feature to get
the tablet online? Or, turn on bluetooth tethering if you want to have your
tablet online all the time, with minimal power drain.

~~~
JeremyNT
I do the tethering thing with the Galaxy Nexus. There really is no need for a
dedicated modem in the tablet, at least not in my case.

I think one reason consumers prefer devices with their own modems is
(intentional?) UI friction which makes "tethering" less convenient. In stock
Android you cannot configure a device such that it will "use wireless if
available, tether if not," which is what you really want to happen. It is
possible to achieve something like this with third party apps, however.

~~~
solnyshok
Do you use such app? Could you point me to it?

~~~
JeremyNT
Sure. There are multiple components, and I think it requires root (can't
recall for sure):

* Force the phone to enable bluetooth tethering on every boot with Bluetooth Auto Tether: [https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=de.refluxa.and...](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=de.refluxa.android.bat&hl=en)

* Install Bluetooth Auto Connect on the tablet, which allows for the tablet to connect to the phone automatically: [https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=de.refluxa.and...](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=de.refluxa.android.bac&hl=en)

* Use an automation app (I prefer Llama [https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=de.refluxa.and...](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=de.refluxa.android.bac&hl=en) ) to configure Bluetooth Auto Connect to happen when (e.g.) "screen on" and "wireless not connected", and configure it to disable Bluetooth Auto connect when "screen off" or "wireless connected." Add small delays here to avoid race conditions.

It all seems needlessly complicated, but the end result is that the device
will tether if it is awake and cannot find wireless, and it will disconnect
from the phone when it goes to sleep or when it does find wireless, which is
exactly what I want.

------
nileshtrivedi
So 4.3 fixes neither the ad-hoc WiFi issue #82 nor the audio latency issue
#3434. I will continue to pass as those are the deal breakers for me.

It’s amazing – these two have been pending for more than 4 years. Google
hasn’t cared to even comment on the former while thousands of users beg them
to:
[https://code.google.com/p/android/issues/detail?id=82](https://code.google.com/p/android/issues/detail?id=82)

~~~
kllrnohj
> So 4.3 fixes neither the ad-hoc WiFi issue #82 nor the audio latency issue
> #3434.

Low latency audio is "fixed" on the Android side, it needs better device
support though. Apps need to actually support the fast path as well, which I
don't think many do.

[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d3kfEeMZ65c](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d3kfEeMZ65c)

I don't know if the new Nexus 7 supports the low latency audio path, though.
But Android itself _does_ have low latency audio, it's a device-specific thing
though.

~~~
nileshtrivedi
Yes, there has been progress on this (separately on input latency and output
latency). I don't think all the improvements have been pushed out yet (even on
supported devices).

------
brbcoding
2012/2013 Comparison Chart
[http://i.imgur.com/Q6XORYy.png](http://i.imgur.com/Q6XORYy.png)

------
6ren
GPU review (Adreno 320, in the Snapdragon S4 Pro)
[http://www.anandtech.com/show/6112/qualcomms-quadcore-
snapdr...](http://www.anandtech.com/show/6112/qualcomms-quadcore-
snapdragon-s4-apq8064adreno-320-performance-preview)

Less powerful than GPU in iPad 3 (or iPad 2 in some benchmarks); but of
course, it's got a smaller display too.

------
davidw
My laptop from several years ago has a 1920x1200 screen. WTF can I get a 7"
tablet with one, but not a laptop, in this day and age?!

~~~
bobbles
My work laptop has a 14" 1366x768 display.. The pixels :(

~~~
gtirloni
Since the new LCDs are very expensive, putting them on a laptop with 14-16"
screen might make the laptop price go above a certain threshold for buyers.
Tablets and smartphones with smaller screen might give the buyers a sense of
"not too expensive".

Samsung will soon have a 3200x1800 display in their ATIV Book 9 Plus.

------
nilsbunger
Great specs. The bezel feels a bit big and clunky though. I suspect there's no
easy way to hide the battery needed for the hi-res screen...

~~~
nicholassmith
That was my first impression, the top of bezel looks _huge_ in comparison with
the rest of the device.

~~~
psbp
It's supposedly designed to hold comfortably in landscape. It coincides with
the chromecast release, where your primary layout is going to be landscape to
match the t.v. display.

~~~
mcintyre1994
It definitely seems to be designed for landscape - just look at the
orientation of the word Nexus on the back. I'm not sure I agree about the
Chromecast thing though, I think it's more that the media they want you to buy
is better in landscape (possible exceptions being books, a matter of
preference, and some games). Chromecast seems to be about the device specifics
not really mattering, it's not a mirror so it doesn't need to be the right way
or even awake.

~~~
psbp
The youtube and netflix streaming aren't orientation specific, but the tab
sharing and maybe even other media options like chrome games
([http://www.chromeexperiments.com/](http://www.chromeexperiments.com/)) are.

~~~
mcintyre1994
Ah, gotcha. I think I missed them demoing tablet chrome tab sharing, seems
obvious it'd be included but I didn't think of it. Really neat though.

------
general_failure
The biggest advantage of Nexus over iPad is the plastic back that the Nexus
have. I hate, absolute hate, loate the meta back of iPad. It sends shivers
down my body everytime I touch it.

~~~
hollerith
Same here!

Specifically, although I am not bothered by the exteriors of an early-2011
iPad and a mid-2011 Mac mini, I returned a mid-2013 Macbook Air because it
made the hair on the back of my neck stand up to touch its aluminum-alloy
exterior.

About when was the iPad that you hate made?

My email is in my profile. If you give me a way to contact you, I would update
you on any new information I get about this issue.

------
dspillett
The and the other mentions I've seen don't take about wireless capabilities so
I assume it hasn't changed, butin case anyone here is better connected than I
and knows different: have they updated the WiFi hardware to support 5GHz
802.11n as well as 2.4GHz?

------
patrickod
I've loved using my Nexus 7 for the last year. Great device at a brilliant
price point. Really looking forward to using 4.3 on this too.

------
ixnu
The biggest upgrade for me is "[that] battery life offers 9 hours of HD
playbook and 10 hours of web browsing." I can only manage about 4 hours for my
2012 N7 and it's my biggest complaint for an otherwise perfect tablet.

~~~
brokenparser
Luckily, Android has a battery usage overview in system settings which tells
you exactly what the culprits are at what percentage.

------
AVTizzle
What does "Virtual 5.1 Surround Sound System" even mean in the context of a
_mini_ _tablet_ ??

------
purephase
Well, that does it. I was waiting to see if BlackBerry would do something with
their tablet line before the next Nexus 7 announcement and nada.

Looks like I'll have to pick one of these up.

(And, I know what the comments are going to be but the Playbook is an
underrated device IMO. For the price, it has some decent specs (for it's age)
and as a browser/ereader it's great, but the fact that they dropped OS10 after
promising it has me peeved.)

------
zbinga
If this had [micro]SD card support, I would be pre-ordering one right now.

~~~
cheald
It's worth noting that you can use an OTA cable to plug a USB jumpdrive into
it just fine.

~~~
brewdad
Can you still? It looks like the Gen2 version has implemented SlimPort instead
of the OTG port used on Gen1. This is a confusing decision in light of the
Chomecast announcement.

------
freshrap6
I wonder which is a better deal for a new tablet owner. A 2012 N7 or a 2013
N7? Seems like a lot of people are satisfied with their N7 and it is getting
the new software update. Should I go for the new or stick with last year's
model?

~~~
smlacy
If you're looking for a good deal, just get one of the Asus MeMo 7" tablets.
Basically the same as the N7, but $99.

~~~
barake
The older Asus MeMo 7" is $99, but has worse specs than a 2012 Nexus 7 (lower
res, single vs quad core).

Asus is about to start shipping their new MeMo HD 7" for ~$150. On paper, it's
somewhere between the 2012 and 2013 Nexus 7.

------
trotsky
Out of curiosity, how do those krait cores compare to the exynos a15 based
cores that samsung is shipping in volume? I've been very impressed with their
performance on chromeos as compared to older ip. With xen now building with
a15 hvm support it would seem to make it easier to make use of that 2g of ram.
It's hard to believe that android is really going to do much with that aside
from the browser.

~~~
mtgx
The A15 is quite a bit more powerful, even with lower clock speed. Cortex A15
supports hardware virtualization. I'm not sure if Krait supports it yet.

------
incision
I wonder, can we expect another line-up shuffle towards the end of the year?
I'm not itching to upgrade my N7 16GB, but I have someone in mind to pass it
down to.

I'm on an unlimited plan with Verizon, if I could run multiple devices on the
same plan without a premium I'd be highly inclined toward the LTE model.

------
pstuart
No micro sd card support? They don't have to try and emulate Apple on
everything...

~~~
dmm
They don't want to deal with FAT.

~~~
ergo14
You could use ext3/4 FS on sdcard. The reason gooogle doesn't want SD slot is
probably because they want users to use their cloud instead.

------
shmerl
I wonder how soon will Freedreno + Wayland + Plasma Active mix be ready on
this device.

------
designmatty
My only wish is for a more sturdy display. My Nexus cracked by tapping the
screen on the edge of my counter when putting it down and was completely
unusable. That being said, it was amazing while I had it.

------
Apocryphon
So they're going to keep the number at 7 to continue the Blade Runner
reference? So it's really the 2013 Nexus 7.

~~~
jaredmcateer
Their naming convention is based on flooring the size of the device, not
iteration:

Nexus 4 - 4.7" phone

Nexus 7 - 7" tablet

Nexus 10 - 10.1" tablet

~~~
ja27
I wish they'd called it the Nexus 7.2 or something more distinctive.

~~~
dfrey
Calling it the "Nexus 7v2" would have made sense, but "Nexus 7.2" does not
because people will think that the screeen is 0.2 inches bigger than the old
version.

------
drewying
Same price I assume?

------
dbc123
great read.

------
rorrr2
I wonder if they ever resolved the storage deterioration problem.

"One year later, the Nexus 7 has gone from the best to worst tablet I’ve ever
owned"

[http://androidandme.com/2013/06/opinions/one-year-later-
the-...](http://androidandme.com/2013/06/opinions/one-year-later-the-
nexus-7-has-gone-from-the-best-to-worst-tablet-ive-ever-owned/)

~~~
deelowe
Both my n7 and galaxy nexus have this type of problem. It seemed to start when
I got close to using up all the available storage(due to google music
caching). I cleared up some space(down to 30% used) and the issue has
persisted. No recent updates have fixed the issue. On my GN, it's so bad that
using google now, the navigation confirmation times out before it ever shows
the dialog. Also, sometimes pages refuse to load in chrome and a hard reset is
all that will fix it. It's a real issue, but not everyone seems to have the
problem. This leads me to think it's probably hardware related(memory
bin/batch perhaps?).

~~~
igravious
Do you know how to run logcat[1] after connecting a USB cable and enabling USB
ebugging and downloading and install Android SDK? It's not that hard. You may
see some error messages in the output. That might give you a clue.

Otherwise back everything up (this is not that hard at all) and do a reset. If
you navigate to Google Play on a PC you'll see a list of your devices and have
a history of all the apps you ever installed and you can reinstall them
remotely from the PC. It's cool to see them pushed from the PC through the
cloud to your mobile device. Just make sure to back up your contacts (should
be automatic by Google I've found, don't ask me how ... but anyway you can
make a backup to be sure to be sure by going into contacts and playing
around), your SMSes (I use SMS backup app for this to do this automatically),
any pics (though you should be using dropbox to do this automatically) and so
on.

I'm not saying that this should be happening. It's crap that it is. Maybe
Android _is_ the new Windows. Quick ... defrag!

[1]
[http://developer.android.com/tools/help/logcat.html](http://developer.android.com/tools/help/logcat.html)

~~~
deelowe
> If you navigate to Google Play on a PC you'll see a list of your devices and
> have a history of all the apps you ever installed and you can reinstall them
> remotely from the PC.

Yeah... About that... Google removed that feature.

~~~
igravious
What feature? Are you sure? I just remotely installed an app to test it out.
Google Play still has a My Apps section. And if you go to
[https://play.google.com/settings](https://play.google.com/settings) you'll
see your devices. Which feature do you think is gone?

~~~
deelowe
Ahh, they moved it to another spot. For weeks I thought they removed the
feature altogether.

------
abdel
Thank you. I'll keep using my Nokia n900

------
thret
'Wi-Fi models available in the U.S. July 30, LTE edition and global models “in
the coming weeks”'

Wi-Fi should be included with every model IMHO.

~~~
axelf
I assumed they meant "WiFi only models"

------
lnanek2
Pretty boring spec increase. If they were an OEM they'd have to try to
distinguish themselves, but it isn't life or death for them, so I suppose a
boring entry is par for the course.

They aren't even keeping pace with Samsung's IR camera gesture support or
HTC's all metal body and TV remote capability we're seeing on phones.

~~~
morsch
Well, boring as in extremely high specs for a very low price. I don't really
need more distinguishment than that.

~~~
aroch
It's using last year's SoC, basically a two year old GPU and it still has a
paltry amount of RAM (They count all the RAM, including CPU and GPU buffers).

Still, this is a better showing of "cheap but good" than the original N7...I'm
rather disappointed in mine and it's been relegated to being the Jukebox in my
house

~~~
morsch
Is there anything with better bang/buck available? I must admit I haven't
really looked since the Nexus 7 always seemed extraordinary in that regard.
Same for the Nexus 4. Maybe I'm victim to some new kind of RDF.

~~~
happycube
Arguably the Nook HD+, which is at this moment $139 new on eBay. Downside is
it's a bit of an orphan already, and the hardware is quite a bit older.

~~~
tomkarlo
At this point, that's basically a closeout price. It's been out of production
for a while. [http://www.digitaltrends.com/mobile/barnes-noble-
discontinue...](http://www.digitaltrends.com/mobile/barnes-noble-discontinues-
nook-hd/)

------
scrrr
Might as well say "NSA Unveils new Nexus 7 Tablet". Yes, sorry, I am bitter, I
know, but I don't want people to forget Google's role in the recent
surveillance story.

~~~
mladenkovacevic
Recently there was a leak from Rogers about the Moto X and how you can
activate it by simply saying "OK Google Now". Well Verge made a post about
this leak on Google+ and I commented how the hot-phrase is too cumbersome so
they should've just gone with "OK NSA,". I was quite proud of myself.

