NEW YORK: When it comes to technology, we’ve been trained to expect more for less. Devices get more powerful each year, as prices stay the same or drop. With the new Nexus 7 tablet, Google hopes we’re willing to pay more for more.
The new tablet comes with a $30 price increase over last year’s model. At $229 for the base model, it is still a bargain - and 30 per cent cheaper than Apple’s $329 iPad Mini. The display is sharper and the sound is richer than the old model. There’s now a rear camera for taking snapshots. The new Nexus 7 is the first device to ship with Android 4.3, which lets you create profiles to limit what your curious and nosy kids can do on your tablet when you’re not around.
Amazon.com Inc’s $199 Kindle Fire HD is cheaper, but it doesn’t give you full access to the growing library of Android apps for playing games, checking the weather, tracking flights, reading the news, getting coupons from your favourite stores and more. The Nexus 7 does.
If you were already eyeing last year’s Nexus 7 model, then go ahead and pay $30 more for the latest.
Although screen dimensions are identical, the new Nexus 7 has a higher pixel density, at 323 pixels per inch compared with 216 on the old model. Trees and other objects in the movie “Life of Pi” look sharper, as do the movie title and credits on the screen.
Sound is much better with speakers on the left and the right side of the tablet, held horizontally. Although they are technically back facing, the speakers are placed along a curved edge in such a way that sound seems to project outward and not away from you. On the old Nexus 7, I can’t even tell where the speakers are.
The new Nexus 7 also feels more comfortable in my hands. It’s 17 per cent thinner and 5 per cent narrower when held like a portrait. The old model was a tad too wide to grip comfortably in the palm of my hands. The new device is also 15 per cent lighter, at 10.2 ounces. And the rubbery back feels smoother on the new tablet.
The new Nexus ships with a camera app, something last year’s model didn’t really need because it had only a front-facing camera, for videoconferencing. With the new rear, 5-megapixel camera, you can take photos and video of what’s in front of you. Expect to be ridiculed, though, if I see you doing that. Still, it’s not as bad as blocking someone’s view with a full-size tablet.
And although the new tablet is the first to ship with Android 4.3, it’s available to download on other devices, including last year’s Nexus 7.
What the new tablet does offer is the promise of a longer battery life - up to 10 hours for Web surfing and nine hours for video streaming. Last year’s model was rated at eight hours.
There’s no question the new model is better and worth the price increase.
Choosing between the new Nexus 7 and the iPad Mini is tougher.
If you do get the Nexus 7, it supports wireless charging, so you can get rid of the messy wiring. The device comes only with a standard microUSB charger to plug in, so you’ll have to buy a Qi-compatible wireless charger yourself.
The $229 base model comes with 16 gigabytes of storage. For $40 more, or $269, you get twice the storage. A 32-gigabyte model with 4G cellular capability will cost $349. By contrast, the iPad Mini starts at $329. A 32-gigabyte version with 4G costs $559.
— AP
