Monday 30 September 2013

THE SYNAPSE CIRCUIT DEFINITIVE GOOGLE NEXUS 7 2013 REVIEW

The consumer needs to know more technical details beyond the screen.
That Excalibur moment for the Nexus 7 2013.
SYNAPSE CIRCUIT REVIEWS:
GOOGLE NEXUS 7 II
PRICE, £199 (16 GB), £239 (32 GB) & £299 (32 GB + LTE)
#Google #Nexus7 #SecondGenerationNexus7

Good late evening, Synapse Circuit Readers! I hope you had a great weekend! I sure did! It’s a bit late but here’s the Synapse Circuit review of the Google / Asus Nexus 7 second generation tablet...

SUBLIME

After reviewing the excellent Acer Iconia A1 tablet it solidified my quest to purchase a tablet this year and at the rate it’s going it looks like Christmas before I will get one! Then I reviewed the latest Samsung Galaxy Note 3 phablet and it seriously made me wonder if I should be investing in a tablet; maybe the Note 3 will serve me better. Hmmm... The jury is still out on that one and it is made even more complex by the...

...GOOGLE NEXUS 7 II

Spec:-

Screen
7.02" 1920 x 1200 HD display (323 ppi)
1080p HD IPS
Scratch-resistant Corning® glass

Camera
1.2 MP front facing, fixed focus
5 MP rear facing, auto focus

Size
114 x 200 x 8.65 mm

OS
Android 4.3

Wireless
Dual-band Wi-Fi (2.4 GHz/5 GHz) 802.11 a/b/g/n
LTE: 700/850/1700/1800/1900/2100 MHz
HSPA+: 850/900/1900/2100/AWS (1700/2100) MHz
GSM: 850/900/1800/1900 MHz
Bluetooth 4.0
NFC (Android Beam)

Weight
0.66 lbs (299 g)

Audio Output
Dual stereo speakers
Surround sound, powered by Fraunhofer¹
3.5 mm audio connector

Memory
32 GB internal storage (actual formatted capacity will be less)
2 GB RAM

Ports
Micro USB
SlimPort™ enabled

Battery
3,950 mAH (Up to 9 hours of active use)
Wireless charging built-in (Qi compatible

CPU
Quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon™ S4 Pro, 1.5 GHz

GPU
Adreno 320, 400 MHz

Sensors
Accelerometer
GPS
Compass
Ambient light
Gyroscope

It is great to see an LTE version – especially as 4G is starting to really take off in the UK on a large scale and it’s about time too!

Again, I am thinking of going with the Three network because their 4G service will not cost extra which is brilliant news!

It's also good to see 2 GB of RAM on this awesome tablet.

DESIGN & FORM
What I noticed straightaway was that the side bezel is slimmer while the top and bottom looks the same. I think that the top and bottom could be a little slimmer; regardless, the second generation Nexus 7 looks great. The tablet fits comfortably in one hand. Gone is the rubbery dimpled back that made the Nexus easier to grip and it is replaced with a smooth back bearing the “Nexus” logo.

What I like about the 7” tablet is that it can so easily fit in a pocket, handbag, manbag, etc. Then again the 7” tablet appears so small when compared to the amazing phablets that’s currently on the market such as the Sony Ultra (now that’s massive) and the aforementioned Samsung Galaxy Note 3. In fact Asus has shown that it is feasible to place a 7” tablet to the ear to accept a phone call – granted that this will not suit everybody! I envision that the next form of handset / phablet will be one that when folded it is a 5” handset and unfolded it becomes a 10” tablet. Roll on flexible screens! Oh, it is rumoured that Samsung will reveal a limited edition Galaxy Note 3 with flexible screen and no, I do not think it’ll unfold into a larger tablet. But that would be something! Lol! Enough about other phablets and tablets for now!

SCREEN IDOL
I tell you, the second generation screen reminds me of the scene in the Cronenberg movie, Videodrome, when protagonist, Max Renn (James Woods) places the Videodrome visor on his head and he screams to have the intense burst of light reduced. Yes, that’s how amazing the second generation Nexus 7 screen is! You have to see it to believe it. The screen is the best I have seen on a tablet thus so far! The colours are vivid but natural and text is pin sharp.

Anything that appears on the screen is delightful! Websites look as they should and videos are great to watch! It’s practically a mini HD TV that fits in the palm of your hand!

EVERYDAY USE
Unfortunately, I did not have the Nexus 7 for long but for the little time I had it I enjoyed it immensely. With a screen like that I am encouraged to more than use it to keep tabs (no pun intended) with my social networks. I can see myself getting seriously into word processing, photo editing and much more besides! I am certainly interested into music and, perhaps, video editing.

I did miss this sublime tablet when I had to give it back.

VERDICT
I reckon the price is reasonable – the LTE version represents great value as the iPad mini would cost a lot more and it hasn’t even got a retina screen! Now I am seriously thinking about getting the LTE version but I am in no hurry because the Three network is set to roll out its 4G LTE in December.

I also wish that Google would add storage expansion via microSD. Why be like the iPad?

In the meantime I will keep a watchful eye on tablets to come before 2013 is out. The Nexus 7 II is certainly at the top of my list.

SCORE OUT OF 5
4.7 / 5

BITING THE APPLE SOME MORE
Again, the Apple iPad mini is looking like an old relic of a bygone technological era. I do think that Apple, as usual, have got it wrong. The iPad mini should have had a retina screen and it should have cost under £200! It is clear to me that Apple has lost the tablet in a big way!

Most non-technical people have it burned into their heads that the iPad is the way to go when it comes to tablets but when it comes to the price there is a great reluctance. I think I have told you about a young Polish mother and her 3 children having a look at the tech section of my local supermarket. Yes? Anyway, she was looking at a tablet for her children this Christmas and she, despite her children wanting an iPad mini, is most likely going for an Android tablet. Her technical knowledge is, self-admittedly, non-existent and I pointed out to her that there are several Android tablets that offers great value for money above the iPad, one of which as the Iconia A1 and the Nexus 7 II.

It seems to me that Google, and other manufacturers, need to concentrate on highlighting some technical specifications without scaring off the consumer. I believe that by imbuing consumers with technical knowledge the Android tablet sales will start to eclipse the iPad mini and iPad. What we are witnessing now is the tip of the iceberg. No doubt Apple will come back with a fifth generation iPad and possibly a second generation mini but like what they have done with the recent iPhone releases they’ll miss the mark yet again!

I hope you enjoyed this review. Stay tuned for more reviews to come.

Watch this space!

Take good care!


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