Google Nexus 7: Value for money tablet

The Google Nexus 7 has landed. At last. Months after Google shook up the Android tablet space with its answer (okay made by ASUS) to the iPad mini, us Indians will be able to get our hands dirty with this product the legal way.

The device, with its patterned black back, gives off a sober look and provides a good grip. For a butter-fingers-from-birth person like me, that is a godsend.

The Nexus 7 features a minimum of buttons and ports - the power/lock button, the volume rocker, the microUSB port and a headphone port. The 3G model also features a microSIM slot.

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If you want to add some colours, ASUS provides back covers in several colours.

Turn it on and unadulterated Android 4.2.2 greets you. Many Google apps, including Google Now are pre-installed.

The NVIDIA Tegra 3 quad-core processor with 1 GB of RAM ensures a zippy experience even with several windows open.

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In fact, I didn't even realise that so many apps were open in the background till I opened Advanced Task Killer, not because I experienced any lag, but because I just wanted to find out how many apps were open.

Temple Run 2 and Subway Surfer ran very well, though I've seen brighter screens and better contrasts on Android tabs. But the IPS display has good viewing angles and Corning Gorilla Glass protection. So no scratches.

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The tab is light, weighing a shade below 350 gm, and the form factor is even smaller than the iPad mini. Using Play Books to read old classics, which can be freely downloaded from the store, was a pleasure and thankfully it supports rival Amazon's Kindle app.

Browsing was also fast with no lag even after I had opened over a dozen tabs. HD videos on YouTube played without any stuttering. The speakers are quite loud as well.

The Nexus 7 features a 1.2 MP front camera, good enough for video chats, but nothing else.

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The tab also features NFC (near field communication). Basically, with this turned on, you can tap the phone on another NFC-enabled device and exchange information.

If your friend has a Nexus tab as well, with Android Beam turned on, you can exchange media and web pages opened on one device with another.

With moderate browsing, Wi-Fi turned on at all times and moderate gaming, we were able to extract more than a day on a full charge. I figure under normal usage it may last longer.

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So in the short time we had the Nexus 7, did we love or hate it. We loved most parts of it - the form factor, the viewing angles, the weight , and of course the powerful hardware.

But there are a couple of grouses. One, it doesn't have expandable memory (which might not hamper your experience but its good to have that option at the price range) and two, a better (rear) camera, as is available at this price range. Otherwise, a great product.

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Google Nexus 7 specifications

Price: Rs 21,999 (3G)/ Rs 18,999 (Wi-Fi)

Screen: 7-inch 1280x800 WXGA 10-point multi-touch IPS

OS: Android 4.2.2, RAM: 1GB

Processor: NVIDIA Tegra 3 1.2GHz quad core

Memory: 32GB internal, not expandable

Camera (rear/front): NA/1.2MP

Battery: 16Wh Li-Polymer