NEXUS 7 REVIEW: COMPLETE REVIEW: Gray super envelope with the image of the device with bright screen, branded four colours in the letter "x", icons YouTube, Chrome, Google+ and Play, seven on each side, «ASUS». Of course, it's all about Nexus 7! It’s “Slim and Light” as marketers promised on Google minimalist promo-site of device.
Under the cover is a real box. It’s simple dark gray with silver lettering «nexus». In addition to a neat seven inch tablet are: Charger, USB-microUSB cable to sync and some papers, something as the annual ASUS warranty card and a mini-guide.
Housing
The cover of "slim and light" is the first thing that really attracts in the tablet. The back cover made of perforated plastic.
In the centre is a proud «nexus», at the bottom - «ASUS» and dynamic. Still lower, even at the end is microUSB for charging and syncing, and little in the side is 3.5 mm audio. «Power» and volume control is on the right side. It’s uncomfortable solution. For a couple of days of using I didn’t get use to turn on and switch off the tablet. I have to think every time.
On the front is solid and almost bulletproof glass Corning. They say that is resistant to scratches. I’m not going to check and believe people from Google.
If you do not look closely, hard to see where ends the black frame and begins slightly lighter switched off screen. This is a good sign.
It’s nice to keep Nexus in the hands. On the front is cold glass and in the back a little 'soapy' plastic. And yes, it's truly light.
Screen
This part is not peerless. You won’t make impression someone with 216 dots per. Especially those who saw mobile Retina. But the level of Google Table is really good. As showed using it’s enough for games and for reading. Yes for everything! It’s nice!
The only two things that can disturb are not related to the quality of the matrix or something close. It is too narrow left and right edges of the screen frame and screen buttons to go back, to the home screen and access in menu of multitasking. You always touch buttons. Tablet gladly responds. You feel a small width of the frame while you reading. Pages turn over as by themselves.
Home-screen
"Naked" main screen doesn’t impress. The clock widget in the centre, the top taskbar, confusion with different icons below. Application icons can be added to a folder, there is even an example. But in order to view or change the name of the folder it must be opened. It is not comfortable after many years of experience with more sophisticated iOS.
But in the nexus 7 are the standard widgets and the ability to download more from Google Play. It’s the best solution not only for a seven-inch screen.
Looks like not enough brightness and you think it’s possible to do more. But in settings is impossible to add more. It is necessary to change the default wallpaper on some your picture and life becomes more jopyful.
Speed
Four-core Tegra 3 with one gigabytes memory and no GSM-module can make wonders. I have not seen for long so quickly and pleasantly android. Even the vaunted Galaxy Note II is not so cool. And nexus 7 is almost like Chuck Norris. But it’s only a tablet.
Not enough that the standard interface is very responsive and pleasant. Applications also seemed shouldn’t be slowly. I usually do not compare games, try to avoid the benchmarks, but I couldn’t remain cold to the speed of running and working of heavy Sygic navigation. This is a real feast after the out-of-date iPhone 4. The big screen makes using of navigation is also very convenient. Perhaps I will have to change holder in the car.
Wireless communication
Bluetooth easily attached to all wireless headphones, which I have found. But the Wi-Fi was weak. Perhaps this problem is only one unit, but if you go a little away from the access point the link is almost lost. It’s enough ten meters from a wall as a barrier. Other devices at the same time stay confident. They do not think about “giving any one stick”.
I was suspected that the case in fraud of Apple, which device I compared with android tablet. But no, iPhone and MacBook did not lose a division on the indicators of quality of communication, but the speed of data transmission and reception also remained the same.
Voice input
This part really I could not check. For two days and have not found a quiet place to hang out with the tablet alone, and in public places microphone caught everything I heard. It is not clear the case in the "piece of iron" or in the software part. And it's not sad. I still prefer the keyboard.
More about the size, price and overall
Size of nexus lets to keep it in the inner pocket of the jacket. It’s very convenient. Novelty fits in the back pocket of jeans. The main thing is do not forget about it and take out every time before you want to sit down.
Little weight is due to the absence of anything that might interfere for normal operation. Yes, I really believe that the tablet does not need GSM-module, SIM-cards reading device, any other camera than the front one, lots of buttons- switches, and in addition chips, what provides a work of it all. Especially Google tablet doesn’t need it.
In nexus focus is on the power and, perhaps, reliability but not on decoration. Near new iPad it seems as Spartan, who history presses to fight with musketeer Aramis’s family. Its looks like a working class when you hold it in your hands. This is its wow factor.
Price is not so high. Sites many retailers offers official $300, but in fact not available until now.
Please here is "Grey" devices. Their cost is higher and it is logical. Demand is high.
Couple minuses
What really carries me is refusal of nexus to open its file system for computers running on OS X. To sync a tablet with MacBook will be necessary to install a special utility. It’s not comfortable. About the Windows wasn’t said anything. I have not tried it, but I suppose that this "neighborhood" will not make problems.
Another minus is not so critical. But someone wouldn’t like it even more. 16 GB of physical memory cannot be expand in review of the tablet by Google and ASUS.
Final pluses
I have used many Android devices: HTC, Samsung, SonyEricsson, LG, even something nameless and frankly it was Chinese. No one of them did not work so fast.
But what is more important, no one gadget received an update of an operating system immediately after its presentation. Nexus has it. Like any smart phone or tablet it has official support of the Google. So I blame the slowness of demented on "jewellery" vendors. Often, large companies can’t fix something very important in a few hours, even close a critical hole. But Google as a dad can anything.