The Nexus 7 (2013) Review
by Anand Lal Shimpi on August 22, 2013 6:00 PM ESTFinal Words
I really like the Nexus 7. It’s easily the best small Android tablet I’ve ever used. The build quality is great, the display is amazing and the hardware is fast. The new Nexus 7 also happens to be the most color accurate Android device we've ever tested - easily competitive with the iPad's Retina Display, and delivers the longest battery life we've ever seen from an Android tablet. You also get the benefits of owning a Nexus device: timely updates and unadulterated Android. My only real complaint about the Nexus 7 is that its screen feels cramped. If you’ve got a large smartphone, the jump between it and the 7-inch display may not be big enough. On the flip side, the 7-inch form factor does make the Nexus 7 quite portable. If you’re ok with the tradeoff, then I have no qualms recommending the Nexus 7 over other 8-inch tablets.
I typically find myself at odds with what a manufacturer wants to charge for a product, but in the case of the Nexus 7 that’s not true at all. At $229 the base 16GB model is extremely well priced. The adder for the 32GB model is a somewhat reasonable $40. If your Nexus 7 is going to be more of a mobile workhorse, you’ll eventually be able to get a LTE model for $349.
The original Nexus 7 gave us a decent Android experience at a very low cost. This year ASUS and Google raised the bar for sure. The new Nexus 7 is no longer just a decent tablet at a good price, it's an incredible tablet. With this Nexus, it's clear that Google no longer wants to rely on value alone. The 2013 Nexus 7 redefines what you should expect to pay for a truly great tablet. If you're in the market for an ultra portable tablet, and definitely if you're shopping for an Android tablet in particular, the new Nexus 7 should be at the top of your list. It's so good that I'm giving it our Silver Award.
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vailr - Friday, August 23, 2013 - link
Won't Amazon be updating their Kindle Fire lineup pretty soon? Although not ideal: the 8.9" Kindle Fire could be improved by addition of an SD card slot, and an easier option of rooting and installing the stock Android 4.3 O.S. (not too likely, I'd guess).Impulses - Friday, August 23, 2013 - link
Not too likely at all, on either count.Conficio - Friday, August 23, 2013 - link
Anand, have you ever run comparison tests between 200, 300, 400, 500 nits display? It would be nice to get an idea as to what battery life one can expect if the display is used outdoor, where you need the brighter display. Just one or two tablets/phones would be fine to get an idea. The Nexus 7 '13 seems to be a good candidate with its high max brightness.ASEdouardD - Saturday, August 24, 2013 - link
You can check out Engadget's review for something similar to this. They use brightness fixed at at 65 % (if I remember correctly) which is much higher than 200 nits on the new Nexus 7. If you have to use one test, Anandtech definitely has the best one, but Engadget's one does give you an idea of the impact of cranking up the brightness on the N7. Bottom line, battery life does take a hit, but it's still ok.iamkyle - Friday, August 23, 2013 - link
I don't see how this product can be called "the best" especially when Google/Asus has essentially railroaded purchasers of the 2012 Nexus 7. "Oh hey, I know we sold you this tablet, but check this one out! It's the same, but better!".Customer says "then why did you sell me this one in the first place?"
This endless praise of anything with a Google name on it reeks of bias.
turkeystyle - Friday, August 23, 2013 - link
For real! Nissan did the same thing to me when I bought an Altima a couple of years back. The next year's model was better but for the same price! And good god, my Galaxy S3 is barely a year old and what does Samsung do? Release the S4! The nerve! And don't even get me started on Nvdia and AMD and how they keep making better graphics cards every year.My buddy did the smart thing and bought an iPhone 5 last year. He's got at least another year before Apple releases an upgrade. So lucky to have the latest and greatest technology for that long!
But yeah, Google is definitely the worst. They just try to hide it by giving away web services.
meloz - Friday, August 23, 2013 - link
>Customer says "then why did you sell me this one in the first place?"While we wonder why you _bought_ it in the first place.
Thinly disguised Appletroll, you must do a better job.
ASEdouardD - Saturday, August 24, 2013 - link
You can't be for real. They didn't offer this product last year because available components and the prices of those components change every year. Prices go down, technology gets better. Google/Asus couldn't have offered a tablet like this at this price last year. Just plain impossible.Davidjan - Friday, August 23, 2013 - link
I had Nexus 7 I. I will buy Nexus 7 II. It is really convenient to extend its storage with : http://goo.gl/U6IyYImpulses - Saturday, August 24, 2013 - link
I ordered two of those... Not sure how much I'll really use it tho, might keep one on my keychain along with my regular USB micro reader and see how often I have the opportunity to use it, but for traveling and transferring loads of content from a PC (i.e. movies) I'd rather use a regular USB OTG adapter and a much faster USB 3.0 drive... It's going into my travel bag until I'm sitting down on a plane/train/hotel either way.