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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darwinosx - Thursday, August 22, 2013 - link
Was that an ad? because nobody is going to buy your Pipo chinese knockoff tablet.ESC2000 - Sunday, August 25, 2013 - link
Um yeah that was clearly an ad which is annoying. On the other hand your elitism is also annoying. I'd gladly buy a Chinese knock off tablet if it was the best value and had the features I wanted. It's pretty pathetic to be as wed to one brand as you are.jl0329 - Wednesday, October 9, 2013 - link
You duck fucking brat.cbeauche - Thursday, August 22, 2013 - link
The Nexus 7 2012 had a front facing camera. It's missing from the table.flashbacck - Thursday, August 22, 2013 - link
Man, this is why Anandtech reviews are so great. Nearly tech blogs post horribly vague reviews in an effort to shit out something in the first 24 hours. I appreciate you guys taking your time.q5djC5b0aToy - Thursday, August 22, 2013 - link
Page 4, first table's title is wrong. 2012 -> 2013Anand Lal Shimpi - Thursday, August 22, 2013 - link
I actually showed last year's model in that table since it was a bit worse in performance, we confirmed fstrim is working on both models though.KZ0 - Thursday, August 22, 2013 - link
Also, on page one, in the pixel density comparison, Nexus 7 has a resolution of 1900*120. Thin!Thanks for another good review.
q5djC5b0aToy - Thursday, August 22, 2013 - link
Ah, I guess I'm wrong, sorry about that.marc1000 - Thursday, August 22, 2013 - link
Hi Anand. Do you know what version of Google Maps came pre-installed with the Nexus 7? There are some issues with Maps 7.x update on google forums, maybe this version would cause the GPS to loose the fix too?