New Nexus 7 - Google are going to eat Apple's lunch

[lopri]

1. I hope ASUS does a better job of manufacturing this time. The launch of the Nexus 7 last July with so many units having loose glass on the left side was quite frustrating. I went through 5 returns before I gave up. ASUS, try to build it right the first time this time please.

2. I don't think of the Nexus 7 as fat. And the reason for this is ASUS and Google designed it so well. It's light, has a tapered design with rounded edges, the soft touch back. This tablet was an absolute pleasure to hold in the hands. Not to mention the brilliance of making the bezels thinner in portrait mode so it can be gripped in one hand while reading books. The design seems so good, I don't think ASUS should tamper with it too much. Thinner bezels will be welcome, keep the same overall design and materials I think would be a good ideaa. No glass or metal backs please.

3. Please find a way to fit stereo speakers in this. I love the speakers on my Kindle Fire HD (probably a big reason I ultimately picked it over the Nexus 7). If you can even make them front facing, that'd be icing on the cake.

4. I don't expect micro SD, I understand this is a Nexus product. But hopefully at 32GB model will be available on day one. Google is really skimping on storage, such as the Nexus 4 only topping out at 16GB. But I hope Google has come to it's senses and realize customers can't stream everything from the cloud. We need storage for games and our own content.

5. Calibrate the *bleeping* screen ASUS!

6. I'd like to see Key Lime Pie treat 7 inch tablets as tablets and not phones. I'd also like to see a way to hide the onscreen buttons.

1, 3, 4, 5 - Agree

2 - Disagree. The N7 can be thinner and lighter. It is OK to hold, but I think it can do better. Roland00Address made a case where such improvement can actually help usability. I also like to read in my bath tub, and would like Xperia Z style tablet than current N7 style.

6 - Not sure. No consistent buttons = extra touches to get to those buttons. I could see the use for it but it will likely mess up the existing apps, quality of which is not very consistent among them.

Instead, I would like to see those eye/facial-tracking features that are useful and optional (i.e. up to user's preference). It could dramatically improve one-handed operation of a tablet. (e.g. reading while cooking)

Then again, all these fancy talks may be a daydream. I've just read somewhere that Google is targeting $150 for the new 7" tablet.. Sounds like hardware isn't Google's priority.

 

[thecapsaicinkid]

 

[AstroManLuca]

Why is everyone saying that rear facing cameras on tablets are useless? Have you ever video chatted with someone using a tablet? Do you realize how helpful it is to be able to show things to someone using the rear camera?

 

[zerocool84]

Why is everyone saying that rear facing cameras on tablets are useless? Have you ever video chatted with someone using a tablet? Do you realize how helpful it is to be able to show things to someone using the rear camera?

Because they are rarely used and you can just turn it around if you really need to show someone something.

 

[Red Storm]

Because they are rarely used and you can just turn it around if you really need to show someone something.

Then you run into the awkward "Can't see, move it up/down/closer/further" cause you can't see what you're showing.

Cameras on both sides have their uses and should be on every mobile device.

 

[cheezy321]

Why is everyone saying that rear facing cameras on tablets are useless? Have you ever video chatted with someone using a tablet? Do you realize how helpful it is to be able to show things to someone using the rear camera?

The majority of people on this forum barely use their phone to make phone calls. What makes you think that the basement dwellers on here use a tablet to make video calls? They avoid human contact, not pursue it!

 

[AstroManLuca]

Because they are rarely used and you can just turn it around if you really need to show someone something.

It's not like most people spend tons of time video chatting in the first place (or any time at all, for that matter). Why bother with forward facing cameras?

I suppose all high-resolution screens should be dropped too because a lot of people can't tell the difference. Why bother when it just adds cost?

 

[zerogear]

I think majority of the people who are buying Nexus 7 (2013) are upgraders. They aren't from the Apple camp. People who are entrenched in Apple will continue using Apple.

 

[ibex333]

http://www.theverge.com/2013/4/3/4177664/nexus-7-tablet-successor-in-july-reuters

Key Lime Pie, higher resolution, bigger screen, beastly SoC, same stupid low price.

Calm your undies. A 7" screen is horrible for reading technical books and pdfs rich in graphics and charts. Further, the rectangular 16:9 aspect ratio makes it even worse. The iPads screen is much better suited for books.

If all you do is watch movies, send mail, and browse the net, sure, the Nexus is great. But if you read, and read heavily, it's a whole different rodeo.

 

[Midwayman]

Calm your undies. A 7" screen is horrible for reading technical books and pdfs rich in graphics and charts. Further, the rectangular 16:9 aspect ratio makes it even worse. The iPads screen is much better suited for books.

Yah, I wanted a device that could display a4/letter sized PDFs (like tech and game books) without scrolling and still be legible. 7" doesn't cut it there, no matter the resolution.

 

[Puddle Jumper]

Calm your undies. A 7" screen is horrible for reading technical books and pdfs rich in graphics and charts. Further, the rectangular 16:9 aspect ratio makes it even worse. The iPads screen is much better suited for books.

If all you do is watch movies, send mail, and browse the net, sure, the Nexus is great. But if you read, and read heavily, it's a whole different rodeo.

The Nexus 7 isn't 16:9

 

[fskimospy]

Calm your undies. A 7" screen is horrible for reading technical books and pdfs rich in graphics and charts. Further, the rectangular 16:9 aspect ratio makes it even worse. The iPads screen is much better suited for books.

If all you do is watch movies, send mail, and browse the net, sure, the Nexus is great. But if you read, and read heavily, it's a whole different rodeo.

For technical reading, sure; the ipad is much better. That's a small fraction of what people consume, however.

For reading just about every other kind of book a 7" tablet is better. The ipad weighs more than twice as much as a nexus 7, which makes it much less suitable for extended reading. I have an ipad at home which I like very much but I would never, ever use it to read any book that didn't require the additional screen real estate.

 

[BladeVenom]

Calm your undies. A 7" screen is horrible for reading technical books and pdfs rich in graphics and charts. Further, the rectangular 16:9 aspect ratio makes it even worse. The iPads screen is much better suited for books.

If 7" isn't big enough, then 7.9" isn't either. Get a Nexus 10 if the Nexus 7 isn't big enough for your needs.

Most books, especially small and medium sized books are closer to the Nexus ratio of 16:10 than they are to the iPads ratio of 4:3. So by your own standards, an Android tablet is the better choice.

 

[BlahBlahYouToo]

Calm your undies. A 7" screen is horrible for reading technical books and pdfs rich in graphics and charts. Further, the rectangular 16:9 aspect ratio makes it even worse. The iPads screen is much better suited for books.

If all you do is watch movies, send mail, and browse the net, sure, the Nexus is great. But if you read, and read heavily, it's a whole different rodeo.

agreed, but unfortunately an ipad is heavy and unwieldy to carry around.

 

[ChronoReverse]

I find it laughable when people assert it's easier to read on a 16:10 screen vs a 4:3 screen in portrait (in landscape, 16:10 is a little narrow top to bottom) when larger books even break the text into narrow columns because it's easier to read.

 

[sweenish]

Calm your undies. A 7" screen is horrible for reading technical books and pdfs rich in graphics and charts. Further, the rectangular 16:9 aspect ratio makes it even worse. The iPads screen is much better suited for books.

If all you do is watch movies, send mail, and browse the net, sure, the Nexus is great. But if you read, and read heavily, it's a whole different rodeo.

If you read, and read heavily, you own an e-ink device.

I consider ebooks on non e-ink tablets a bonus, not a primary use. Obviously, YMMV.

 

[Midwayman]

If you read, and read heavily, you own an e-ink device.

I consider ebooks on non e-ink tablets a bonus, not a primary use. Obviously, YMMV.

Yup. If I'm going to the pool or beach I take my e-ink device instead. Reads far better in the sun and if it gets stolen, its far cheaper to replace.

 

[MrX8503]

The new nexus 7 has a great screen and SoC. The only thing is that its physical shape is awkward. It's definitely the best bang for buck though.

 

[Red Storm]

The new nexus 7 has a great screen and SoC. The only thing is that its physical shape is awkward. It's definitely the best bang for buck though.

I think it's shaped perfectly because one of my main uses with it is to watch video.

 

[Bateluer]

Every time someone says that a 4:3 AR is better for reading books, it should be considered an ethical responsibility to kick them in the gonads. 16X9 & 10 are 10x better for reading.

 

[MrX8503]

Every time someone says that a 4:3 AR is better for reading books, it should be considered an ethical responsibility to kick them in the gonads. 16X9 & 10 are 10x better for reading.

I prefer 4:3 for reading. This is probably due to it mimicking paper.

 

[cliftonite]

The majority of people on this forum barely use their phone to make phone calls. What makes you think that the basement dwellers on here use a tablet to make video calls? They avoid human contact, not pursue it!

And what makes you different? Human contact doesn't seem to be your strong suite based on the way you treat others on this forum.

 

[Red Storm]

I prefer 4:3 for reading. This is probably due to it mimicking paper.

But not paperback books, which I believe are closer to 16:9 than 4:3?

 

[Bateluer]

But not paperback books, which I believe are closer to 16:9 than 4:3?

Pretty much all novels, and most books, at very close to a 16x9 or 10 ratio. Technical manuals and textbooks are closer to 4:3 though.

Reading a novel, like Dance with Dragons or Time of Contempt is much better on a 16x9 screen. There's less page turning, less downward scrolling.

 

[desura]

as I said in another thread...

but google devices tend to underperform relative to specs.

So like, my samsung galaxy tab 7.7 snapdragon dualcore 1.4ghz is definitely slower and less smooth than my ipod touch 5g w/A5 dualcore 1ghz.

Expect the same to continue here. I do like google now quite a bit though, and there appears to be some real innovation in the camera app.

I'll probably sit out till next refresh.