What Do You Think Of The Nexus 7?

Google announced the Nexus 7 at I/O in June, bringing them into the tablet hardware game. They began shipping about mid-July, so it’s been a little more than a month. Everyone’s had them, so we’d like to know. What do you think of the Nexus 7?

I got my Nexus about a week after they began shipping, and I can say that there hasn’t been a day since receiving it that it has gone unused. It has been a primary method to read my emails, check the weather, follow sports, and watch some Netflix. I’ve found myself constantly using it as an alarm clock, as Google Now seems like the easiest way to set one after a long day.

Tell us everything you want about your experience of the Nexus 7. What’s your favorite feature? What would you change? Would you like a different tablet? Do you not own a Nexus 7, but want one? Let us know in the comments below, or tell us on our Twitter, Facebook, or Google+ page!

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miguel1990 5 pts

I LOVE MY NEXUS 7!!!!!! THIS IS MY FIRST TABLET AND I WILL NOT CHANGE IT FOR ANYTHING!!! I'm a car sales man for Mercedes Benz and I use the N7 for every deal I make!! Super fast and very portable... its my address book, organizer, media player, calendar and much more!! I highly recommend it to whoever is looking for a tablet.

BobbyBennett 6 pts

It will be 24 hours at 3 am this morning that I've had this device. It has been no further than two feet away from me all day. Hell, during lecture, I was going through the e manual learning everything I can. This fine piece of technology has so much to offer. I only hope I prove worthy of it.

Panther6834 9 pts

 BobbyBennett 

I think you already proved yourself "worthy of it" just by having purchased it.  When I picked mine up, with the exception of being in the restroom, it was no more than two feet from me for the first 9-10 days.  Of course, being that I had ankle surgery only two days later, and was house-ridden, I guess there was more to it than it just being a "fine piece of technology"...lol.  The Nexus 7 is capable of doing everything I wanted/needed it to do, and I saved $300-450 over the cost of a Transformer that would have had the exact same SoC (ie. CPU/GPU combo, for those who might not understand, though I expect those to be far & few between).  The Nexus 7 is to tablets what the MX-5 Miata is to cars...the BEST "Bang For The Buck".

masterpfa 6 pts

I never leave home without it. This is truly a portable device, my first requirement in a tablet and at an affordable price, which was not only my second requirement, but my other concern until now. What I have found is not only does the Nexus 7 tick all these boxes but is a device with top spec features too with no compromises as far a quality is concerned. I liked it so much I bought my daughter one too ( she can't put it down either)

Curtbrue 6 pts

I carry the N7 every where I go. Since I'm grandfathered in with tmobile, I do have the free hot spot on the HTC One S with unlimited data. I have the 16gb N7 frame and it's perfect for me. I love carrying it around cause if anybody asked a question that I couldn't answer, I depend on Google for the answer. This tablet, and Google, made me a handyman! I now know how to fix a dryer that doesn't throw off heat! Who needs to carry around manuals now.

Groovy23 7 pts

Absolutely love my Nexus 7. My only gripe is the lack of a Micro SD card.

Panther6834 9 pts

 Groovy23 Honestly, there's no real need for it.  I've written (as several others have, as well) about this countless times on Engadget, yet people still don't seem to get it.  In short, I have 96 apps installed, including updates to pre-installed apps (that includes almost 30 games), as well as over a dozen books, and even a movie, downloaded...not "in the cloud", but actually downloaded, onto the Nexus 7...and I STILL have just under 8GB remaining.  If you actually sit down, and think about things, any intelligent person would realize how 16GB can EASILY be enough...more than enough, actually.

Groovy23 7 pts

@Panther6834 Yes, that's all very well, however, I like to store movies on my devices and 16GB is not enough for me. It may be ample for you, but not everybody has the same needs.

Panther6834 9 pts

 Groovy23  

You can't HONESTLY tell me you NEED to have multiple movies stored on it ALL the time.  This is exactly the type of "stinkin' thinking" I've referred to in all my previous posts (in multiple blogs, I might add...not just the aforementioned Engadget postings).  There's enough in a 16GB Nexus 7 to have everything I've got installed, PLUS 2-3 additional movies.  Four movies, at ANY given point in time, should be more than enough for any person.  If you didn't install all the games I have, you'd even have room for another 2-3 movies, thus a grand total of 5-7 movies, and if you want me to believe that even that's not enough...well, you've got far more serious problems than anyone could have imagined.  I know that sounds harsh...extremely harsh, maybe...but I'm only telling the truth.

 

Unless you're telling me your "technically-challenged", and incapable of deleting movies once watched, followed by transferring new movies, again, there's NO reason why 16GB isn't enough.  If you had a portable DVD/Blu-ray player, and were bringing physical discs with you, are you really going to tell me you'd be bringing a dozen movies?  Of course not.  Why?  Because it's idiotic.  You'd bring 3-4 movies, at most, knowing that any more would be a waste of space.  This is no different, with the exception of the movies being in digital format, instead of physical discs.  Your false belief of "needing more than 16GB" has nothing to do with an y realistic "need".  The ONLY thing it has to do with is an unrealistic "want"...nothing more, nothing less.

 

Notice I didn't even talk about the music issue (which, I know, you didn't mention, but I felt it worth bringing up, as it has been brought up by many others, in other blogs), as anyone who feels the need to load a tablet with music is...please, pardon me for saying this...an idiot.  It makes about as much sense...and takes about as much intelligence...as, say, taking photos/video with a tablet (since the third-most complained about item related to the Nexus 7 is its lack of a rear-facing camera, which it doesn't need).

 

I'm not trying to put you down, so, please, don't take it that way.  What I AM putting down is this false, and completely ridiculous/idiotic belief that one must load their tablets with music & videos, which is NOT what tablets were designed for.  Yes, they were partially designed for watching videos, and loading them with a few movies is great, but believing that one "needs" to load them with multiple movies would be equivalent to...say...packing a portable TV to take on a camping trip.  If you're going on a camping trip, experience nature, as intended...if you want to watch TV (or multiple movies), then stay home.

Groovy23 7 pts

@Panther6834 So wanting the option of having an SD card slot to store, say, 10 of your all time favourite movies is idiotic is it? I agree it's not the be-all and end-all, but it would have been a nice option.

Panther6834 9 pts

 Groovy23 

Yes, it's a "nice option", but if you want an Android tablet that does the proverbial "everything but the kitchen sink", then don't be so cheap, and go buy yourself a Transformer...at 3x the cost, I might add.  Of course, if you were spend a little time searching and reading, you would find that there IS a way to do what you want, still using the Nexus 7.

Curtbrue 6 pts

If you jail brake it, you will have this option for free. @Groovy23

Groovy23 7 pts

@Curtbrue Cheers Curt, I know, but I don't want to touch it. Yet! :D

Curtbrue 6 pts

 Groovy23 Funny, cause I did jail brake it but when I jail broke it i didnt have the wallet app and they updated the app so you can use debit cards,credit cards,so i put it back to stock!! lol

zalsadon 5 pts

It is the best Android tablet in the markets . It need 3G or 4G and it well be IPad Keller .

kanoneyez 71 pts

 zalsadon Have you considered either a wireless hub or using tethering on your phone (if it supports it)? That would give you the connectivity solution you are looking for.

Panther6834 9 pts

 kanoneyez  zalsadon 

I know, for me, I not only "considered" it, it's what I do.  When I'm at home, or anyplace with free Wi-Fi (Starbucks, most airports, many malls, libraries, etc), I connect via Wi-Fi, but when I'm someplace that doesn't have free Wi-Fi, I use my phone's built-in mobile hotspot, and, considering my cell plan gives me free mobile hotspot usage, I might as well.  While I don't have 'unlimited' data (I've currently selected a 4GB plan, but could jump to the 6GB plan if/when I feel the need), considering how little I actually use (since I'm connected to Wi-Fi more often than naught), it's as close as one can get to having "unlimited", without actually having unlimited.

Panther6834 9 pts

 kanoneyez  zalsadon 

No worries..."brain farts" is something I not only completely understand, but 'excel' at, from time-to-time.  Something that needs to be, or should be, pointed out, is that you DON'T need a separate mobile hotspot.  Most smartphones have their own built-in mobile hotspot.  Of course, there are pluses, as well as minuses, to using your phone's built-in hotspot ability, just as there are pluses & minuses to using a stand-alone hotspot.  For example, using a phone's built-in hotspot means one less device to carry.  On the other hand, with every carrier, except Verizon, having a stand-alone hotspot means the ability for said hotspot to have its own dedicated data plan, which wouldn't draw from your phone's data plan, which is what happens (again, with the exception of Verizon) when you use your cell phone's built-in hotspot.

 

As for Verizon, they stand apart from the other carriers, due to their new "Share Everything" plan, which works the exact opposite way of everyone else.  With all other carriers, you first select your talk/text plan, and then add data to the phones you want to add data to, with each phone having its own data plan.  With Verizon's "Share Everything plan", you select your data first, from 2GB to 20GB (you automatically get UNLIMITED talk & text for ALL phones/tablets) per month, and then you decide how many phones and/or 3G/4G tablets (Wi-Fi-only tablets, such as the Nexus 7, don't cost extra, as they don't draw 'direct' data) you wish to add, all of which share from the data "pool", so-to-speak.  With Verizon's "Share Everything" plan, there is NEVER a need for a stand-alone mobile hotspot.  This is something worth considering if anyone is considering switching carriers (and, no, I do not work for Verizon, or any business dealing with cell phone products/service...I custom-build computers, and work in the restaurant industry).

kanoneyez 71 pts

 Panther6834  Good post. AT&T just switched to the same "drain your pocket" plans. I closely examined it (because I'm on AT&T & was an employee of their for 17 years) but the plan would end up costing me $40 more per month than I'm currently paying. (700 minutes talk, which I barely use, unlimited text, and 2gig plan for each smartphone--my wife & I). Noted you're in San Jose. I'm "close" (Tracy). Used to work in San Ramon until they laid me off and shipped everything to India.

Panther6834 9 pts

 kanoneyez 

When Verizon first announced the plan, I thought as you did.  Of course, not all the details had been released at that point in time (such as the unlimited talk...no more monthly minute "allowances").  After the plan took effect, and after I purchased the Nexus 7, I decided to check more into it...and, while it does cost more than I was paying, I am ALSO saving money.  I was on the "Nationwide 450" plan.  Under this plan, adding mobile hotspot ability to my phone would have added $20.  Upgrading to unlimited minutes would have added another $30, so now we're up to an additional $50.

 

Since I wanted to add mobile hotspot, that is, as I mentioned above, why I checked into the idea of switching plans.  Having switched, my bill, including taxes, only went up $18, plus change.  it's like getting a slight discount on the mobile hotspot ability, and them tossing in the unlimited minute upgrade for free.  Maybe it's time for you to switch carriers (besides, AT&T is the lowest rated carrier of the major four, with Verizon being rated #1).  I don't know what AT&T is charging you, but I can (virtually) guarantee you'll get a LOT more with Verizon, AND you will save money in doing so.

kanoneyez 71 pts

After reading the posts here about storage concerns, I went to see what I could find. According the YouTube video linked below, you need to have a rooted Nexus 7.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sOqn62m49S0

Panther6834 9 pts

I've had my Nexus 7 since about two weeks after they started shipping. Unfortunately, my first unit was slightly defective (the same screen-not-properly-adhered-to-the-case issue, as reported by others), but I returned it to the Game Stop I pre-ordered it from, picking up a brand-new unit as its replacement, and I haven't had a single problem since. I've got almost 30 games, plus numerous other apps, installed on my Nexus 7, and I still have approximately half the units capacity available for use in installing other apps. For those who complain that 16GB isn't enough storage capacity, all I can say is, they haven't the slightest clue what they're talking about. The Nexus 7 combines the power of the top-of-the-line Transformer series tablets, with the price of the cheap imports, and even then, it's also running the latest version of Android. That's a combination that CAN'T be beat...period.

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Panther6834 9 pts

 alisterash 

I'm just curious, but just HOW does having to wait a week "put a bad taste in your mouth"???  If you order anything online, from most companies, it's going to take a week, and sometimes more, unless you opt to pay extra for faster 2-day, or overnight, shipping.  You're also forgetting that you placed your order on the very day it was announced.  Try ordering, even from Apple, something on the same day it's announced, and I'll (virtually) guarantee it will take at least the same amount of time.  When the iPad 2 was announced, I knew someone who placed their order the same day, and it took 9 days for him to receive it...and, like myself, he lives IN San Jose, where Apple is located.  So much for your "Google ain't Apple" comment, as that shows Apple can be just like any other company when it comes to shipping.  Looking at it in the opposite direction, I pre-ordered my Nexus 7 (although I will mention I pre-ordered it from Game Stop, and not directly from Google), and was given a specific date that it would arrive on.  A week before the specified/scheduled arrival date, Game Stop called to let me know they had arrived.  So, viewed this way, being that the shipment arrived a week ahead of schedule, I'd be under the assumption...and a pretty accurate one (at least in this case)...that, you're right..."Google ain't Apple"...Google is BETTER than Apple.

573W1E 18 pts

I think the Nexus 7 has to be one of the best pieces of technology launched in recent years. I can't think of any other product offers so much and potential for the money. Everything about it is good, not just good for 200 bucks but good in general. A fine product. I love mine to bits :D 

KennethShuler 9 pts

I have had mine for about a week now, and I love it. Its a great size that makes it easy to carry around. I use it for it for a little bit of everything. It really all depends on what you plan to do with any tablet your looking to buy. And the battery life is great, so far the longest I have i gone without a charge of almost non-stop use is 19hrs of medium  use and the battery only went down to 56%. It would have been nice to have an SD card slot, but if I really need to back up files, photo's and other things I just use Google drive, Box, and now you have Sky drive if anyone uses it.

kanoneyez 71 pts

I'm also on the fence about it. The thing is priced great and all the reviews I read about have nothing but good to say about it. However, like one other poster here, a seven-inch display just seems so small. I went to local Staples store and held it in my hands--it just didn't seem big enough. The 7" Samsung Galaxy tablet was right next to it--same gut feeling. Then I picked up the 10" one and, just like Goldie Locks, it felt "just right."

TheDark_Knight 77 pts

Great tablet. I think 7.5 to 8.5 inches would have been a little better but that's just me. I still prefer 7 inches over anything over 9 inches. I like the screen aspect ratio. Also, the speed of this thing is quick. Android has come a long way in the UI department. It's feeling a little more like webOS every update, which is a good thing. 

 

I hope they get the hardware issues under control though; like the flickering screen, distorted speaker, and screen separation. I'm getting my replacement today and I hope it's a good unit. :-D

mattcirc 5 pts

7 inches is a little small for me since it'd be similar in size to my Android phone. If they make a Nexus 10.1 I will be all over it though.

OG_NinjaVitis 5 pts

I've been going back and forth on the Nexus 7. The only thing keeping me on the fence is expandable memory. I'm sure 16GB is plenty but the lack of options kinda bugs me. I'm sure I'm gonna get it anyway, somewhat begrudgingly, but I'd like to know how everyone else is handling the lack of an SD slot.

mkostok 5 pts

 OG_NinjaVitis From what I understand, you can purchase an OTG cable and use a flash drive for expandable storage. I don't own a nexus 7 yet (broke college student), but I was researching because expandable storage was one thing I was concerned about. I did a Google search and found several places that sell them for under $5.

OG_NinjaVitis 5 pts

 mkostok  OG_NinjaVitis Nice. I'll definitely look into that. Thanks for the info.

mkostok 5 pts

 OG_NinjaVitis  mkostok No problem. Here is a video of the Nexus 7 using the OTG cable with a USB hub. He has a keyboard, mouse, and flash drive all hooked up at the same time. The video is kind of long but you can skip through. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sOqn62m49S0

TheDark_Knight 77 pts

 OG_NinjaVitis The 8GB is good if you have everything stored in the cloud. If you have a lot of media that you want to put on the device, definitely get the 16GB version.

I've been eyeing a Nexus 7 since they were announced.  I currently own an iPad 2 and don't care for IOS.  The only feature I like about the iPad is the size.  Do you feel that having a smaller 7" tablet hinders in any way the functionality of the Nexus 7?  I mainly use the iPad for watching Netflix, reading/writing emails, reading news feeds, and an occasional game.

TheDark_Knight 77 pts

I owned the TouchPad and had Android on it (same size as the iPad). I feel like the Nexus 7 is close to perfect when it comes to size. Maybe 7.5 would be optimal but that might be a preference thing. The nice thing about having a 7" tablet is that it's more portable. I can carry it in my bag and hand much easier. My wife also stores it in her purse when we're out and about. Watching video is really nice because of the aspect ratio. The ppi of the screen make it where you can hold it as close as 8" away, which I don't recommend holding any screen that close to your face, and it still have the detail. Overall, it's a really nice table. If you have a lot of media I would get the 16GB version. I have the 8GB but I don't need it because I have everything stored to the cloud. :-)

mrbarrydenton 8 pts

I ordered mine the second Google announced it at Google IO on the Google Play Store.  I would say it has been the best technology purchase I have ever made in my life.  I don't leave home without it.  I do everything on it.  I am just hoping somebody would make an attachable keyboard like the Asus Transformer Prime Infinity keyboard. Of course, with back-lit keys (unless Apple wants to sue for his technology - lol).  I would love to just fold it up like a mini-computer without having to use a case with a mini-Bluetooth keyboard.  My wife has an ipad around he house somewhere, but nobody seems to want to use the ipad anymore.  I can't imagine why not.  Android blows IOS away.