Google shows off the Nexus 7

     As we noted in our post  on May 28th, Google did show off its Nexus 7 tablet at its I/O Developer Conference this week.  The lucky attendees were provided with one along with the Nexus Q and Galaxy Nexus phone (Google traditionally gives away certain hardware to all attendees each year).  There were no major surprises as much about the tablet was leaked before.  Here is a recap of the specs:

• 7” 1280x800 HD display (216 ppi)
• 1 GB RAM
• 8 or 16GB of storage
• Quad core Tegra 3 Processor 1.3GHz (single core) or 1.2 GHz (2 or more cores)
• 12 core GPU
• 1.2MP Front Camera
• 4325 mAh battery
• NFC
• GPS
• Gyroscope
• Bluetooth
• WiFi
• Micro USB
• Android 4.1

From the early reviews, its been the majority very positive which is good for Android and consumers.  Some journalists or tech bloggers mistakenly try to compare this tablet against the Apple iPad.  Time and time again, TabletConnect believes these types of comparisons are useless and are of a disservice to consumers.  In order to get "eyeballs", these writers are always talking about whether a new tablet will be the "iPad-killer".  Wrong, the market for the Nexus 7 is not the same as the market for an iPad.  The Nexus 7 and any tablet priced under $250 are designed for a different market and price point.  You do not compare the new Toyota Prius to the Lexus ES.  Different price points, different markets.  Now that we got that out of the way, the Nexus 7 will probably do very well in terms of sales and will beat any tablet in this price range.

The new Android 4.1 (Jelly Bean) is an improvement over 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich) and based on the reviews, it is a good one.  Here are some of the highlights of Android 4.1:

• Higher frame rate for animations allowing smooth transitions and interface.
• Smarter notifications - more information & better interaction.
• Improved keyboard including new predictive text system.
• Speech-to-text now available offline (no internet connection required)
• Chrome is now the default browser.
• Icons auto-arrange when moving them around.  Widgets will resize themselves when they do not fit on a screen.
•  Google Now - natural search (apparently similar to Siri). Will learn through additional searching and will be able to provide information before you even ask.  I am very curious to test this out.
• Android Beam - using NFC, one can beam photos and videos to other Android Beam devices.  

Of course, there is more but those are the highlights.  We will be reviewing the Nexus 7 tablet so stay tune for our extensive review.  Follow us on Twitter to get the latest updates especially when we will have one in our hands.  You can preorder one now at Google Play Store.  The 8GB version will cost $199 while the 16GB will cost $249.  For a limited time, you will also get a $25 credit to use at the Play Store for apps, movies, & books.

P.S.  There are already rumors that Google is working on a 10" version which wouldn't surprise us.