I’ve already mentioned the Asus MeMO Pad HD 7 (ME173X) and how it’s the cheapest tablet in its category in terms of being the best bargain for value. Given that Asus is the manufacturer behind the Google Nexus 7 tablet, it shouldn’t be surprising that the newest model dubbed “Nexus 7 (2013)” is also a real bargain if you’re looking at the mid to upper priced 7-inch Android tablets. Right now the 7-inch android based tablet market is seeing a trend toward sub $200 prices, with the lowest being around $149. If you want the better processors and display, you can look at the price range starting around $229 which is where this new Nexus 7 (2013) model sits. Ultimately it comes down to a decision on your part as to what you are willing to base you purchase on.
The fact is, you’re going to be hard pressed to find a better 7-inch tablet on the market. The fact that it’s not an Apple iPad mini and it’s priced significantly cheaper shouldn’t scare you. Just because the Nexus 7 2013 is cheap by comparison you shouldn’t assume that you’re getting a lesser product. There is no doubt the tablet to beat in the 7-inch category right now is the new Nexus 7. I’ll break down the “why” but be assured if you’re willing to look above the budget priced MeMO Pad HD 7, this will be a great purchase.
One consideration has to be whether you want to save as much money as possible. This strategy can make sense when you are a person who might upgrade from year to year. Each year tablets have been making bigger and better strides in terms of processing power, display and cheaper prices. Do you wait? Do you go budget and just get a new tablet every one to two years? Do you buck up the extra cash to get a quality tablet that will give you a solid one to two years of use?
A closer look at Nexus 2012 vs Nexus 2013
Specs are ultimately meaningless unless you have something to compare them to. In this situation it makes sense to look at the original 2012 model and compare it to the 2013 model.
Resolution: 2012 – 1280 x 800 vs. 2013 – 1920 x 1200
Pixels Per Inch: 2012 – 216 vs. 2013 – 323
Processor: 2012 – quad-core NVIDIA Tegra 3 processor, clocked at 1.2GHz – vs. 2013 – quad-core Snapdragon S4 Pro CPU, clocked at 1.5GHz
RAM: 2012 – 1GB vs. 2013 – 2GB
Cameras: 2012 – no rear, front 1.2MP vs. 2013 – 5MP rear, front 1.2MP
Nexus 7 2013 vs Apple iPad Mini
Since we’re talking about a “best” tablet, it wouldn’t be fair not to include the almighty iPad mini in this discussion. After you see the comparison you will realize just how badly Apple needs to release their 2nd generation iPad mini. This isn’t pretty.
There really isn’t anything that the iPad mini can do better than this new 2013 Nexus 7. Screen? From a sheer resolution perspective, the iPad mini has a 1024×768 whereas the Nexus 7 2013 has a 1920×1200 pixel display. Processor? The iPad mini 1GHz dual-core A5 compared to the 2013 Nexus 7 which sports a 1.5GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro. RAM? iPad mini has 512MB and the new Nexus 7 has 2GB of RAM. Pixels Per Inch? iPad mini is 163 ppi and the new Nexus 7 2013 is 323 ppi. Size and weight are very comparable. Battery life not yet determined but it does appear that the iPad mini holds a significant advantage for longer lasting battery. Keep in mind that a slower processor and much lower resolution screen is a big factor in that comparison. The iPad mini 2 with a higher resolution will also likely take a battery life hit. Cameras are the same mega pixel on both devices but it’s not clear who has an advantage if any. Obviously the big price winner is the Google Nexus 7 2013 model. The above comparisons are the most telling and the most important when having to make a decision on which one to buy. If you don’t have an allegiance to Apple, it’s obvious that it’s no contest between the devices. That said, Apple should be getting a new iPad mini to market but there are no release dates or details so far.
Buy New Nexus 7 (2013) In Canada
Too bad for Canadians because you will pay not $229 for the 16GB. Instead you will pay $249 for the 16GB model. The 32GB is not yet priced or available but the US price is $269, and thus in Canada expect to pay $289 when it becomes available.
Photo Gallery of the 2013 Nexus 7:
Click on images to enlarge!
The new Nexus is a great tablet (hopefully won’t be plagued with glitches like the first model), but to compare hardware specifications and declare the Nexus the winner is just silly. They have next to nothing to do with the user experience (apps). The specifications will not matter to 90% of the potential buyers.