SAN FRANCISCO - This morning at a low-key media event, Google unveiled the latest in its flagship tablet lineup: the 2013 Nexus 7.
The Nexus 7 features a 1080p high resolution display, high-end hardware specs, and runs Google's latest Android OS, Jelly Bean 4.3. Two key features this new OS offers are support for multiple users with restricted profiles - useful if you share a tablet - as well as Bluetooth LE for pairing with wireless accessories.
But the first thing you'll notice about the Nexus 7 is its screen. It's now the world's highest resolution 7-inch Android tablet, with a 1280 x 1920 pixel display - that's 323 pixels per inch. Google says the Nexus 7 display can show a 30 percent wider range of colors than the original. It can render true 1080p video, and the Netflix app was just updated to take advantage of that capability on Monday. To complete your 1080p movie watching experience, the Nexus 7 features stereo speakers, one located at either end of the device when you're holding it in landscape mode.
Inside it's got a 1.5Ghz Snapdragon S4 pro processor, which offers 1.8 times the CPU power and 4X the GPU capabilities of its predecessor. The tablet includes NFC, so you can share data with other nearby NFC-enabled devices. It also includes wireless charging. Both of these technologies are available in a growing number of Android and Windows Phone devices these days, but due to clunky real-life use cases, have proven a more gimmicky than useful.
And the Nexus 7 isn't rough on the eyes, either. It's dominated by "black on black" styling, with the same soft-touch texture as the original that provides a nice amount of grip in your hand. Google also slimmed down the new Nexus. It's 2mm thinner and 50 grams lighter than before, with a thinner bezel around its edge. The lighter weight in particular should make holding the tablet for long periods (like when you're watching a video on your commute) more enjoyable.
While Google focused its presentation on the tablet as an entertainment device - something for watching movies and gaming - Google is also making a foray into the education space, which Apple's iPad currently dominates. Google Play Textbooks bring content from five major textbook publishers including Pearson, Wiley, and McGraw-Hill to Android for the first time, allowing students to rent or buy digital content.
The Nexus 7 starts at $229 for a 16 GB Wi-Fi-only model. You can get a 32 GB Wi-Fi-only N7 for $269, or a 4G LTE version that works on AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile for $349. The Wi-Fi versions go on sale Tuesday, July 30.
news by July 25, 2013 at 01:00AM
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