Google nexus 7 second generation. A mobile network is a radio system that allows multiple mobile devices to communicate with each other

Information about the make, model, and alternative names of the specific device, if available.

Design

Information about the dimensions and weight of the device, presented in different units of measurement. Materials used, colors offered, certificates.

Width

Width information - refers to the horizontal side of the device in its standard orientation during use.

200 mm (millimeters)
20 cm (centimeters)
0.66 ft (feet)
7.87 in (inches)
Height

Height information - refers to the vertical side of the device in its standard orientation during use.

114 mm (millimeters)
11.4 cm (centimeters)
0.37 ft (feet)
4.49 in (inches)
Thickness

Information about the thickness of the device in different units of measurement.

8.65 mm (millimeters)
0.87 cm (centimeters)
0.03 ft (feet)
0.34 in (inches)
Weight

Information about the weight of the device in different units of measurement.

290 g (grams)
0.64 lbs
10.23 oz (ounces)
Volume

The approximate volume of the device, calculated based on the dimensions provided by the manufacturer. Refers to devices with the shape of a rectangular parallelepiped.

197.22 cm³ (cubic centimeters)
11.98 in³ (cubic inches)
Colors

Information about the colors in which this device is offered for sale.

Black

SIM card

The SIM card is used in mobile devices to store data that certifies the authenticity of mobile service subscribers.

Mobile networks

A mobile network is a radio system that allows multiple mobile devices to communicate with each other.

GSM

GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications) is designed to replace the analogue mobile network (1G). For this reason, GSM is often called a 2G mobile network. It is improved by the addition of GPRS (General Packet Radio Services), and later EDGE (Enhanced Data rates for GSM Evolution) technologies.

GSM 850 MHz
GSM 900 MHz
GSM 1800 MHz
GSM 1900 MHz
UMTS

UMTS is an abbreviation for Universal Mobile Telecommunications System. It is based on the GSM standard and belongs to 3G mobile networks. Developed by 3GPP and its biggest advantage is providing greater speed and spectral efficiency thanks to W-CDMA technology.

UMTS 850 MHz
UMTS 900 MHz
UMTS 1700/2100 MHz
UMTS 1900 MHz
UMTS 2100 MHz
LTE

LTE (Long Term Evolution) is defined as a fourth generation (4G) technology. It is developed by 3GPP based on GSM/EDGE and UMTS/HSPA to increase the capacity and speed of wireless mobile networks. The subsequent technology development is called LTE Advanced.

LTE 700 MHz Class 13
LTE 700 MHz Class 17
LTE 800 MHz
LTE 850 MHz
LTE 1700/2100 MHz
LTE 1800 MHz
LTE 1900 MHz
LTE 2100 MHz
LTE 2600 MHz

Mobile communication technologies and data transfer speeds

Communication between devices on mobile networks is carried out using technologies that provide different data transfer rates.

Operating system

An operating system is a system software that manages and coordinates the operation of hardware components in a device.

SoC (System on Chip)

A system on a chip (SoC) includes all the most important hardware components of a mobile device on one chip.

SoC (System on Chip)

A system on a chip (SoC) integrates various hardware components, such as a processor, graphics processor, memory, peripherals, interfaces, etc., as well as the software necessary for their operation.

Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro APQ8064
Process

Information about technological process, on which the chip is made. Nanometers measure half the distance between elements in the processor.

28 nm (nanometers)
Processor (CPU)

The primary function of a mobile device's processor (CPU) is to interpret and execute instructions contained in software applications.

Krait 200
Processor size

The size (in bits) of a processor is determined by the size (in bits) of the registers, address buses, and data buses. 64-bit processors have higher performance compared to 32-bit processors, which in turn are more powerful than 16-bit processors.

32 bit
Instruction Set Architecture

Instructions are commands with which the software sets/controls the operation of the processor. Information about the instruction set (ISA) that the processor can execute.

ARMv7
Level 0 cache (L0)

Some processors have L0 (level 0) cache, which is faster to access than L1, L2, L3, etc. The advantage of having such memory is not only higher performance, but also reduced power consumption.

4 kB + 4 kB (kilobytes)
Level 1 cache (L1)

Cache memory is used by the processor to reduce access time to more frequently used data and instructions. L1 (level 1) cache is small in size and works much faster than both system memory and other cache levels. If the processor does not find the requested data in L1, it continues to look for it in the L2 cache. On some processors, this search is performed simultaneously in L1 and L2.

16 kB + 16 kB (kilobytes)
Level 2 cache (L2)

L2 (level 2) cache is slower than L1 cache, but in return it has a higher capacity, allowing it to cache more data. It, like L1, is much faster than system memory (RAM). If the processor does not find the requested data in L2, it continues to look for it in the L3 cache (if available) or in RAM memory.

2048 kB (kilobytes)
2 MB (megabytes)
Number of processor cores

The processor core performs program instructions. There are processors with one, two or more cores. Having more cores increases performance, allowing parallel execution lots of instructions.

4
CPU clock speed

The clock speed of a processor describes its speed in terms of cycles per second. It is measured in megahertz (MHz) or gigahertz (GHz).

1500 MHz (megahertz)
Graphics Processing Unit (GPU)

The Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) handles calculations for various 2D/3D graphics applications. IN mobile devices ah it is used most often by games, consumer interface, video applications, etc.

Qualcomm Adreno 320
Number of GPU cores

Like a CPU, a GPU is made up of several working parts called cores. They handle graphics calculations for various applications.

4
GPU clock speed

Running speed is the clock speed of the GPU, measured in megahertz (MHz) or gigahertz (GHz).

400 MHz (megahertz)
Amount of random access memory (RAM)

Random access memory (RAM) is used by the operating system and all installed applications. Data stored in RAM is lost after the device is turned off or restarted.

2 GB (gigabytes)
Type of random access memory (RAM)

Information about the type of random access memory (RAM) used by the device.

LPDDR2
Number of RAM channels

Information about the number of RAM channels that are integrated into the SoC. More channels means higher data transfer rates.

Dual channel
RAM frequency

The frequency of RAM determines its operating speed, more specifically, the speed of reading/writing data.

533 MHz (megahertz)

Built-in memory

Each mobile device has built-in (non-removable) memory with a fixed capacity.

Screen

The screen of a mobile device is characterized by its technology, resolution, pixel density, diagonal length, color depth, etc.

Type/technology

One of the main characteristics of the screen is the technology by which it is made and on which the quality of the information image directly depends.

IPS
Diagonal

For mobile devices, screen size is expressed by the length of its diagonal, measured in inches.

7 in (inches)
177.8 mm (millimeters)
17.78 cm (centimeters)
Width

Approximate screen width

5.94 in (inches)
150.77 mm (millimeters)
15.08 cm (centimeters)
Height

Approximate screen height

3.71 in (inches)
94.23 mm (millimeters)
9.42 cm (centimeters)
Aspect Ratio

The ratio of the dimensions of the long side of the screen to its short side

1.6:1
16:10
Permission

Screen resolution shows the number of pixels vertically and horizontally on the screen. Higher resolution means clearer image detail.

1920 x 1200 pixels
Pixel Density

Information about the number of pixels per centimeter or inch of the screen. More high density Allows you to display information on the screen with clearer details.

323 ppi (pixels per inch)
126 ppcm (pixels per centimeter)
Color depth

Screen color depth reflects the total number of bits used for color components in one pixel. Information about maximum quantity colors that the screen can show.

24 bit
16777216 flowers
Screen area

Approximate percentage of screen area occupied by the screen on the front of the device.

62.52% (percent)
Other characteristics

Information about other screen features and characteristics.

Capacitive
Multi-touch
Scratch resistance
LED-backlit
Corning Gorilla Glass

Sensors

Different sensors perform different quantitative measurements and convert physical indicators into signals that a mobile device can recognize.

Main camera

The main camera of a mobile device is usually located on the back of the body and is used for taking photos and videos.

Sensor model

Information about the manufacturer and model of the photo sensor used in the device's camera.

OmniVision OV5693
Sensor type

Digital cameras use photo sensors to take photographs. The sensor, as well as optics, are one of the main factors in the quality of the camera in a mobile device.

CMOS BSI 2 (backside illumination 2)
Sensor size

Information about the dimensions of the photosensor used in the device. Typically, cameras with larger sensors and lower pixel densities offer higher image quality despite the lower resolution.

3.67 x 2.74 mm (millimeters)
0.18 in (inches)
Pixel size

The smaller pixel size of the photosensor allows more pixels per unit area, thereby increasing resolution. On the other hand, a smaller pixel size can have a negative impact on image quality at high ISO levels.

1.417 µm (micrometers)
0.001417 mm (millimeters)
Crop factor

The crop factor is the ratio between the dimensions of the full-frame sensor (36 x 24 mm, equivalent to a frame of standard 35 mm film) and the dimensions of the device's photosensor. The indicated number represents the ratio of the diagonals of the full-frame sensor (43.3 mm) and the photosensor of a particular device.

9.44
Diaphragm

Aperture (f-number) is the size of the aperture opening that controls the amount of light reaching the photosensor. A lower f-number means the aperture opening is larger.

f/2.4
Image Resolution

One of the main characteristics of mobile device cameras is their resolution, which shows the number of horizontal and vertical pixels in the image.

2592 x 1944 pixels
5.04 MP (megapixels)
Video resolution

Information about the maximum supported resolution when shooting video with the device.

1920 x 1080 pixels
2.07 MP (megapixels)
Video - frame rate/frames per second.

Information about the maximum number of frames per second (fps) supported by the device when shooting video at the maximum resolution. Some of the main standard video shooting and playback speeds are 24p, 25p, 30p, 60p.

30fps (frames per second)
Characteristics

Information about other software and hardware features related to the main camera and improving its functionality.

Autofocus
Geographical tags
Touch Focus
Face recognition

Additional camera

Additional cameras are usually mounted above the device screen and are used mainly for video conversations, gesture recognition, etc.

Audio

Information about the type of speakers and audio technologies supported by the device.

Radio

The radio of the mobile device is a built-in FM receiver.

Location determination

Information about the navigation and location technologies supported by your device.

WiFi

Wi-Fi is a technology that provides wireless communication for transmitting data over close distances between various devices.

Bluetooth

Bluetooth is a standard for secure wireless data transfer between various devices of different types over short distances.

USB

USB (Universal Serial Bus) is an industry standard that allows different electronic devices to exchange data.

Headphone jack

This is an audio connector, also called an audio jack. The most widely used standard in mobile devices is the 3.5mm headphone jack.

Connecting devices

Information about other important connection technologies supported by your device.

Browser

A web browser is a software application for accessing and viewing information on the Internet.

Video file formats/codecs

Mobile devices support different video file formats and codecs, which respectively store and encode/decode digital video data.

Battery

Mobile device batteries differ from each other in their capacity and technology. They provide the electrical charge necessary for their functioning.

Capacity

Battery capacity shows maximum charge, which it is capable of storing, measured in milliamp-hours.

3950 mAh (milliamp-hours)
Type

The type of battery is determined by its structure and, more precisely, the chemicals used. There are different types of batteries, with lithium-ion and lithium-ion polymer batteries being the most commonly used batteries in mobile devices.

Li-polymer
2G talk time

2G talk time is the period of time during which the battery charge is completely discharged during a continuous conversation on a 2G network.

9 h (hours)
540 min (minutes)
0.4 days
3G talk time

3G talk time is the period of time during which the battery charge is completely discharged during a continuous conversation on a 3G network.

9 h (hours)
540 min (minutes)
0.4 days
Characteristics

Information about some additional characteristics device battery.

Wireless charging
Fixed

The line of mobile devices called Nexus began its history in 2010. Its founder was the notorious Google company. She also decides under what brand the devices will be sold. Buyers can already get acquainted with gadgets from the Samsung, HTC, Asus, and LG brands. Undoubtedly, these devices have many advantages. First of all, this is support for updates from Google (and users are among the first to receive them) and the original Android operating system without any shells or other “stuff”.

Since 2010, several Nexus smartphones have been released. And since 2012, tablets also began to go on sale. An expensive version, equipped with a 10-inch display, was released by the Korean company Samsung. There is a more modest device. It is presented under the no less famous Asus brand. The tablet was sold at an affordable price - about 10,000 rubles. It was not equipped with the highest characteristics. But this did not affect his popularity. After the start of sales on the domestic market, Asus Google Nexus 7 immediately fell in love with customers. What exactly did he deserve? increased attention, let's figure it out together.

Positioning

When developing mobile devices, manufacturers are guided by certain rules. In order for a new gadget to quickly become a sales leader, it is necessary to optimally balance the price-quality ratio. If you study the market for mobile digital devices in detail, you will find that there are not many such solutions presented. Most cheap devices are made in China. They have a low price, but regarding the characteristics, the developers focus on only one thing. It is this element that makes a certain gadget stand out from the crowd. similar devices, for example, a powerful battery, high resolution screen, powerful chipset. At the same time, other characteristics remain at the level of the budget segment.

But when purchasing an Asus Nexus 7 tablet, the buyer is guaranteed to receive a functional device at an affordable price. In his price category it has practically no competitors. The manufacturer claims that all devices in the Nexus line are of high quality, decent performance and a large assortment of pre-installed software.

The first generation of this model tablet was released back in 2012. A year later, an updated version appeared on the market. According to reviews, it received an excellent rating in terms of build quality, software and data processing speed. Considering the low cost target audience turned out to be quite varied. The age range is from 7 to 50 years. A significant advantage, according to buyers, is the 7-inch screen. Thanks to it, the tablet turned out to be quite compact. Its dimensions (20 × 11.4 × 0.86 cm) allow you to carry the device both in a small purse and in your pocket.

After the release of Asus Nexus 7 (LTE and Wi-Fi), sales of the Apple iPad mini dropped sharply. And this did not surprise experts at all, since the partnership of two global giants Google and Asus produces excellent results. Not only was I nervous American Apple, but also to other famous brands.

Design

At detailed review From the external design of the tablet, you can immediately notice that the developers did not choose the most expensive materials. However, the quality of the plastic did not affect the aesthetics. The second generation of Asus Nexus 7 has lost its perforated rear panel. Whether this is an advantage or a disadvantage is difficult to judge. Externally, both options look good, but in the 2013 modification, the lid began to “collect” fingerprints. Therefore, in terms of soiling, the updated version is somewhat inferior to its predecessor. As for ease of use, the tablet does not slip in your hands, so the risk of accidentally dropping it is minimized.

Most owners immediately noticed the dimensions of the gadget. It looks pretty neat. In their reviews, they call the tablet light, thin and compact. The designers managed to significantly reduce the side edges, making the Asus Nexus 7 easy to grasp with one medium-sized hand.

Front panel is busy big screen. It is framed by a black frame, which noticeably widens at the top and bottom ends. On the back cover are the names of the line (in the center) and the manufacturer's brand (on the left). Also, speakers are located symmetrically along the edges of the panel. For ease of use, all control keys are located on the top end. Connection to a PC is made using a USB cable. The corresponding port is located on the right side. On the opposite side there is a jack for audio devices equipped with a 3.5 mm plug.

Display Features

The developers of the Asus Nexus 7 installed a pretty decent display. They used a common type of matrix - IPS. This technology is already familiar to a large number of users. It provides a high level of color and wide viewing angles. There is no inversion of shades when the phone is tilted.

Screen resolution - 1920 × 1200 px. Considering that the diagonal is 7 inches, the number of pixels per inch is quite large - 323 ppi. By studying user reviews, certain conclusions can be drawn. The tablet is ideal for watching movies and photos. Its image quality is excellent. There is no grain at all. A glass plate was used to protect the screen. It has a smooth surface with a mirror finish. The manufacturer took care of the anti-glare filter when creating the Asus Nexus 7 device. The touchscreen works clearly, quickly and accurately responds to touch. There is no air gap between the matrix and the protective glass. This is what completely eliminates the splitting of displayed objects. There is also an oleophobic coating. Thanks to it, the number of fingerprints left is significantly reduced. This is especially noticeable when compared with simple glass.

The display of Asus Nexus 7 32 Gb is equipped with a large reserve of brightness. This ensures good image display in any ambient light. For example, if you are outside in sunny weather, you can increase the brightness to the limit. The digital figure will be approximately 560 cd/m². And for those who do not like a very bright image, it is recommended to set the minimum value - 10 cd/m². The developers have provided two types of settings: manual and automatic. To operate the second method, there are special light sensors, and to change the brightness level the user simply needs to enter the menu.

Asus Nexus 7: camera specs

In order not to inflate the cost of the tablet, manufacturers do not use high-resolution cameras. According to most users, this criterion is not significant enough, since basically everyone has a phone. According to statistics, many smartphones with top-end optics have been released recently, and you can choose not only expensive options, but also “state-budget” ones.

The first generation of Asus Nexus 7 had only a front-facing camera. However, at present, such equipment has not been considered relevant for a long time, so with the release of the 2013 modification, this shortcoming was corrected. But can this be considered an advantage? The manufacturer installed a previous generation camera in this tablet. Its maximum is 5 megapixels. The interface is without any special features. As for the front camera (1.2 MP), it is only useful for video communication. Its resolution will not be enough for pictures.

Autonomy

When choosing an Asus Nexus 7 tablet, battery characteristics play an important role. Most users consider Apple devices to be the standard. They are capable of functioning when watching movies for up to 10 hours. Surprisingly, most manufacturers dream of getting closer to this value, but have not yet been able to achieve such results. But the Asus developers almost succeeded. The 7-inch tablet is equipped with a battery that has a capacity of 3950 mAh. According to the manufacturer, when playing video, the device will work from 8 (video quality - 720 p) to 10 hours (other modes).

If it is possible to reduce the brightness level to 20%, then the device will discharge no earlier than after 12 hours. ordinary life The tablet's resource will last approximately 2-3 days (depending on the load level). According to users, a significant disadvantage is the time spent charging the battery. In order to reach 100%, you will need to spend about 3 hours. Most owners try to charge the tablet only at night, since the battery itself is not afraid of overcharging.

Performance

The Asus Nexus 7 tablet, depending on the equipment, runs on Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro 8064 (Wi-Fi) and MDM9215M (LTE) processors. The graphics accelerator is played by a fairly strong video card - GPU Adreno 320. Of course, this device will be significantly inferior to those gadgets that operate on NVIDIA Tegra 4. But will the user suffer much from this? According to experts, the Nexus 7 can easily cope with the tasks at hand - be it applications or games. If you test the Wi-Fi version, you can see that the chipset is based on four computing modules. They work on the 2+2 principle. Each core can be overclocked to 1512 MHz as the load increases. And with a decrease in work processes, the frequency decreases to 384 MHz.

In order to be convinced of the tablet’s performance, just look at the amount of RAM. It is this indicator that will determine how quickly processes and tasks are processed on the device. Asus developers chose to limit themselves to two gigabytes. Such characteristics cannot be classified as top-end, but weak side you can't name them. To enhance the capabilities of the tablet, built-in memory is provided. There are two modifications on sale: 16 and 32 GB. There is no expansion method, since the manufacturer did not use a slot for memory cards.

Communications

The manufacturer presented the model range as expanded as possible. It contains Asus Nexus 7 32Gb LTE models with support for third-party and fourth generation, and there is also a simple option that works only with Wi-Fi. According to users, the tablet functions perfectly with mobile operators. During operation, no incompatibility was found, the signal is received well. Those who do not like to work with the Internet via a cellular network are encouraged to use Wi-Fi module. To transfer data, you can use both wired (USB) and wireless (Bluetooth). It is worth noting that most of the laudatory reviews are devoted specifically to the operation of the Bluetooth module.

Multimedia capabilities

Most owners immediately noticed how the browser works in the Asus Nexus 7. Its speed is quite high. You can perform any action on the Internet. The tablet behaves perfectly while surfing, following links, and zooming. Users did not notice any delays or freezes. Buyers can expect the tablet to be easy to handle modern games. The screen perfectly displays any video in HD quality. If you have problems with the operation of some files, you can download an application that will help fix the problem.

Many have noticed that the sound of the gadget for a mobile device is quite loud. This became possible thanks to the special placement of the speakers. They are located on two opposite sides. If a situation arises where it is necessary to significantly increase the playback volume, the tablet can be connected to acoustic devices.

Delivery and packaging

Asus Nexus 7 3G arrives on store shelves in a rather presentable box. According to buyers, its design is perfect even for a holiday gift. Externally, the packaging container has a glossy finish, which significantly increases its attractiveness. Pleasant light colors were chosen for its design. The basis of the front panels was a blue background. The logos of the manufacturing companies are printed on it in white letters: Asus and Google. Inside the package is the tablet itself. As for accessories, their set is truly modest. The kit includes only the most necessary elements. We are talking about a charger, a key for opening the SIM card tray, a USB cable and, of course, documentation.

Conclusion

So, we can now finish the review of the Asus Nexus 7 3G (32Gb/16Gb) tablet. Feedback from the owners will help you sum it up. It is thanks to them that you can give real assessment a joint product between Google and Asus. This tablet model can easily handle everything everyday tasks. The gadget works with applications that do not need large volume"RAMs". There are only laudatory reviews about the build quality on the Internet. All users claim that the manufacturer handled the work responsibly, although he used inexpensive materials. There is no play during operation of the tablet. All parts fit perfectly, gaps are minimal. In a word, the quality is at a high level!

Of course, one cannot remain silent about the screen. The image is reproduced on the display in a realistic palette. The clarity and sharpness of the picture is excellent. The touchscreen truly deserves respect, as it responds to any touch. Thanks to it, you can use the tablet even with gloves. Users confidently consider productivity to be an advantage. The four-core processor operates very quickly and copes with a large number tasks. When working with this device, owners may encounter not only advantages, but also discover disadvantages. Most often, problems arise during a firmware change (system update).

I'm tired of reviewing devices that have to be praised. I have repeatedly been convinced that 2013 is a horror year for a gadget lover, because not only is there so much to choose from, it is simply impossible to choose, everywhere you look - everything is very interesting. Is it worth listing everything? I think not. Just look at the latest ones flagship smartphones, as well as announcements of those preparing for sale. But today is a special occasion, in my hands is not a smartphone, which I would really like, but a tablet. More precisely, the best Android tablet is ASUS Nexus 7 2013.

Surely someone can argue with me about “best,” but this is my opinion. I used it for a week and I can’t remember that at least once I liked any other Android tablet so much, so the beginning of this review is already a conclusion: if you need a tablet, take this one. The new product can generally be called the best tablet on the market if you need a compact option with a 7-8″ display, but it’s worth comparing the Nexus 7 with the iPad Mini. At first glance, Nexus 7 wins in everything: hardware, display, speed (!), but there are a couple of points. Of course, we are talking about applications. I don't really need a tablet. I use it exclusively for three things: music apps, games, and movies. The third can be discarded, since I only download movies to the iPad for flights, and watch them on my smartphone or computer at home. After the purchase, I looked at it on the tablet for a while - I wasn’t used to it. By the way, it’s more convenient to watch videos on the Nexus 7 – it’s simply easier to hold in your hands. But music apps are not yet a lost battle for Android, but one that has not yet begun. But you need to understand that only I and at most one percent of users need such functionality. So we skip it. But games are a more common use for a tablet. Nexus 7 is equipped with very productive hardware and a gorgeous display - everything to make the game enjoyable. But there are much fewer games for Android than for iOS. Big projects like Modern Combat 4 or Real Racing 3 are coming out, but indie projects are generally difficult. Almost nothing I play on iPad is available for Android. If all this is indifferent to you and you need a tablet for video, browsing, social networks, you don’t even have to choose, look at the Nexus 7. By the way, just at the moment when I am writing these lines, another Nexus 7 arrived from the states. , but for use. I ordered using the Banderolka service, I’ll tell you more about it soon.

Nexus 7 is a new tablet of the Nexus family, the first device to receive the latest version of Android OS - 4.3. The new product is very different from its predecessor. Last year's Nexus 7, also made by ASUS, stood out primarily for its cost. He was not the best at all, but for his money he easily beat the competition. That is why the model has become so popular in geek circles. Today everything is different - we have a budget tablet for its price, which is also the best on the market. Previous model was quite good, but there were also flaws associated with the case (creaks, a slightly protruding display that can be pressed down, etc.). Also, Tegra 3 could not be considered the best solution. Now let's take a look at the body and design of the 2013 Nexus 7.

Design and ergonomics

The case is plastic, but no less amazing for that. Literally, everyone who took the new product to look at it was absolutely delighted with the materials and build quality. The back and sides are one piece. Because of this, the body is rigid. Even if you make an effort and deform the structure, you will not hear any squeaks. All the parts fit perfectly, nothing sticks out, doesn’t hang out, doesn’t play – a model for other tablets.

The back part is made of soft-touch plastic, it does not allow the device to slip in the hand. But, like most soft-touch surfaces, greasy marks are very visible on it. There won't be any smudges like on gloss, but the body will have to be wiped down. I'm glad that the back cover does not bend even when you press in its central part.

The new Nexus 7 has become noticeably thinner, narrower, but at the same time a little taller. The frames at the top and bottom seem too large, I think the case could be made even more compact. The size ratios of the new and old model are respectively: 114 x 200 x 8.65 and 198.5 x 120 x 10.45. The weight of the tablet is 290 grams, which is 50 grams less than last year’s model. Holding the tablet vertically with one hand is comfortable; in landscape orientation, the large chin and chin (c) act as handles for holding. The arrangement of the elements has changed slightly compared to last year's version. Now the connector for connecting a headset (which, by the way, is not included in the kit) is on top, MicroUSB remains at the bottom. The volume and power keys are on the right side, the left is occupied only by the SIM card slot if you have the LTE version. A main 5 MP camera appeared on the back side, as well as a second speaker on top. Google promised very good sound from the speakers, but, unfortunately, before that in HTC One still very far away. There is no bass at all, the stereo effect is also not particularly legible, since the speakers are located at the back.

The only other thing I would like to note is that the MicroUSB connector has been combined with SlimPort. Using special adapters, you can connect devices with HDMI or D-Sub interfaces.

Display

Somewhere, someone has already called the second-generation Nexus 7 display the best of all that are installed in tablets and smartphones today. We are talking about the relationship between all parameters: resolution and pixel density, brightness, contrast, viewing angles, proximity to natural colors. I can’t say for sure that this is the best display, but it is definitely among the very best. The Nexus 7 has the highest number of pixels per inch – 323. For comparison, the iPhone 5 has almost the same number – 326. Although it’s possible to consider a separate one, it’s already nerdy. The screen resolution is 1920x1200 pixels, but part of the space is occupied by the function keys back, home and multitasking. Even if the new product had an HD display, it would not look like a failure, it is still clearer than in the iPad mini, but Full HD is a direct way to distinguish itself from others. Screen type – IPS. A brightness of 590 nits is enough for more or less comfortable use of the tablet in sunlight. The minimum brightness is low enough not to strain your vision in the dark.

Cameras

The front camera is 1.3 MP, videos are recorded at 720p. It was shifted from the center to the right corner, because of this, when talking on Skype with video, you have to tilt the tablet a little so that your face is in the center. But the most important thing is that there is a main 5 MP camera on the back. It can record videos up to 1080p. The quality of both cameras is average, but their presence is definitely a plus. By the way, the quality of the video is very good, in proportions it’s better than the photo.



Specifications and software

Last year, the Nexus 7 was powered by an Nvidia Tegra 3 processor, and this could not be considered an advantage. New and better here, installed in Nexus 7 of the second generation good processor. Almost Snapdragon 600, but not quite. Inside is a quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro APQ8064 running with clock frequency 1.5 GHz, based on Krait 300 computing cores (as in the 600). Graphics core– Adreno 320. RAM – 2 GB, user memory – 16 or 32. There is no slot for memory cards, as is already usual for nexuses. The tablet turned out to be very fast, in no way inferior to the iPad 4 and even surpasses the iPad mini in speed. Games like Real Racing 3, Dead Trigger and others run at maximum graphics settings. The main thing is that the processor and graphics can easily cope with such a high display resolution. I would like to note separately that even when installing everything from Google Play, this does not affect the smooth operation of the interface. And not all even top devices can do this.

The autonomy of the tablet is standard - the same 10 hours that everyone promises. Of course, you can drain the battery to zero much faster using the same RR3, but the 3950 mAh capacity is enough to go without charging for several days with average use.

Nexus 7 is the first device that can now be purchased with the latest version of the OS - Android 4.3. The update also arrived on other Google devices, but only Nexus 7 is on the shelves with 4.3, which is logical - this is the newest device. How unusual and pleasant it is to write that no one installed anything on top of Android! You get the best experience using this OS, because that's how Google sees it. In addition, the very name Nexus, on the back of the device, is already evidence that you will have everything new that Google releases. This is simply wonderful!

There are not many external changes in the new version of Android 4.3. The biggest thing is profiles with limited access. In the settings, in the “Device” section, there is a “Users” item. In it you can create a regular user, or you can restrict access. This is convenient if the tablet is at home most of the time, and you only use it when you come home from work. Then, no one will get into the main account without entering a password (for example, a graphic one). This way you can only use the apps you choose.

But there's a lot more interesting stuff under the hood in Android 4.3. For example, support for Open GL ES 3.0, which is not present in either Nvidia Tegra 3 or Tegra 4. They wrote so in the releases, they say that it won’t be long before games require Open GL 3, but then bam, and the OS itself uses it ! In principle, you can add drivers and I will not say for sure that no one will ever do this. But the current update to the first generation Nexus 7 does not support Open GL ES 3.0. We wrote more about the changes and innovations in Android 4.3.

  • Dimensions: 114 x 200 x 8.65 mm.
  • Weight: 290 g.
  • Operating system: Android 4.3 JB.
  • Processor: quad-core, Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro APQ8064, 1.5 GHz.
  • Graphics: Adreno 320.
  • Display: IPS, 7″, 1920 × 1200, 323 ppi, recognizes 10 simultaneous touches.
  • Memory: 16/32 GB flash.
  • RAM: 2 GB.
  • Camera: main – 5 MP, 1080p video recording; front – 1.3 MP
  • Wireless technologies: dual-band Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0, NFC and Qi inductive charging antenna.
  • Interface connectors: 3.5 mm headphone jack, Micro USB, combined with SlimPort.
  • Battery: Li-Pol battery 3950 mAh.

Accessories

It’s very correct that Google presented not only the device itself, but also some accessories for it. There are a couple of films, including an anti-glare one, and two types of flip cases: Travel Cover and Premium Cover. The first option can be in one of six colors, the second – only white and black. But the Premium Cover can serve as a stand for the Nexus 7.

Conclusion

As I said, this is the best Android tablet considering quality, performance and, of course, cost. And those who do not need the delights of iOS that I described can safely purchase the second-generation Nexus 7 as the best tablet in general. The only thing is that the display could be closer to 8″, since modern lampshades (huge smartphones) are already very close to the 7″ mark. Take the same Sony Xperia Z Ultra or Samsung Galaxy Mega 6.3. And the Nexus 7, even if desired, cannot be used as a phone - there is no speaker.

Greetings to all visitors and participants of the CSN expert club! Today, this article will be dedicated to a forgotten gadget for many, namely the first generation ASUS NEXUS 7 tablet.
I was very surprised when I discovered this device from my relatives, since usually before purchasing any equipment they consult with me, in in this case This was not the case and when purchasing a tablet they relied on the advice of a CSN store consultant. This gadget was a gift for my niece on her birthday. I managed to persuade her to borrow the tablet for testing.

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

Screen size – 7”;
Screen resolution– 1280x800;
Screen manufacturing technology– IPS;
operating system– Android 4.4.4;
Processor type– NVIDIA Tegra 3 T30L;
Number of cores – 4;
CPU frequency– 1200 MHz;
Video processor– NVIDIA GeForce ULP;
RAM– 1GB;
Memory capacity– 32GB;
WiFi– 802.11b/g/n;
Bluetooth– 4.0;
3G support;
Front camera– 1.3 MPix;
Battery capacity– 4325mAh;
Built-in speaker;
Built-in microphone;
Interfaces: micro USB connector, audio output jack 3.5mm;
Dimensions– 120x198.5x10.45mm
Weight– 347g.

PACKING AND EQUIPMENT

The packaging of this tablet is quite stylish. In fact, the packaging of the tablet is a retractable tray, a kind of “box”. The main part is glossy cardboard gray. The front side shows part of the tablet using bright colors. WITH reverse side The packaging contains a list of information that the tablet closely interacts with Google.

On the right and left sides there is a minimum of information that tells about the make and model of the tablet, as well as the amount of built-in memory.

Pulling out the tray, it becomes clear that the tablet is placed in a black matte cardboard box. Under the tablet in another division of the box there is minimum set components. First of all this:

Charger;
- USB cable;
- a clip for the SIM card slot;
- quick guide at the beginning of work;
- warranty card.

DESIGN

The first generation ASUS NEXUS 7 tablet has an interesting design. I was particularly drawn to the texture design. back cover devices are many points along the entire back side of the gadget. This approach gives a pleasant tactile sensation. This cover is made of black plastic, has the inscription NEXUS slightly higher in the center, the speaker is located in the lower part in the center, and above it there is a small inscription ASUS.

On the back of the device there is a 7-inch IPS screen. This screen is surrounded by a small gray plastic frame; the edges of the device are slightly rounded. At the top of the screen, namely in the center, is the front camera of the device with a resolution of only 1.3 megapixels.

The weight of the device is 347 grams. And thanks small sizes The tablet is 120x198.5x10.45mm and is quite comfortable to hold even with the same hand for a long time.

There are three keys on the right side of the device: a volume rocker and a power on/off key. There is a microphone located not far from the power button.
There are no connectors or buttons on the top edge.

On the left side there is a single SIM card slot. To open it, you need a special paperclip included in the package. The type of SIM cards supported for this tablet is nano-SIM.

On the bottom edge there is a connector mini USB and audio jack 3.5mm.

In general, the design of the device, as I wrote above, turned out to be quite stylish and ergonomic. The build quality of ASUS products remains high as always, and this tablet is no exception! There are no backlashes, creaks or other distortions in the tablet assembly.

SCREEN

The tablet screen has a 7’’ diagonal and a resolution of 1280x800 pixels. The pixel density is 213 dpi. The screen is completely covered by protective glass. The anti-glare properties are very good; you can confidently use the tablet in the sun with minimal loss of colors.

The viewing angles of the screen are also decent, the picture does not lose color, and the distortion in colors at a large angle is insignificant.

The only negative of this screen it's that the coating on it is not best quality and there are always fingerprints on the screen.
The tablet's multi-touch is standard and supports 10 touches.

SOUND

Although the first generation ASUS NEXUS 7 does not have stereo speakers like its new brother, its sound is very good. The tablet is not at all inferior in sound quality and volume level to my ASUS K53SJ laptop.

TESTING

Software

The tablet is equipped with the new Android 4.4.4 operating system.

The desktop interface is quite banal. The pre-installed programs are enough for initial use of the tablet. There is a browser, an email client, a program for viewing and editing documents, a program for listening to music, as well as a map and famous services from Google. The only thing that upset me was the lack of a file manager and a program for watching videos, but this can be quickly resolved by installing the software you need from Google Play.

The main menu is equipped with shortcuts in a 4x6 pattern.


As for the wallpaper, this tablet has a set standard images I didn’t like it at all, but as they say, it’s an amateur, in the end, nothing stops you from downloading and installing any picture you like as wallpaper.

The touch menu with quick settings is located in the upper right corner of the desktop. To open it, just swipe your finger from top to bottom once.

There are 32 pre-installed widgets on this tablet; to install one or another widget you need to hold it and then place it on the desktop.

A series of screenshots showing the appearance of standard working programs:





The keyboard layout is standard and easy to use. The browser works quickly, without any problems.

Performance

The first generation ASUS NEXUS 7 tablet has a 4-core NVIDIA Tegra 3 processor with a clock frequency of 1.3 GHz.

NVIDIA GeForce ULP is used as a graphics video accelerator. The built-in memory capacity is 32GB, but only 27.5GB will be available for use. There is no support for memory cards in this tablet. There is only 1GB of RAM, but after booting there is only 490MB left.

Synthetic tests

Antutu Benchmark showed mixed results, giving a “head start” Lenovo smartphone K900.

In a famous tester 3DMARK The tablet confidently passed the test, thereby showing fairly predictable results.

NenaMARK 2 during testing showed a good result of 54.7FPS.

ANTUTU 3D RATING BENCHMARK I rated the tablet's performance during testing at 2994 points.

Vellamo:

Stability test:

Sensor box

Game tests.

All games when testing the gaming performance of the tablet were easily installed on the tablet.
Asphalt 8: Take off!

The game behaves well at medium graphics settings; at high image quality, the FPS sags and we experience unfavorable lags and stuttering.

Real Racing 3.

It is quite possible to play this game without any freezes. True, sometimes slight delays are possible, but this happens very rarely.

Iron Man 3.

The game runs very well on this tablet.

Dead Trigger 2.

This game behaves well at any graphics resolution settings.

GPS and Wi-Fi test.

When testing the GPS signal, the tablet found 8 satellites in less than one minute, but it did not cope well with location accuracy, the error varied up to 8-10 meters.

Wi-Fi works just as well, this tablet caught all the waffles in my entrance =)

AUTONOMY

This tablet has a good battery with a capacity of 4325 mAh. With such small dimensions of the device, it seems to me that there is no need for more.
When using the tablet in everyday mode, its operation lasts exactly two days.
When constantly playing video games, the tablet lasts for 4-5 hours.
When watching movies, 100% screen brightness and maximum volume through the speaker, the tablet worked for 6 hours.
When listening to music on headphones, the tablet lasts for 12 hours.

The decisive factor in the battery life of the tablet is the brightness of the display; the operating time of the tablet will depend on how much you set the value.

RESULTS

This tablet is already very outdated, but nevertheless it can still be seen on the shelves of computer stores. One way or another, I wanted to show the results of testing this gadget. After all, before buying, you need to think 100 times or seek advice, but if you still decide to buy ASUS NEXUS 7, then buy a second-generation tablet. Yes, it will be a little more expensive, about 4 thousand, but you will get an updated gadget, and even with additional camera, which is not present in the first generation tablet.
Well, if you're not a fan ASUS equipment and you don’t care what brand of equipment you buy, today there are other competing models on the market with similar characteristics.
For example:

- Acer Iconia Tab 7 HD A1-713 16Gb 3G;
- Huawei MediaPad X1 16Gb 3G;
- Lenovo IdeaTab A7-50 16Gb 3G;
- LG G Pad E7 8Gb;
- Prestigio MultiPad Color 7.0 3G 16Gb 3G;
- Samsung Galaxy Tab 4 7.0 8Gb 3G.

Many of the given examples of competitors do not have the same amount of internal memory as the first generation ASUS NEXUS 7, but nevertheless the models are equipped with a slot for memory cards. A more detailed comparison can be viewed at this link: http://www.dns-shop.ru/catalog/106/compare/?compare_list=159992,179015,190534,193191,193812,195373,196544

Pros

+ Great screen;
+ Good build;
+ Good operating time;
+ Optimal performance;
+ Reasonable price.

Cons

- Lack of rear camera;
- Lack of memory card support;
- Stainless screen.

Which combined a low price (from $199) and very decent quality. Low price was explained by the fact that Google intended to earn money not so much from sales of the tablet itself, but from the content of the Google Play Store. Apparently, the scheme was successful, and this summer the search giant released the second generation of its tablet to the market.

The manufacturer, as before, is Asus, but the price has increased slightly - to $229 for the junior model. But the characteristics are now much more attractive. The main one is the screen resolution: with a diagonal of 7 inches it is 1920x1200.

Let's compare the characteristics Google Nexus 7 second generation with its predecessor, as well as with other competitors of a similar diagonal.

Asus MemoPad HD 7
ScreenIPS, 7″, 1920×1200 (323 ppi)IPS, 7″, 1280×800 (216 ppi)IPS, 7″, 1280×800 (216 ppi)IPS, 7″, 1024×600 (170 ppi)
SoC (processor)Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro @1.5 GHz (4 Krait cores)NVIDIA Tegra 3 @1.2 GHz (4 cores + 1 auxiliary, ARM Cortex-A9)MediaTek MT8125 @1.5 GHz (4 cores, ARM Cortex-A7)HiSilicon K3V2 @1.2 GHz (4 cores, ARM Cortex-A9)
GPUAdreno 320ULP GeForce (416 MHz)PowerVR SGX544MPVivante GC4000
Flash memory16/32 GB16/32 GB8 or 16 GB8 GB
ConnectorsMicro-USB, 3.5 mm headphone jackMicro-USB, 3.5 mm headphone jackMicro-USB (with OTG support), 3.5mm headphone jack
Memory card supportNoNomicroSD (up to 32 GB)microSD (up to 32 GB)
RAM2 GB1 GB1 GB1 GB
Camerasfront (1.2 MP) and rear (5 MP, 1080p video shooting)front (1.2 MP)front (1.2 MP) and rear (5 MP)front (0.3 MP), rear (3.1 MP)
InternetWi-Fi (optional - 3G and LTE)WiFiWiFiWi-Fi (optional - 3G)
Battery capacity (mAh)3950 4325 4050 4450
operating systemGoogle Android 4.3Google Android 4.1Google Android 4.2Google Android 4.1.2
Dimensions* (mm)200×114 ×8.65 198.5×120×10.45196×120×10192×121×9
Weight (g)294 340 301 337
Price**10990 rub.9990 rub.6990 rubles9990 rubles

*according to official data from manufacturers
** the official Russian price of the manufacturer is indicated for models with a flash memory capacity of 16 GB and without a cellular module, with the exception of the Huawei tablet, which has a memory capacity of 8 GB.

The second generation Google Nexus 7 is the first tablet with this screen resolution at 7 inches diagonal. Oddly enough, tablet phones with Full HD screen resolution are much closer to it in this parameter - for example, Sony Xperia Z Ultra with a screen diagonal of 6.44 inches. Despite the fact that they belong to different classes of devices, they have more in common, even purely visually, than between tablets with 7 and 10-inch screens.

However, there is a fundamental difference that did not allow us to include the Sony Xperia Z Ultra in the table of competitors: price. Google Nexus 7 is a budget device (albeit on the border with the mid-budget segment). All Full HD tablets are top-end devices with a price tag well over 20,000 rubles. Therefore, we still have to compare Google Nexus 7 with competitors from the tablet industry. And here the main competitor seems to be the Asus Memo Pad HD 7. However, it is inferior to the Google Nexus 7 in key parameters (and this is not only screen resolution, but also the amount of RAM, operating system version, thickness). But it supports memory cards and is cheaper. Asus has wisely placed its two devices. The situation is similar with the Huawei MediaPad Lite 2 tablet. Here the lag behind Google Nexus 7 is even more obvious, but again there is support external drives(USB drives and microSD).

To complete the picture, here is a comprehensive list of specifications for the second-generation Google Nexus 7 model that we tested.

Characteristics of Google Nexus 7 second generation

  • SoC Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro @1.5 GHz (4 Krait cores)
  • GPU Adreno 320
  • RAM 2 GB
  • Flash memory 32 GB
  • Operating system Android 4.3 (Jelly Bean)
  • Sensory IPS display, 7″, 1920×1200 (323 ppi), capacitive, multi-touch
  • Cameras: front (1.2 MP) and rear (5 MP, 1080p video shooting)
  • Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n (2.4 and 5 GHz)
  • Module cellular communications: absent
  • Memory card support: no
  • Bluetooth 4.0
  • 3.5 mm jack for headphones and microphone, Micro-USB (with OTG, but without storage support)
  • Lithium polymer battery 3950 mAh
  • Accelerometer
  • GPS (with A-GPS support)
  • Gyroscope
  • Compass
  • Dimensions 200× 114× 8.65 mm
  • Weight 294 g

Well, let's take a closer look at the tablet.

Equipment

The tablet is sold in a nice compact box.

The equipment is traditionally modest: only a short leaflet on using the device, a warranty booklet, Micro-USB cable and charger (5.2 V 1.35 A).

However, it would be strange to expect anything different from a budget device.

Design

When you pick up Google Nexus 7, your first emotion is “How thin, light and compact it is!” Indeed, the tablet weighs less than 300 grams! And thanks to the significant reduction in the side frames, the tablet can be easily grasped with one hand (even if it’s not very large).

In the photo below you see three devices: the 7-inch Ainol Novo 7 tablet, the second generation Google Nexus 7 and the Sony Xperia Z Ultra. It is clearly visible that Google Nexus 7 is significantly narrower than the Ainol screen, which is similar in diagonal size.

The back surface of Google Nexus 7 is made of matte black plastic. Unlike the first generation Google tablet, there is no perforation. However, the tablet does not slip in your hands.

The name of the device (Nexus) is written in the center of the back side, and the manufacturer (Asus) is written on the left. The sides have speakers (right and left). Their sound is quite decent (by the standards of mobile devices).

All buttons are located on the top edge. This is Power and the volume rocker. They are pressed with force, quite elastically. Power makes a quiet sound when pressed, the volume rocker is pressed almost silently. Next to the buttons is a hole for the built-in microphone.

On the left side there is only a Micro-USB connector. There is no OTG support by default. Available on Google Play Store paid program Nexus Media Importer, which, according to some reports, allows you to connect external drives to the Google Nexus 7. But we were never able to get this feature to work. On various forums, users note that adding OTG support is possible only if you obtain root rights. At the same time, there are no obstacles to connecting the tablet to a computer via USB and moving the necessary files to the internal memory of the device in this way.

On the left side we see only a standard 3.5 mm jack for connecting a stereo headset.

Overall, the design of the second generation Google Nexus 7 seems to be one of the main advantages of this device. It may not be as aesthetically pleasing as the Sony Xperia Z Ultra, but among 7-inch tablets there is no device more attractive and convenient than the second-generation Google Nexus 7.

Screen

The tablet's screen is covered with a glass plate with a mirror-smooth surface, and, judging by the reflection of bright light sources in it, it has a fairly effective anti-glare filter. There is no significant ghosting of reflected objects, which indicates the absence of an air gap between the outer glass and the surface of the matrix. On the outer surface of the screen there is a special oleophobic (grease-repellent) coating (very effective), so fingerprints do not appear as quickly as in the case of regular glass, and are much easier to remove.

With manual brightness control, its maximum value was about 560 cd/m², and the minimum was 10 cd/m². The maximum value is very high, so even in bright daylight the image on the screen will be clearly visible. The test showed that on a sunny summer day, screen readability is maintained even when white clouds are reflected in it, and only when the sun is reflected directly into the eyes does the corresponding section of the screen become unreadable. The minimum brightness will allow you to comfortably work with the tablet even in complete darkness. Automatic brightness adjustment works based on the light sensor (it is located above front camera). In complete darkness, in automatic mode, the brightness is reduced to 20-40 cd/m² ( optimal value), in an artificially lit office environment it is set to 125 cd/m² (acceptable), in a brightly lit environment (corresponding to outdoor lighting on a clear day, but without direct sunlight) rises to a maximum of 570 cd/m² (which is slightly more than with manual brightness control). In general, the automatic brightness adjustment function works adequately. Brightness adjustment is carried out using pulse width modulation (rectangular pulses with 100% amplitude) with a frequency of 988 Hz. This is a fairly high frequency, so when working with a tablet, the backlight flickering is not visible at low brightness, and even using the “pencil” test (quickly waving a pencil in front of the white field on the screen) it is very difficult to determine the presence of flickering. Therefore, it is unlikely that the presence of backlight modulation can have any effect on the level of comfort during prolonged work with reduced screen brightness.

This tablet uses an IPS matrix. The microphotographs show a typical IPS subpixel structure:

The screen has good viewing angles without inverting shades and without significant color shifts, even with large viewing deviations from perpendicular to the screen. When deviated diagonally, the black field is lightened slightly and acquires a red-violet hue. When viewed from a perpendicular view, the uniformity of the black field is average, as there is a slight increase in the brightness of the black field in a couple of places along the edge of the screen. These spots can sometimes be noticed, for example, when watching movies with dark scenes in the dark. The contrast is high - about 980:1. The response time for the black-white-black transition is 19 ms (9 ms on + 10 ms off). The transition between halftones of gray 25% and 75% (based on the numerical value of the color) and back takes a total of 34 ms. The gamma curve constructed using 32 points did not reveal a blockage either in the highlights or in the shadows, and the index of the approximating power function is equal to 2.21, which is actually equal to standard value 2.2, while the real gamma curve deviates little from the power-law dependence:

Color gamut is close to sRGB:

Apparently, the matrix filters mix the components with each other to a moderate extent. The spectra confirm this:

As a result, the colors of images - drawings, photographs and films - oriented to the sRGB space (and the vast majority of them) have natural saturation. The balance of shades on the gray scale is good, since the color temperature is not much higher than the standard 6500 K, and the deviation from the blackbody spectrum (delta E) over most of the gray scale is less than 10, which is considered an acceptable indicator for a consumer device. At the same time, the variation in color temperature and delta E is small, which also has a positive effect on the visual perception of color balance. (Dark areas of the gray scale can be ignored, since there the color balance does not have of great importance, and the measurement error color characteristics at low brightness it is large.)


In general, the quality of the screen is very good, especially noteworthy is the effective oleophobic coating, a wide brightness range that ensures readability in almost any conditions, and sufficient black stability to the deviation of the gaze from perpendicular to the screen surface. The only slightly disappointing thing is the presence of illuminated areas on the black field (though not very bright), which apparently indicates that the build quality is not high enough. In this regard, the situation has not changed much compared to the previous version of the 7-inch Google tablet.

Operating system and software

The original Google Nexus 7 was the first tablet to run Android 4.1 Jelly Bean. The new Google tablet is the first device to run Android 4.3.

However, the differences between version 4.3 and 4.2 are relatively small. And if 4.1 at one time gave a fundamentally greater smoothness of the interface, as well as a number of noticeable interface innovations, then 4.3, in our opinion, is a much less significant update. True, Google is again talking about increasing the smoothness of the interface and optimizing performance, as well as support for OpenGL ES 3.0 ( detailed description Android features 4.3 can be found). However, while using the tablet, we did not notice any fundamental difference in the smoothness of the interface compared to other modern Android tablets. As for games, we will look at the situation with them below.

The main desktop looks the same as the first Google Nexus 7.

The list of pre-installed applications is also quite standard. Only relatively new Google Keep(notes) and Google Hangouts (instead of Google Talk). One way or another, like the first Google Nexus 7, only standard ones are presented here Android applications, and also Google services(which is understandable given the name of the device).

Platform and performance

The tablet runs on the well-known SoC Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro, which includes four Krait processor cores (1.5 GHz each), as well as an Adreno 320 GPU.

This is a top-end solution, but still of the previous generation, relevant six months ago, and it still cannot compete with Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 or NVIDIA Tegra 4. On the other hand, Google Nexus 7 does not pretend to break records, but at the same time it tries to provide the user with the most comfortable experience in all applications (including games).

Let's see how it does it and run our traditional benchmarks, followed by a selection of 3D games.

Let's start with browser tests: SunSpider 1.0, Octane Benchmark and Kraken Benchmark. In all cases we used Google browser Chrome, except for iPad, which used Safari.

It is clearly seen that Google Nexus 7 seriously outperforms both its immediate predecessor and its main competitors. The gap from the iPad mini is generally huge.

Let's move on to comprehensive Android benchmarks: Quadrant Advanced Edition and AnTuTu Benchmark.

Here the picture is similar: new Google Nexus 7 is an absolute winner.

Particularly indicative is the gap between the newcomer in AnTuTu Benchmark and the first generation Google Nexus 7: almost twice!

The third group of benchmarks is designed to show CPU performance and RAM: these are SuperPi and Geekbench 2.

And again, the new Google Nexus 7 is ahead, although SuperPi shows that the CPU performance of the tested devices does not differ as much as the amount of RAM, which directly affects the result in Geekbench: Google Nexus 7 of the second generation with 2 GB of RAM is approximately twice as large outperforms Google Nexus 7 first generation, and also Asus tablets and Huawei, and the lead over the iPad mini with its 512 MB of memory is approaching four times.

The last group of benchmarks is dedicated to testing GPU performance. Unfortunately, we only have one multi-platform (that is, available on both Android and iOS) application here: GFXBench (formerly GLBenchmark 2.7). The other two applications are currently only available on Android (more precisely, Epic Citadel is available on iOS, but without a test component). On the other hand, in the case of Epic Citadel, the possibility of comparison is not so important: the absolute value is more important here. If the result is more than 30 fps, it means that you can play projects on the Unreal engine, since Epic Citadel demonstrates a real gaming scene on this engine (and many popular games are made on it - Dark Meadow, Horn, Infinity Blade II, etc.).

So, in Ultra High Quality mode, that is, with maximum settings quality, the tablet showed performance of 37.8 fps. This is more than the “playability threshold”, which is especially pleasing considering the tablet screen resolution (Full HD). In the less severe High Performance and High Quality modes, the results were, respectively, 58.2 fps and 57.7 fps, that is, almost the maximum possible.

The table below shows the results of other tablets for comparison. In this case, it is necessary to take into account the influence of resolution: the new Google Nexus 7 has a higher resolution than its competitors.


(Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro)
Asus MemoPad HD 7
(MediaTek MT8125)
Huawei MediaPad Lite 2 (Vogue)
(HiSilicon K3V2)
Epic Citadel (High Performance mode)58.2 fps54 fps44.1 fps
Epic Citadel (High Quality mode)57.7 fps54 fps42.0 fps
Epic Citadel (Ultra High Quality mode)37.8 fps- -

Now let's look at the results in GFXBench. Here we are interested, first of all, in the results of the Egypt HD scene, which is available in benchmark versions 2.5.1 and 2.7.0. A more modern T-Rex HD scene has appeared in GLBenchmark 2.7, but so far only top models of smartphones and tablets score more than 15 fps in it (Google Nexus 7 is not one of them). Therefore, the results of Egypt HD, corresponding to the top level of games in the second half of 2012 - early 2013, are more relevant for now. Here are the results.


(Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro)
Google Nexus 7 first generation
(NVIDIA Tegra 3 T30L)
Asus MemoPad HD 7
(MediaTek MT8125)
Huawei MediaPad Lite 2 (Vogue)
(HiSilicon K3V2)
Apple iPad mini
(Apple A5)
GLBenchmark 2.5 Egypt HD (C24Z16)40 fps14 fps14 fps23 fps24 fps
GLBenchmark 2.5 Egypt HD (C24Z16 Offscreen)40 fps9.4 fps10 fps13 fps14 fps

The results are eloquent and require no comment.

The latest GPU test is 3DMark. We present the results for two modes: Ice Storm and Ice Storm Extreme.

Only one game had a problem: apparently Need for Speed: Most Wanted is simply not compatible with this device. All other games launched and worked perfectly. So we can agree that the second generation Google Nexus 7 deserves the title of a gaming tablet.

Cameras

As we remember, the first Google Nexus 7 did not have a rear camera - only a front one. Today, it would be unthinkable to release a seven-inch tablet without a rear camera. So the new Google Nexus 7 has it, although its resolution is 5 megapixels, and not the more common 8 megapixels on top devices.

As for the quality of the rear camera, it is not bad, although the shortcomings are quite significant. The main one is digital noise, especially noticeable on flat surfaces. Above is a fragment of a test shot. The original is available by clicking.

The same flaw is visible in the photo of the page with text (in daylight). However, all the words are legible, so we believe that the tablet coped with this task.

But we were very pleased with the video shot with the rear camera. Not only does the resolution correspond to Full HD, but there are also no serious complaints about the picture quality. Sample video can be downloaded (MP4, 30 seconds, 43.4 MB).

TO frontal communication no complaints, video communication in Skype works correctly.

Playing video

To display images on an external screen, this tablet uses the SlimPort interface, operating via a Micro-USB connector. The corresponding adapter got lost somewhere during shipment, so we had to limit ourselves to testing the output of video files on the screen of the device itself. If we do receive the adapter and the tablet is available, we will definitely check the operation of SlimPort.

For this test, we used a set of special files with an arrow and a rectangle moving one division per frame (see Methodology for testing video playback and display devices. Version 1). Screenshots with a shutter speed of 1 s helped determine the nature of the output of frames of video files with various parameters: Resolution varied (1280 by 720 (720p) and 1920 by 1080 (1080p) pixels) and frame rate (24, 25, 30, 50 and 60 fps). In the tests, we used the MX Player video player in the “Hardware+” mode. The test results are summarized in the table:

FileUniformityPasses
Screen
watch-1920x1080-60p.mp4not playable not playable
watch-1920x1080-50p.mp4FineNo
watch-1920x1080-30p.mp4FineNo
watch-1920x1080-25p.mp4FineNo
watch-1920x1080-24p.mp4FineNo
watch-1280x720-60p.mp4Finefew
watch-1280x720-50p.mp4FineNo
watch-1280x720-30p.mp4FineNo
watch-1280x720-25p.mp4GreatNo
watch-1280x720-24p.mp4FineNo

Note: If both the Uniformity and Dropout columns are rated green, this means that when watching movies, there will most likely be no or no amount of artifacts caused by frame spacing or dropouts visible. will not affect viewing comfort. “Red” marks indicate possible problems associated with the playback of the corresponding files.

The intervals between frames (or groups of frames) alternate more or less evenly, but files with 60 fps (1080p) are not played back. However, in any case, uniform alternation of frames is a relatively unstable state, since some external and internal background processes lead to periodic failure of the correct alternation of intervals between frames and even to the skipping of individual frames.

The displayed brightness range exactly corresponds to the standard video range - all shade gradations are displayed in shadows and highlights (for video in the range 16-235). When playing video files with a resolution of 1920 by 1080 (1080p), the image of the video file itself is displayed exactly across the width of the screen, one to one in pixels, that is, in the original resolution.

Autonomous operation and ergonomics

How high performance and a thin body affect the duration battery life? Here we had the saddest expectations, but the testing results truly surprised us.

In 3D game mode, the tablet really didn't last long - only 3 hours 25 minutes. This is if you set the brightness to 100 cd/m² (this brightness is comfortable for working indoors under artificial lighting or not the brightest daylight). If you set the tablet's brightness to maximum, you can play for only 2 hours and 45 minutes.

But already in the playback test Google video The Nexus 7 managed an impressive 9 hours and 30 minutes, faster than other seven-inch tablets we've tested. But the real sensation was the duration of work in reading mode (the Moon+ Reader application was launched, auto-shutdown of the screen was disabled, the brightness was set to 100 cd/m², Wi-Fi was not turned off). The tablet worked for 25 hours straight! Amazing!

Conclusions

The second-generation Google Nexus 7 is the best seven-inch tablet we've ever tested. Its advantages: excellent Full HD screen, high performance, surprisingly long battery life in low-load use cases (reading, to a lesser extent watching video), excellent design, good compatibility with games, the ability to shoot good Full HD video on the rear camera, the latest operating version Google systems Android, low (for a device of this level) price.

A few disadvantages are the lack of a microSD slot and the inability to connect external drives via USB OTG (if you do not root), as well as the need to purchase a non-standard adapter to connect to an external screen. There are also some nuances when using the tablet as a gaming device (incompatibility with one of the popular games, low battery life for 3D games), but they pale in comparison to the advantages.

The tablet went into Russian retail on September 6 at a price of 10,990 rubles for the version with 16 GB of flash memory and without 3G/LTE. A more expensive option (with 3G/LTE and 32 GB of flash memory) will cost 15,990 rubles. It’s strange that there is no announcement about the availability of an intermediate version: with 32 GB of flash memory, but without 3G/LTE (this is the version we tested, ordered in the USA). But in any case, these prices should be considered quite adequate (albeit a little overpriced compared to American prices).