Nexus 7 2ND worth it?


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I was looking into a tablet. Never own one but would like to buy one. At 220 for the 16GB version is the Nexus 7 worth it? Most of the time I will be using it for surfing the web and playing small games instead of using my 8X and use up the battery.

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The nexus 7 represents the best value for money you'll get in a 7 inch tablet in my opinion, they're very powerful devices for what Google charge. It's camera is pretty crap but it sounds like it would still suit your needs just fine.

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No idea about games, but it's a highly capable little device and it has the best display I've seen on a small LCD (fairly competitive with my Dell U2412M in everything but size) and it's very fast for surfing around the Internet. The 1920x1200 IPS with minimal off-axis glow is excellent for reading any sort of text, and video also comes across very well. However, Flash Player doesn't work very well and you can expect it to destabilize the browser (tried AOSP Browser, Firefox, and Dolphin) quickly if you choose to activate it (it's been pulled from the official store and is no longer under development). That part worked much better on my old Playbook, but almost everything else being better makes it worth the upgrade. Flash is less necessary than it was on the Playbook since many sites recognize Android and serve up HTML5 video, but even so, most sites works best when using their desktop layout and often Flash is the only choice presented there.

 

Battery life is excellent and you shouldn't have trouble getting 10+ hours of web usage out of it, and battery usage in standby is almost nonexistant if you keep the synced stuff to a reasonable level (I've been seeing around 0.3%/hr idle with WiFi on and the screen off). I'm using a kernel and ROM from XDA which may have some bearing on that, but it won't be massively different if you stick with the stock firmware. Changing to custom firmware is fairly easy on the Nexus devices and can let you do things like the merging of the top and bottom nav bars to gain display real estate.

 

Speakers are okay. They sound poor when turned down quiet due to the cheap amp in use, but they are stereo and work fine for light listening duties. Bluetooth and analog out are there for bigger sound, but I still can't understand why front facing speakers aren't more prevalent. It has cameras, but you probably won't want to use them.

 

The device feels pretty good in hand and fits in most pockets. The display has an oleophobic coating so fingerprinting isn't much of an issue and the back has a lightly textured soft-touch coating to help grip. Build quality is alright, but I don't think it would take much abuse. The notification light is convenient and lights up with a nice soft pulsation, but it's white only. The Nexus 4 and Nexus 10 which have RGB lights that can be custom colored per app with the right software.

 

Being a Nexus device, it will receive prompt software upgrades and fixes from Google for a respectable amount of time, and further updates from the community long after that. In my view, that makes it one of the few valid options for a mobile device purchase after being burned by the lack of updates from BlackBerry on my last tablet. Being stuck with severely outdated software is miserable due to how much a tablet relies on online services for functionality.

 

TL;DR: I have the 32GB version and paid $300 CAD for it, totally worth it. 16GB is plenty if you can rely on network storage for media, and software like ES File Explorer makes that easy.

 

Addendum: owning an Android device is going to put you off of Windows Phone with a fairly continuous stream of "why can't I do that on my phone?". It's a significantly more capable platform, and is catching up quickly on elegance.

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Just got the Nexus 7 2nd gen (32gb) for $200 on craigslist. Not sure if I like the platform yet. Does not run as fast as my 8X but will give get a try for now.

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Just got the Nexus 7 2nd gen (32gb) for $200 on craigslist. Not sure if I like the platform yet. Does not run as fast as my 8X but will give get a try for now.

 

As soon as you get it, reinstall Android :). Never know what ###### was one it from the previous owner  :s

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the camera is bad, but if you're using a tablet for its camera its kinda dumb.  Its really fast, never any lag.  It's got amazing battery, and the screen is crisp and vibrant.  I personally like the device alot cause i read alot so test is always super sharp. 

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As soon as you get it, reinstall Android :). Never know what **** was one it from the previous owner :s

That's what I did when I got it after to see if there were naked photos which it didn't.

Screen is great, just not an android fan. But for the price I will use unless I can sell it for a good price. Android just feels incomplete then to wp or ios

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the camera is bad, but if you're using a tablet for its camera its kinda dumb. Its really fast, never any lag. It's got amazing battery, and the screen is crisp and vibrant. I personally like the device alot cause i read alot so test is always super sharp.

Didn't get it for the camera. Not a camera guy. Keyboard sucks.

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I think it's hilarious you actually think you 8X is in any way better than the N7, it's worlds apart and better, and the Android ecosystem is much better and advanced than what's available for WP8

 

Don't be all closed minded, give it a real chance and you'll be a convert soon enough

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I bought the N7 2013 a day after it came out at a Best Buy that still had one. I have 2 iPads and use the N7 the most. The 1080 display is stunning, and performance almost embarrasses the old N7. I gighly recommend it.

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As others have said, it's a device by itself that makes it a great buy. I have had mine for a couple of days now and I have significantly reduced the amount of time I spend using my retina mbp at the desk.

  • Screen is absolutely brilliant and clear. This alone is a reason to buy it. 7in gives a middle ground for my 4.7in motoX and 15" mbp. Using dark mode in most apps makes it seem like the screen isn't even there since it blends so well with the black bezel.
  • Design is really well thought out and implemented. The back is a bit more rugged and isn't exactly typical plastic that scratches easily. Minimal bezel on the sides. At first look, you would say the bezel on the top and bottom is ugly, but it provides a good place to hold it without your thumb cover part of the screen. 
  • Weight and size makes it really easy to hold with one hand, even at just one corner without support the back.
  • Battery life is currently giving me around 12 hours of screen on time for mixed usage. Wifi on always, gps off, bluetooth on when needed.
  • Android on tablets is a bit lacking and google needs to encourage developers more now that the N7 is really gaining traction. This is where iOS excels quite a bit and has an advantage. General usage like browsing feedly or reddit is easier to use on the N7 than using my phone or mbp. The keyboard is still a bit tricky in landscape mode, but somewhat easier in portrait mode.

Overall, it's a very solid device. I bought mine through Newegg when it was on sale online for $206 with no tax and free shipping. Check slickdeals.net to see if it is running.

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I want to pick one too but its not available officially in India and its having a mixed hardware/software problems. In spite of the recent software update, there are still problems with multitouch display also there is a thread on XDA talking about speaker problems  :/

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