There was a time when everyone questioned the use of a tablet PC. There still are some people who do the same, but the majority has become enthusiastic tablet users. This transformation didn’t happen in a single year. They took time to understand where exactly the tablet PC scenario fits in, and then they decided that it actually can help users get something done. The growth of tablets started after this transformation. Although this was the case, beside Apple iPad, all other tablet PCs staggered at the market before succeeding. This may have been due to the high cost factor they imposed upon customers first. However, as of now, even a high cost like that can be justified looking at their performance.
In the comparison today, we’ll be comparing a new budget tablet that was announced just yesterday (27 June 2012), and compare it with another prominent tablet from Samsung Galaxy line. Google has decided to outsource this budget tablet manufacturing to Asus and as far as we assume, this is because Asus has shown more promising leads in the tablet market than Samsung. Although this is the case, Samsung and Asus came in to the market at the same time, and they are no rookies in this game. Both manufacture matured products with plenty of feedbacks on their plate, and which enables them to improve continuously. They have been head to head in the competition but lately Asus has surpassed Samsung by integrating cutting edge technology in their tablets. But the irony is that; Samsung still has the lead on Android tablets and Asus continues to follow. This may well change with the introduction of Asus Google Nexus 7.
Google Nexus 7 Review
Asus Google Nexus 7 is known as Nexus 7 in short. It is one of Google’s very own product line; Nexus. As usual, Nexus is designed to last till its successor and that means something in the rapidly changing tablet market. Nexus 7 has a 7 inch LED backlit IPS LCD capacitive touchscreen that features a resolution of 1280 x 800 pixels at a pixel density of 216ppi. It is 120mm wide and 198.5mm in height. Asus has managed to make it thin as much as 10.5mm and rather light with a weight of 340g. The touchscreen is said to be made from Corning Gorilla Glass which means it would be highly scratch resistant.
Google has included a 1.3GHz quad-core processor on top of Nvidia Tegra 3 chipset with 1GB of RAM and a 12 core ULP GeForce GPU. It runs on Android 4.1 Jelly Bean which would make it the first device to run on this newest Android operating system. Google states that Jelly Bean is specifically developed to enhance the performance of the quad core processors used in this device and hence we can expect a high end computing platform from this budget device. They have made it their mission to eliminate sluggish behavior and it seems the gaming experience is highly enhanced, as well. This slate comes with two storage options, 8GB and 16GB without the option to expand storage using microSD cards.
The network connectivity for this tablet is defined by Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n only which can be a disadvantage when you can’t find a Wi-Fi hotspot to connect. This won’t be much of a problem if you live in a country that has a wide Wi-Fi coverage. It also has NFC (Android Beam) and Google Wallet, as well. The slate has 1.2MP front facing camera that can capture 720p videos, but it doesn’t come with a camera at the rear, and which may disappoint some. It basically comes in Black and the texture on the back cover is developed specifically to enhance the grip. Another attractive feature is the introduction of enhanced voice commands with Jelly Bean. This means Nexus 7 will host a Siri like personal assistant system which can answer your question promptly. Asus has included a 4325mAh battery that is guaranteed to last over 8 hours and that would give it enough juice for any general use.
Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.7 Review
As the name suggests, Galaxy Tab 7.7 comes with a 7.7 inches Super AMOLED Plus capacitive touchscreen display that features a resolution of 1280 x 720 pixels at 196ppi pixel density. The screen is reinforced with Corning Gorilla Glass, to make it scratch resistant, and comes with an expensive look. It comes in Metallic Grey and White flavors and has comfortable ergonomics. We can’t really differentiate between the screen sizes, but what we feel is that it’s easier to hold than the 8.9 version and obviously having a bit bigger screen is advantageous compared to 7.0 editions. Some might find it irritating to have two versions in 7.0 and 7.7, but there is a subtle difference in how we perceive the devices. We reckon the final choice depends on you whether you want a big screen or you’re going to suffice with 7.0 inches.
In any case, Galaxy Tab 7.7 comes with enough processing power, to handle just about anything thrown at it. The 1.4GHz dual core processor on top of Samsung Exynos chipset makes it a top notch configuration, and while not been the top in the market, it certainly doesn’t go way below either. It has 1GB of RAM and runs on Adroid OS 3.1 Honeycomb. We are told that Samsung will be releasing an upgrade to Android v4.0 IceCreamSandwich. The processing power particularly comes in handy given the tablet has LTE connectivity. We can assure that this tablet would seamlessly multi task and let you work on your streaming activities over the internet while you’re on a call with your friend. It guarantees blazing fast switching between applications, as well.
Galaxy Tab 7.7 LTE can gracefully degrade to 3G connectivity when LTE is not available, and it also comes with Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n for continuous connectivity. The fact that it can host a wi-fi hotspot would be the perfect way for you to be generous about your fast internet connection. The tab has 3.15MP camera with autofocus and LED flash in Galaxy Tab that can record 720p HD videos, but we think Samsung could have done better with the camera. It also has 2MP camera for the purpose of video conferencing bundled together with Bluetooth. We almost forgot to mention one thing, Galaxy Tab 7.7 is not a GSM device, but it has CDMA connectivity.
Galaxy Tab 7.7 comes with 16GB and 32GB editions with the ability to expand the storage with a microSD card. Coming to the battery, we are looking at a battery life of 7-8 hours in one charge.
A Brief Comparison Between Google Nexus 7 and Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.7
• Google Nexus 7 is powered by 1.3GHz quad core processor on top of Nvidia Tegra 3 chipset with 1GB of RAM and 12 core ULP GeForce GPU, while Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.7 is powered by 1.4GHz dual core processor on top of Samsung Exynos chipset with 1GB of RAM.
• Google Nexus 7 runs on Android 4.1 Jelly Bean while Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.7 runs on Android 3.1 Honeycomb.
• Google Nexus has 7 inch LED backlit IPS LCD capacitive touchscreen that features a resolution of 1280 x 800 pixels at a pixel density of 216ppi while Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.7 has 7.7 inch Super AMOLED Plus capacitive touchscreen that features a resolution of 1280 x 800 pixels at a pixel density of 196ppi.
• Google Nexus 7 only has Wi-Fi connectivity while Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.7 has 4G LTE connectivity.
• Google Nexus 7 has 1.2MP front facing camera while Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.7 has 3.15MP camera.
Conclusion
The Google Nexus 7 seems to be a hit among the budget tablets. The key here is that, Google has concentrated only the needed features to the Nexus 7 and made it as cheap as possible while keeping the integrity of a high end tablet. Nexus 7 has an awesome touchscreen which falls in the same quality as that of Galaxy Tab 7.7, and the crispness of Nexus 7 exceeds that of Tab 7.7. The processor is also a high end unit where it can easily exceed the performance of Samsung Tab 7.7. In terms of operating system, Nexus 7 excels fair and square. The only apparent drawback is the lack of HSDPA connectivity in Nexus 7 where the customers will have to depend on Wi-Fi all the time. Other than this, both of these tablets are going to fulfill your needs obediently, and Asus Google Nexus 7 will be rather light on your pocket in terms of weight as well as cost.