Tablets: Google’s Nexus 7

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Google’s entry into the tablet market – the Nexus 7 – has been available for about a month now and some good reviews are starting to come in. For example, TechRepublic’s tear-down of the Nexus 7 revealed that it has an overall edge in hardware when compared to Amazon’s Kindle Fire.

Then there are positive reviews like this one posted on ZDNet which describes the Nexus 7 as a road warrior’s best friend. All good.

And still others – whilst knocking the “Ice Cream Sandwich” release of Android – admit that the Nexus 7 is a stable device that gives good performance. This particular plaudit appears to be based on the fact that the Nexus 7 is running the later release of Android named “Jelly Bean” rather than the older “Ice Cream Sandwich” release. This begs the question: “Is Android’s success on the Nexus 7 due to the fact that the hardware has been developed to the exact specifications of the same outfit that created Android in the first place?” This may be the very reason why Apple has been so successful with its Mac, iPhone and iPad.

Of course, the Nexus 7 has had a few minor quality issues like the screen being improperly glued to the body of the tablet. Things like this are more a production problem with the manufacturer – Asus – rather than a true design issue. This kind of problem is much easier to correct than a design failure.

And finally, there is the “Backyard Camping” commercial for the Nexus 7 that shows off the tablet’s abilities in an everyday setting. This will – hopefully – lay to rest the misguided notion that since only Apple can produce a really good commercial, the company is the only one that can produce a really good tablet/phone/computer.

At present, Apple holds roughly 65 % of the tablet market with Samsung holding a mere 7.5 % and Amazon’s Kindle Fire owning around 4 %. The forthcoming release of Microsoft’s Surface tablet may change the dynamic somewhat. While it is not to be expected that scads of iPad users will abandon the device for Surface, it may very well serve as the tipping point for widespread corporate adaptation of tablet technology.

Meanwhile, Barnes and Noble has dropped the price of the Nook by $20.00 in anticipation of Amazon’s next iteration of its Kindle Fire. As the Tablet Wars continue, $200 seems to be the pricing sweet spot for 7-inch tablets; At least the basic models of 7-inch tablets which have 6 or 8 Gigabytes of storage. If your needs are simple – like browsing, e-mail, and the occasional YouTube video, then the basic model will probably be all you need. If you needs require additional storage, then naturally the price will increase. Google’s Nexus 7 is priced to fall within that target range.

At this stage of the game, determining who will be # 2 to Apple’s iPad is mainly a wait-and-see strategy. Nonetheless, Google’s Nexus 7 could be a real contender; Especially in the 7″ category.

Howard Parsons

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