Google has jumped into the hardware game with their new Nexus 7 tablet, aimed squarely at competing with the iPad, Microsofts Surface, and Kindle Fire. The tablet is very competitively priced starting at $199 for the 8GB version and the 16GB version coming in at $249, and features some fairly solid tech specs:
- 7″ display at 1280×800 resolution
- Quad-core Tegra 3 processor at some amount of MHz
- 1GB RAM
- 8GB or 16GB storage
- 1.2MP front-facing camera
- NFC, GPS, Accelerometer, Gyroscope
- Micro-USB connector
- Wi-Fi & Bluetooth connectivity
- Up to 8 hour battery life
- 0.75lbs
- Runs Android 4.1 Jelly Bean
Taking a cue from Apple’s unified iPad and iPhone UI, Android 4.1 has a tweaked user interface to more closely resemble the Android smartphone experience. This sould be a positive change if you’ve ever used an existing Android tablet or Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich and found it to be a foreign experience, particularly for those who own Android phones.
Google hasn’t announced an official release date, but pre-orders are possible now and the tablet is said to ship soon.
Having no hands-on experience with the tablet, it’s hard to form much of an opinion on it, though I must say the 3/4lbs weight and the price point is very compelling especially when compared to other $199 tablets and even the iPod touch. What do you think, will the Google Nexus 7 be a hit? Will it inspire Apple to release a 7″ tablet?