AndroidGuys |
- Nexus 7 review
- Amazon smartphone rumored for release in 2012
- Multiple Kindle Fire successors due, including a 4G LTE model
- Google says Galaxy Nexus shipping should continue next week after Samsung-Apple suit caused sales ban
| Posted: 06 Jul 2012 01:48 PM PDT
What we liked: Priced to sell, the $199 sticker puts this in conversations for anyone considering the Kindle Fire. Android 4.1 Jelly Bean is considerably more than a minor update to Ice Cream Sandwich; Google Now is easily our favorite new feature. Fast on every front, the Nexus 7 is the new standard for Android tablets, thanks largely to its quad-core Tegra 3 CPU. Room for Improvement: We'd love to see microSD expansion and a rear camera if only because that's what we're accustomed to seeing on tablets. Moving the speaker(s) to opposite ends would also improve our experience for games and HD movies. The placement of the volume and power buttons require a bit of familiarization as the tapered design makes them feel like they are on the backside. Review at a Glance: Next to the Samsung Galaxy S III, the Nexus 7 was the worst kept Android secret of 2012. After rumors started in late 2011 that Asus and Google would be working together on a tablet in the Nexus name, the conversation quickly shifted from if it would happen to when it would happen. Now that Google I/O 2012 has come and gone and the Nexus 7 has been delivered, we turn out attention to whether it was all worth the hype. We say it is most definitely worth every bit of anticipation and even more. We hate to employ the overused phrase, but the fact is the game has changed. HardwareWe could go into a long-winded diatribe about the hardware and whether it is justified by the $200 price point but that would be a waste of time. Simply put, there's no other tablet on the market that competes at this price. What about the Amazon Kindle Fire? On the hardware front, there's no comparison. Among other details, the Nexus 7 offers a considerably faster processor, higher resolution display, a front-facing camera, and Bluetooth. If you are in the market for a true Android tablet and need to watch your pennies, this is the one to buy.  The IMDb app looks great on the Nexus 7. Much is said about whether the 7-inch display size is right for Android and if users should instead consider a 10-inch model. No, you should not. Time and again I find myself happily returning to the Kindle Fire and other 7-inch tablets for reading magazines, books, emails, and other apps. Titles such as IMDb, TED, and Currents work wonderfully on the portable tablet and really shine here with the 1280x800 resolution display. That's not to say a 10-inch tablet isn't right for anyone or that we wouldn't love to get our hands on the same experience on a larger screen. The 7-inch screen is much better for typical users than they think, and it's a huge step up from 3.5-inch and 4.5-inch handsets. The NVIDIA Tegra 3 processor inside the Nexus 7 is a screamer and performs as well as anything else we've played with in the past. While some credit is due to Android 4.1 Jelly Bean and the Project Butter stuff, the quad-core CPU has handled anything and everything we've thrown at it so far. Games such as Zen Pinball THD, Dark Meadow: The Pact, and Sonic 4 Episode II THD not only look gorgeous but they play exceedingly well on the 7-inch display. Hate to obstruct your view with fingers and hands? Hook up a Bluetooth game pad and watch how immerse your games feel. I've long held the opinion that mobile games are best served casual but am quickly learning to love console-like quality titles. Whether it's the quad-core CPU, the 12-core GPU, or a combination of the two, I love how water effects, smoke, lighting, and other features get a chance to shine on the Nexus 7. Although we're familiar with seeing a rear camera on our tablets, it's hardly something we ever use. That said, we immediately missed having one for taking pictures and loading apps like Instagram. Sure, we could sideload whatever we want if we really tried, but we found ourselves wanting to snap a photo or two from the Nexus 7 only to switch to our phone. It's certainly not a deal-breaker for us but we'd like at least a 5-megapixel camera on the device seeing as how portable the tablet is. If you're going to add in NFC support for usage outside of the home and office, then why not add this in? Generally speaking, the Nexus 7 is a sharp tablet with a unique soft-grip backside that feels like it might get dirty. Our version has a white rear and initially felt like it would gather oil and dirt however a week later it's still nice and clean. There's a lot of bezel around the display and I've heard plenty of complaints about wasted space. After using it for a few days, I've come to block this out, if not appreciate it a bit. Given that my tablet use is more for consumption of media and reading, I like that I do not accidentally turn pages or swipe to additional screens. As for the extra space on the top and bottom, though, I cannot make up a good enough reason to justify all that black. SoftwareAndroid 4.1 Jelly Bean is a significant step forward for the platform and it's much bigger than we could have envisioned. We'd have been perfectly fine with Google calling this a 5.0 release as it has all sorts of wonderful stuff that is very obvious to users. Starting with the ability to launch into Google Now, one sees that this is a different Android experience. Toss in some speedy animations and effects and you see that Google really cares about how things looked. If you've been with Android for a few years then you know just how simple (read: ugly) things could be for apps and general settings. The UI is sharp, clean, and continues on the foundation that was built with Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich. Android was initially known for being more powerful than other mobile platforms but it's not hard to say that future releases will be more beautiful than others in the space.  Google Now is our new favorite Android feature. Even in its first few days Google Now has emerged as the clear winner in assistant and voice activated apps. Why? Because it delivers everything you want or need, and without prompt. Why bother asking what the weather is or how long it will take to get to your appointment? A simple swipe of the screen gives you this information, and more. The best part of Google Now is that you don't train it in the ways you would typically teach an app, it just observes you and your habits. Spend any length of time at a particular destination or place on the map and Google thinks it might important to you. Every so often you will see Google Now suggest a spot to you and ask if it's important, providing at-a-glance ETA and traffic details. Ask Google Now a couple of times whether your favorite baseball team won and it's going to start telling you ahead of time. What's more, it also provides a seamless way to purchase tickets to the next game, if that's your wont. As many of you already know, additional features of Android 4.1 Jelly Bean include offline voice-to-text, smart widget placement and sizing, and a quicker way to view photos. While each one is a cool option or selling point on its own, this is one of those "the total is greater than the sum of its parts" scenarios. Spend more than a few days with Jelly Bean and you will find older versions of Android somewhat maddening. Why can't I move my widget to the bottom of the screen without moving each icon first!? Why can't I compose an email using my voice while riding on the subway?! Parting ThoughtsI'm sure I'm not the only one to hope that the Nexus 7 is the start of a regular series of Android tablets designed to move the platform forward. Larger players such as Amazon will be pushing their agenda forward with new designs and attractive price points. On the other end, smaller companies with tablets hovering around $100-$150 will get more powerful all the time. Here's to hoping Google circles back once a year to say, "This is where we think tablets should be and how much they should cost." Considering the way Amazon and Apple push their products, I sincerely hope to see Google or Asus offer this tablet in retail environments. I understand that there's next to no margin or room for profit, however Google needs to beat people over the head with this tablet. This should not be one of those ad campaigns with AdSense/AdWords on websites or something is only talked about in online conversations. Consumers need to see commercials for the Nexus 7 during prime-time television shows and sporting events. While Android 4.1 is the most intuitive and feature-rich version of the platform yet, it's still not something that your mother or uncle will figure out right away. There's a day or two of playing around with Jelly Bean before someone might feel truly comfortable, whereas Amazon's Kindle Fire excels at ease of use. That said, this is the sexiest and most robust tablet experience we've played with to date.
Nexus 7 review originally appeared on AndroidGuys. Get more AndroidGuys on Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube! Listen to our newest podcast and download the official app. Shop for Android accessories, apps, and more!
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| Amazon smartphone rumored for release in 2012 Posted: 06 Jul 2012 10:10 AM PDT
Rumors of an Android-based Amazon smartphone have begun picking up steam as Bloomberg is reporting new details for the handset. According to their sources, Amazon has contracted Foxconn International to design the smartphone which could be released as soon as later this year. In the meanwhile, Amazon is said to be going around securing patents in the event that companies like Apple decide to play dirty. As many of you know, the smartphone space is full of litigation and a player as big as Amazon is sure to attract some serious attention. It remains unclear as to which carrier would provide the service for an Amazon smartphone however FierceWireless surmises it could come from Sprint, AT&T, or Clearwire. How much interest do you have in an Amazon smartphone? Assuming it has the same app ecosystem as the Kindle Fire, would it be something you'd even consider? Does the carrier have any bearing in the matter? Amazon smartphone rumored for release in 2012 originally appeared on AndroidGuys. Get more AndroidGuys on Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube! Listen to our newest podcast and download the official app. Shop for Android accessories, apps, and more!
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| Multiple Kindle Fire successors due, including a 4G LTE model Posted: 06 Jul 2012 08:52 AM PDT
Amazon is expected to release no less than than three new Kindle Fire devices later this summer, according to NPD DisplaySearch analyst Richard Shim. Citing sources somewhere in the "supply chain", he advises that Amazon is readying multiple models with variations such as cameras and 4G LTE connectivity. Although we're nowhere near to discussing prices yet, Shim indicates that a 7-inch model could raise the ante on the Nexus 7 with a 1280x800 display and 4G. What's more, an 8.9-inch version is also being tossed in the mix, with a 1920x1200 display resolution. Rumored Kindle Fire 2 models and early details:
As far as the 10-inch model that we've been hearing about for better than a year, Shim doesn't think it's going to happen in the short term. In terms of processors for the above-listed models, rumors have tied Amazon to either a Texas Instruments OMAP processors or NVIDIA's quad-core Tegra 3 chipset/KAI reference used in the Nexus 7. Multiple Kindle Fire successors due, including a 4G LTE model originally appeared on AndroidGuys. Get more AndroidGuys on Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube! Listen to our newest podcast and download the official app. Shop for Android accessories, apps, and more!
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| Posted: 06 Jul 2012 04:52 AM PDT
Yesterday, we told you about The Galaxy Nexus and how Google / Samsung were working together to circumvent the ban that was won in a court case with Apple. Now, Google has told ABC that shipping should resume next week. According to ABC news:
Tim Cook of Apple was noted saying "We just don't want people ripping us off". What are your thoughts? Let us know in the comments. via abc Google says Galaxy Nexus shipping should continue next week after Samsung-Apple suit caused sales ban originally appeared on AndroidGuys. Get more AndroidGuys on Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube! Listen to our newest podcast and download the official app. Shop for Android accessories, apps, and more!
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