Gadgetory

so the same thing always happens when our new device launches the media gets review units ahead of the official launch and we get to use them while we write our review then the press embargo lifts every outlet posts their reviews and videos at the same time writers and commenters go back and forth and it's a huge frenzy of opinion and buzz for about a day and then it all goes away I'm sure there's some follow-up coverage but after that initial blast almost no one revisits the device to see how well it's aged because we're all on to the next big thing already so let's do something about it let's have a look at a device several months after its release when it's not shiny and new anymore I'm Taylor Martin with Pocket now these are Nexus 7 2013 and this is episode 26 of after the buzz the hardware of the current Nexus 7 like many Nexus devices to date is understated Google and its elected partner manufacturer in this case a soos creates extremely affordable hardware to promote and perfectly complement the software the purest Google experience possible understated hardware however doesn't have to be poor hardware or even ugly the Nexus 7 is neither of those things it's a quaint yet beautiful device and after five months of using it our opinion of its hardware hasn't changed a bit the front is a stark black slab of glass no buttons only a front camera and a gorgeous 7 inch 1080p display the edges are chamfered leading to a slight bevel around the backside which is made of a matte finished plastic originally it came only in black but a white variant was released in time for the holidays so we picked one up we were surprised to find it's not exactly white but more of a very light shade of gray or an off-white the black model has stood up to the test of time quite well suffering only a few faint scratches on the rear and some hairline scratches on the display the white model which we've only had since December 13th shows some signs of wear on the backside I'll be it very very faint it now resembles an eggshell around back another interesting tidbit the black Nexus 7 models Hardware is extremely solid and makes no squeaking noises when gripping the device the white model which utilizes a harder plastic composition tends to squeak a lot the specifications were understandably mediocre at the time of launch thanks to the need to keep costs down still the tablet is aging exceptionally well at 2 gigabytes the RAM is fine 16 or 32 gigabytes of fixed Gorge is acceptable and the display is gorgeous and raised the bar for smaller tablet display quality we still love having wireless charging as an option and we love NFC but the chipset is from last year not the Snapdragon 600 or 800 we were expecting it ships with the Snapdragon s4 pro with a 1.5 gigahertz quad-core Krait CPU and Adreno 320 GPU we're not complaining but a seuss in google left plenty of room to improve next year the display is arguably the most important feature of the Nexus 7 it was among the first 7-inch tablets to feature a 1080p pixel resolution at 323 pixels per inch the display is incredibly crisp and the color reproduction is fairly accurate frankly it's one of the best displays on a small tablet to date though there have been some issues with dead pixels unfortunately we found one dead pixel on our white Nexus 7's display despite the age specs and the nondescript design this year's Nexus 7 is still one of the best Android tablets money can buy software is this tablet's main differentiator carrying the Nexus brand name comes with a unique perk this tablet until it reaches end-of-life status will always be among the first to receive Android updates big or small it's currently running the very latest version of KitKat Android version 4.4.2 unlike the Nexus 5 the Nexus 7 on Android 4.4.2 does not default to the Google Experience launcher in fact it's not a standard option at all and since this is a tablet without an earpiece speaker the new dialer with business search and caller ID is missing but other pieces of the KitKat puzzle are present such as immersive mode faster multitasking and wireless printing built in and for that we're thankful it didn't take long for the stock Android launcher to lose its luster it offers a no frills experience with a UI which is better suited on a smartphone than a tablet so we've supplemented with an aftermarket option action launcher since the launch of the new Nexus 7 Google has given a ton of attention to tablets specifically tablet optimized application now have their very own niche in Google Play under tablet 101 and the tablet spotlight Google Play also filters apps by those designed for tablets by default and if you want or need access to non tablet apps simply change the filter the software and apps situation on Android is rapidly improving for tablets becoming home to more and more beautiful applications and games which are optimized for larger displays we can't say for certain if this is a direct result of Google's efforts and please or if it was inadvertently caused by smartphones constantly approaching tablet sizes either way we aren't complaining despite using last year's SOC performance on the Nexus 7 has not been a problem throughout many months of usage there are some intermittent stutters but it's a far cry from the first generation Nexus 7 and it can hang with some of the best tablets out there especially in gaming whether you favor graphic intensive adrenaline-fueled games like asphalt 8 or more casual beautiful scenery type games the Nexus 7 is great inside the 15 watt hour battery rated at 39 50 milliamp hours has always managed to powers through a full day plus on the heaviest of days we blessed well into the night before needing to plug in the speakers admittedly could be a tad louder the sound is passable and we're happy they provide great stereo separation but the rear facing and easily muffled by the palms of your hands finally the camera it serves well for the few purposes any tablet has a camera taking photos in a pinch and video calling camera isn't terrible but it's not noteworthy either a soos is building a strong name for itself under the Nexus brand the new Nexus 7 even at five months old is an outstanding tablet and a killer deal the 16 gigabyte Wi-Fi model starts at just two hundred and twenty nine dollars double the storage for only $40 more and add LTE connectivity for another 80 for everything from casual multimedia playback and reading to browsing the web and even intense gaming the 2013 Nexus 7 is the best small tablet for the job we still recommend it to anyone looking for a great tablet on the cheap or just a great small tablet in general 2014 will certainly bring stiff competition in the small tablet space but we're confident the 2013 Nexus 7 will hold its own with no problem well into 2014 that's going to do it for episode 26 of after the buzz if you enjoyed the video be sure to click the thumbs up button below to help us out and subscribe to see more videos like this one in the future be sure to leave a comment if you have any questions or suggestions and as always follow us on all the usual places Twitter Facebook and Google+ at pocket now I'm Taylor Martin you can find me on twitter at casper tech and i will see you next time