ASUS Nexus 7 Gen 2 Android Tablet

Google Nexus 7 2013 Benchmarks:

Benchmarking a mobile device is a tricky thing. With the multiple OS’s available and the particular tweaks implemented by the manufacturer its often difficult to provide a common baseline for comparison. There is no easy way to guarantee that the results and performance you see here is what you can expect on your device unless you have the exact same device. The best we at TechwareLabs can do for you is give you the conditions under which the benchmarks were run. It is important to note that two devices of similar components but different manufacturers could result in wildly different performance. The very thing that is Google Android’s source of strength also lends itself to its source of weakness; and that is manufacturer implementation. Is this case it is worth repeating that the Nexus 7 is a Google branded device that has been made by Asus. So the Nexus should represent the best of what Google wants to show off.

All benchmarks were performed on a Google Nexus 7 16GB with a fully charged battery and not on AC power. Our tests were conducted running under Android OS with the following parameters:

Kernel version: 3.4.0-g6537a16
Android Version 4.3
Build number: JSS15Q

Vellamo:

Quadrant Standard:

AnTuTu:

AndroBench:

GFXBench 2.7.2:

3DMark:

What’s It Boils Down To:

Taking a close look at a side by side comparison you can see the new Nexus 7 represents a significant improvement over the original Nexus 7 in just about every category. Of course the first thing that is immediately noticeable both on paper and in first use is that the screen is amazing. In fact a case could be made that the little new Nexus 7 Gen 2 just set the bar for all other tablets in terms of visual quality and resolution. Full HD at 1920 x 1200 is better than most of the monitors on laptops today and possibly even the monitor sitting on your desk right now. Take a moment right now and check if your desktop or laptop monitor has the resolution and pixel density of this little 7 inch tablet. At 323ppi you have to wonder if the designers at Asus just wanted to rub it in the face of Apple users. We applaud them for what is without a doubt the best screen on a tablet to date, and made all the more impressive that Asus did it and still kept the Nexus 7 Gen 2 affordable. But that’s just the beginning.

Looking further down the list we see Asus packed the Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ S4 Pro 8064 Quad-Core at 1.5Ghz into the new Nexus which results in a very snappy OS and application experience. The new Nexus 7 comes preloaded with Android 4.3 but no bloated appz or extra garbage to weigh down the OS. We also see Asus making use of Bluetooth 4.0 as well as NFC (near field communications) for limited range uses like Google wallet. Additionally the new Nexus 7 supports wireless charging and wake from sleep with the use of a magnetic enabled sleeve or case. The Nexus 7 Gen 2 is also available with an optionally installed 4G LTE service.

Some Areas of Doubt:

Although the Nexus 7 Gen 2 is a great product, there are a few things we dislike. First is the lack of expandability, no SDHC or Mirco-SDHC card adapter is a big downer. Second is the AC adapter which uses a non-standard output amperage. We found using a standard Mirco USB charger for a phone or other tablet resulted in a very slow recharge and sometimes no charge at all. And lastly is the lack of after market accessories for the Nexus 7 Gen 2 and even Gen 1. If Google plans on having their products taken seriously they should make an effort to develop and put on store shelves accessories for consumers. The single Nexus 7 case we found is acceptable but just barely. There is no after market charger available, line of branded cases, pen’s, etc.

Overall the Nexus 7 Gen 2 is a great product with some pitfalls that could have been easily avoided. It is worth noting that we picked up the new Nexus 7 Gen 2 on our own and plan on using it long term but many consumers would have welcomed the ability to expand the storage and a variety of accessories.