This has most definitely been Google’s week. The internet giant, in association with Asus, unveiled its first ever tablet, the Google Nexus 7. This is only the first time that Google has forayed into the tablet niche and boy, has it delivered! The tablet’s been out only a few days and it has already created a huge stir in the markets. The Google Nexus 7 comes with the all new Android 4.1 Jelly Bean, a 7 inch screen and a price tag of just $199.

It goes without saying that the Nexus 7 will be pitted against the likes of the Amazon Kindle Fire and the iPad, the latter being the most dominant player in the tablet niche. While it might not be able to compete against either of the two in some departments, what makes it work is the value for money factor. By launching the Nexus 7, Google has made it clear that you can get your hands on a great tablet even for a lower price.

Design and Resolution

The Google Nexus 7 is quite like a simple black tablet with a very clean look. The crucial factor is that it doesn’t look flimsy or brittle. Rather, it has a strong and resilient external built and the credit for that clearly goes to Asus. The back side of the tablet is partially made of rubber making it easier to grip the tablet comfortably in just one hand. The bezel around the screen is pretty thin along the length of the tablet, but along the breath, it is considerably thicker. The thick band seems like an unnecessary waste of space and it makes you wonder if the tablet could have been even smaller and lighter. That is the only problem that we had with the external design.

Quite obviously, it doesn’t compare with an iPad in terms of design or aesthetic appeal, but then you can’t ask for everything in $199. Once you switch the tablet on, you would be surprised to see a refreshingly sharp resolution. The Nexus 7 boasts of a 1280 by 800 LCD screen, which is better than the one offered by Amazon Kindle Fire i.e. 1280 by 600. We are not denying that you can easily find better quality screens in tablets like the Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.7, but that comes at a steep price.

Performance

The Nexus 7 is powered by a quad core Nvidia Tegra 3 chipset which is one of the most powerful processers as of now. The processor functions at 1.3 Ghz and its performance is distinctly better than the Kindle Amazon Fire. While we are not taking away anything from the excellence of this processor, the real show stopper is the new OS- the Android 4.1 Jelly Bean. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that it’s the OS which seals the deal for the Nexus 7.

The software certainly has an edge and you will feel it the moment you start using the tablet. The level of responsiveness to touch and swipe, the speed of switching between apps, the experience of using a virtual keyboard- everything is clearly smoother. In fact, Google has gone ahead and termed their endeavor Project Butter i.e. they have tried to make the whole experience of using an Android powered tablet glitch free. And luckily for all of you, they have done exceeding well. In fact, if one were to compare the level of receptivity of the Nexus 7 to the Samsung Galaxy SIII with the Ice Cream Sandwich OS, the former will emerge as a close winner.

Other Features

The nexus 7 comes loaded with an array of Google apps including Google+, Google Maps, GTalk and of course, Chrome as the default browser. Google branded their tablet as a media consumption device and the media gateways are just indicators of things to come. These gateways lead you straight to the app i.e. when you select an album, you go straight to Music.

The video play is excellent for watching movies, although you might need some time to adjust to the size of the tablet. The magazine reading experience is also great, but Kindle outdoes the Nexus 7 in this department. Again, Google Play will need a little adjusting to, especially after most of us have been spoilt by the Apple iPod.

All in all, the Google Nexus 7 offers amazing value for money. For just $199, its performance and design are evenly matched against the most acclaimed tablets like the iPad and the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1. Let’s conclude by saying that no other tablet offers as much as the Google Nexus 7 in that particular price range.