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Nexus 7 Hands-On Reviews

Added new review from

Ars Technica (July 8)

Some good soul has made a Camera Launcher for the Nexus 7 and put it up in the Google Play Store. We're relieved to find that much of the camera's terribleness is the result of the video chat/Skype environment. On its own, the camera is merely your average, barely-passable 1.2-megapixel camera, but outside video chatting it can at least make out freckles. The photo above was taken using the linked app.
 
awesome post! wish I could work for those websites, so I can get my hands on the devices even before they are released to the market.
 
breakingdawn said:
awesome post! wish I could work for those websites, so I can get my hands on the devices even before they are released to the market.
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Me too. I used to be Editor-in-Chief for a now defunct gaming news site, Intelgamer.com, about 10 years ago. I received games before anyone else so I could review them. I even got honorable mention in the credits of the game Serious Sam. :D
 
Awesome thread.
Since I signed up I've been eating up all the info info I can find, so this thread is totally feeding my addiction.

Thanks! :D
 
Anyone else notice Ars Technica's pictures are of a black backed device. The AndroidGuys review is just using stock photos, but Ars are their own.

Does that mean it's a production unit?
 
c4v3man said:
Anyone else notice Ars Technica's pictures are of a black backed device. The AndroidGuys review is just using stock photos, but Ars are their own.

Does that mean it's a production unit?
Click to expand...

Pretty sure, yeah. Big tech sites like Ars get review units (production units) sent to them prior to release.
 
I haven't read all the reviews (I do occasionally have a life) but the common thread from the ones I have has been a complaint about the lack of an SD card. I wonder if Google is listening?
 
Rhouse said:
I came across something i would consider a semi "negative" review. Just thought Id share it. I still think this is a phenomenal buy personally.
P.S Not sure if this link has already been posted.

Nexus 7 with Jelly Bean: a large smartphone without the phone | ZDNet
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It seemed like most of the author's problems were with the portrait-oriented UI.
It's probably my only concern at this point, but there's already a fix for it.
(I just don't know how robust the fix is at this point)
 
Geeze, this tablet isn't even out yet and it's already outshining the other Tegra3 offerings, and I can say that Tegra 3 brings it!
 
Rhouse said:
I came across something i would consider a semi "negative" review. Just thought Id share it. I still think this is a phenomenal buy personally.
P.S Not sure if this link has already been posted.

Nexus 7 with Jelly Bean: a large smartphone without the phone | ZDNet
Click to expand...

I did not know this:

The Nexus 7 home screen, the first thing that new buyers see, is restricted to work in portrait orientation. Google has decided that the 7-inch form factor of the Nexus 7 is better operated like phones, in portrait. Having used 7-inch Android tablets with earlier versions of the OS, I think that's a mistake. Tablets are very personal devices given they are used in the hands, and all users do not use them the same way. Giving them the choice of operating the tablet in either landscape or portrait is a good thing, but not to be on the Nexus 7, at least on the home screens.
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I think Paul O'Brien (the MoDaCo dev) edited the stock launcher to allow for rotation. It should show up on the market apparently.

Personally though I've already bought Apex launcher, so I'll stick with that.
 
I suspect this decision has a lot to do with the advanced notification system in Jelly Bean. Having the notifications at the top of the screen makes sense, better than at the bottom as in the earlier versions of Android.
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I think this says it all. I love using tablets in landscape mode (including the 7" A100), but I think this alone is the sole reason they chose to go with a more phone IU. Having those richer notifications on the bottom right corner of the screen would just be really awkward. (just imagine holding the Nexus 7 in your left hand and then using your right hand to two-finger swipe on the bottom right corner of the device.
I think swiping down from the upper middle of the device while holding it in portrait mode would simply feel far more natural to use, it just seems like the hand position would be less awkward.
Actually, going with the phone UI in a 7" form factor probably better accommodates those who are left handed, so maybe the phone UI is actually more ambidextrous than the typical tablet UI of Android.

In fact, after using ICS on both my dad's GNex, and my A100 and A500 tablets, it DOES feel partially awkward swiping notifications away in the bottom corner (especially when in portrait mode on either one). (BTW, I am right-handed)
 
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