Just over a year ago, Google released its first Nexus tablet. The 2012 Nexus 7 wasn’t perfect by a long shot, but it was the kick in the pants that the Android tablet ecosystem needed at the time. Up until that point, the best Android tablets (and we use that term loosely) were trying to pretend like they weren’t even Android tablets. Among the Galaxy Tabs and Motorola Xooms of the world, no one tablet really did well enough to merit the attention of developers or users. The Nexus 7 also redefined what people could expect to get for $200—an entirely usable (if not cutting-edge) general-purpose tablet without performance-sucking third-party skins or OEM-exclusive app stores.
Since then, the seven-to-eight-inch tablet category has gotten much more competitive thanks to lower prices from Amazon and a new, smaller iPad from Apple. Since it launched, praise for the original Nexus 7 has also gotten more muted, as storage-related performance degradation has set in and made the tablet feel slower than it did at first. With this follow-up, Google and Asus don’t just have to provide a decisive answer to the iPad mini—they also have to quell doubts about their tablet’s longevity. Luckily for us, they’ve managed to do both.
Body and build
Everything you need to know about the new Nexus 7 in 90 seconds.
Specs at a glance: 2013 Nexus 7
Screen 1920×1200 7.02″ (323 PPI) IPS LCD
OS Android 4.3 Jelly Bean
CPU Quad-core 1.5GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro
RAM 2GB
GPU Qualcomm Adreno 320
Storage 16GB or 32GB (non-upgradeable)
Networking 802.11a/b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.0, NFC, optional LTE (700/750/850/1700/1900/2100MHz), HSPA+ (850/900/1900/2100MHz/AWS), GSM (850/900/1800/1900MHz)
Ports Micro-USB, headphones
Camera 5MP rear camera, 1.2MP front camera
Size 7.87″ × 4.49″ × 0.34″ (200 x 114 x 8.65 mm)
Weight 10.23 oz. (290 g)
Battery 3950 mAh
Starting price $229
Price as reviewed $269
The short version: The 2013 Nexus 7 is more compact and, overall, feels a little better put together than last year’s model. This is plastic done right. Adjustments to the tablet’s weight and measurements make it easier to hold in both portrait and landscape modes.
The long version: The 2013 Nexus 7 is an all-black, mostly plastic slab with a 7-inch 1920×1200 display on the front. There’s also a 1.2MP front-facing camera set slightly right-of-center above the screen, a 5MP camera with no LED flash on the back, and stereo speaker grilles on the back of the tablet at its top and bottom. A new notification LED will slowly pulse at you from the bezel below the screen, but the tablet still lacks any sort of vibrator motor for notifications (or haptic feedback). The Nexus 4 and Nexus 10 both support this feature, so its continued omission from the Nexus 7 is a little puzzling, even if it isn’t in any way deal-breaking.
Other new features include built-in support for the Qi wireless charging standard, HDMI output through the micro USB port via the SlimPort standard (adapter sold separately), wireless display support via the Miracast standard, and 4G LTE support on Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile in the US (as long as you buy the LTE-equipped model, which is slated to go on sale in the coming weeks). Many of these features made an appearance in the Nexus 4 when it was launched late last year, and they’re all welcome (if mostly niche) additions to the Nexus 7.
The new Nexus 7 sports both reduced thickness (0.34 inches, compared to 0.42 for the last Nexus 7 and 0.28 for the iPad mini) and weight (10.23 ounces, compared to 12 for the last Nexus 7 and 10.88 for the iPad mini) relative to last year’s model. These measurements make the tablet feel better in your hand, but the best part is that Asus was able to shrink these measurements while also upping its build quality game. There’s none of the creaking or flexing you might associate with an all-plastic tablet at this price point. The old Nexus 7 merely felt good for the price; the new one feels just plain good, though the aluminum construction of the ($100 more expensive) iPad mini still edges it out by just a bit.
It’s the subtle changes that really show how Asus has improved the design. For instance: in the year or so that I’ve owned it, my 2012 Nexus 7 has made two trips to the ground. It survived both falls, but each time the silver trim that surrounds the display has separated slightly from the back of the tablet. It snapped back into place without issue in both cases, but it’s a fit-and-finish deficiency that’s not present in the more expensive Nexus 10 or either iPad.

Full Story Cheaper than most, better than all: the 2013 Nexus 7 reviewed | Ars Technica.