Google has teamed up with Asus once more to deliver an updated Nexus 7, which will come running Android 4.3 Jelly Bean, the latest iteration of Google’s mobile OS.
The new Nexus 7 builds on the original with some key additions, like a 5MP rear camera and dual stereo speakers. The most striking element of the next-generation device, though, is its new high-resolution screen, which packs 323ppi – compared to the original’s 216ppi – into the same 7-inch display.
The display has been boosted from 1,280 x 800 to 1,920 x 1,200 for a true 1080p HD experience, and making the new Nexus 7 the world’s highest resolution 7-inch tablet. It’s also capable of displaying a 30pc wider range of colours.
Smaller and lighter than its predecessor, the new Nexus 7 still manages to pack one extra hour of power from a 3,950mAh battery, offering up to nine hours’ HD video playback and up to 10 hours’ browsing. It’s also built for wireless charging.
The 1.5GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro CPU is nearly twice as fast as the first generation while the 400MHz Adreno 320 GPU is almost four times as fast. Making the best of the device’s gaming capabilities, Google also announced a new app store for games only: Google Play Games.
Android 4.3 Jelly Bean
Other features of the new Nexus 7 include 2GB RAM, an NFC chip, Bluetooth 4.0, dual-band Wi-Fi, a 4G LTE variant and, of course, Android 4.3 Jelly Bean.
New features with this updated OS include restricted profiles, which will allow the device owner to control other users’ access, for parental controls for example. These controls will apply to apps themselves, which will behave differently in different user profiles, such as hiding purchasing functionality in kids’ apps.
Android 4.3 also comes with an upgrade of OpenGL in the form of OpenGLES 3.0, which, Google claims, raises the bar for photorealistic graphics in games.
Another way Google intends to optimise the use of its HD display is by partnering with Netflix on a new version of its mobile app especially for Android 4.3 that will support streaming in 1080p HD quality.
The new Nexus 7 starts at US$229 and will be available in the US from 30 July. The first countries to follow will be Canada, the UK, Germany, Spain, France, South Korea, Spain and Australia, who should expect it in the coming weeks. Others will have longer to wait.
