/ / Google Nexus 7 (2nd Gen) Review - Worth it in 2017?

Google Nexus 7 (2nd Gen) Review - Worth it in 2017?

The back of the 2nd Generation Nexus 7

I was looking to buy a tablet with only a budget of P3500($70). I’m really not expecting a really good tablet at this price range. Most of the tablets at this price range are totally not worth it. During my search for tablet ads online on OLX.ph, similar to eBay, this gem showed up. It’s a 2nd Generation Nexus 7. I am very happy that I found one since this is a really rare piece of hardware to get because Google already ceased its production. So I just got it last week and had lots of time playing with it. Here are my thoughts:

Build Quality


Side shot of the tablet

The 2nd Gen Nexus 7 sports an aluminum chassis which feels really durable and premium. The non-removable back is not a fingerprint magnet at all and has a very grippy texture to it making it comfortable to hold. The side screen bezels are reduced nicely from the previous generation bezels to make the whole body thinner plus making it another point on why the tablet is easier to hold with one hand. One problem, I experienced how awkward the power keys and the volume rockers are. They are slanted which makes them difficult to press but overall, the body feels very comfortable to hold.

Device buttons, top speakers grills, headphone jack and camera

On the back of the device, at the top, resides the top speaker and a 3.5mm headphone jack. At the right side is where the power button and volume rockers are found at this same side is where you can find the sim slot if you have the Cellular supported version of the tablet.

Bottom speakers grills and microUSB port

Another speaker is also located at the almost bottom of the tablet and lastly the microUSB port is located below the device.

Display

The noticeably crisp text thanks to the high resolution display

The device’s display is an IPS LCD display making the viewing angles really good. The 1200x1920 screen resolution is indeed sharp in a 7-inch tablet. With a 323 pixel per inch density, comparable to the iPhone 4 and 5, you will not notice any pixels at all. If Apple made this Nexus 7 (2013) then this will be called a Retina Display. This is probably the best display on any 7-inch Android tablet ever.

Storage

Storage choices are from 16 GB to 32 GB. Sadly this tablet has no microSD card slot which is a deal breaker for someone who needs more space. What I was able to get is the Wi-Fi only version with a 16 GB internal storage. It’s enough for someone who don’t download graphically intensive games and store lots of music and videos.

Camera

The rear camera is a 5 megapixel shooter. It gets the job done. That’s it. It’s good enough but it's not that bad of a camera. There are times it won't focus and can't balance the lighting. Here are some example shots:


Sample photos


The camera app also offers shooting in Panorama, Photosphere and surprisingly a Blur mode which we currently see as a feature in current flagship smartphones like Google Pixel 2 and iPhone 7. Does it work? No. It misses most of the time. Here’s an example shot:

Before blurring process

After. Lots of missed spot

The rear camera can also shoot videos at 1080p 30 FPS. That’s what is according to the tablet’s specifications in reality the video performance of this device is mediocre. The quality is too blurred and colors are washed out and the worst part is the frame rate. It drops really low like I’m watching a PowerPoint presentation. It drops even lower when moving while taking a video. It’s just too bad for videos. See the sample video below:


A 1.2 megapixel front facing shooter is also included which is good enough for video calls but not for selfies. Let’s not forget that this is a device back in 2013 and this is a tablet. The camera is clearly not the selling point here.

Software

Google Now Launcher's home screen on the 2nd Generation Nexus 7

Home screen in landscape mode

Lock screen in landscape mode

Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow - The last update for the 2nd Gen Nexus 7

If your 2nd Gen Nexus 7 is a brand new one, it may have Android 4.3 Jellybean by default which can be updated. This specific one I bought, luckily, runs the latest supported version, Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow.

 App drawer

Since this is a tablet from Google itself, It's Stock Android which means no manufacturer skins, no unnecessary apps or bloatware. Only pre-installed apps found are Google Apps like Gmail, Google Drive, Google Keep, Google Maps and etc…


The default Stock Launcher back in Android 4.3

By default, the tablet uses the stock Android launcher which now looks outdated because of its ‘Holo’ look from the Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich era. So, I installed Google Now Launcher which works really well and making it look up-to-date plus the deep Google Now integration is really useful at times because of its ‘always listening’ capabilities. Do a voice search by just saying ‘Ok Google’ from any screen. This needs to be enabled first in the settings.

The most impressive thing about this tablet is its ability to run apps without any hiccups but, with games, it's another story. Some of the newly released games are running from just fine to a bit slow.

Screenshot of the game Asphalt 8 running on the 2nd Gen Nexus 7

Default graphical setting for this tablet is set to 'Very Low' due to limited hardware

As an example, Asphalt 8 which I found out that its graphical settings are set to ‘Very Low’ to increase performance. So far, Asphalt 8 is hitting an average of 50 FPS which is acceptable. The game is very much playable

I also tested Grand Theft Auto III which also runs OK with an average of 31 FPS on low settings. Frame rate drops when there is so much going on in one scene.

Non-game apps like Google Earth, Maps, Chrome and other apps are running smoothly. It is indeed a joy to browse the internet with this tablet.

Battery Life

Very good standby time. The tablet drained 30% from 3 AM to 8 PM with a bit of gaming

The tablet provides a 4000 mAh which is just enough for a 7-inch tablet with this much power. It lasts throughout the day with normal usage when using only social media apps like Facebook, Instagram and a bit of watching YouTube leaving 20% more by the end of the day. Gaming on this tablet is also nice, I play a lot of Asphalt 8 and Bit City, gets me a 2-4 hours of battery life. Nexus 7 supports Qi standard wireless charging for a more convenient charging if you have a Qi wireless charger available.

Availability

Just like what I said above, Google stopped the production of this impressive tablet back in 2015 which makes it a really hard find today. Supplies for this tablet is now probably dry. You will rarely find this tablet in good condition on eBay or any other similar sites around P2500($50) to P3500($75). 

Pros & Cons 

Pros

  • Amazing display
  • Good battery life
  • Great build quality
  • Great sounding speakers
  • Decent camera
  • No bloatwares

Cons

  • Terrible video performance 
  • No expandable storage 
  • Very limited availability today

Wrap-Up

Me, holding the tablet

The 2nd Generation Nexus 7 is truly a worth it tablet even in 2017 standards of hardware and software. It runs Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow which is still getting a lot of support from Google and developers, the crispness of the display is one of its best features and very rarely you can find a 7-inch Android tablet with this kind of pixel density, The hardware is very efficient when running apps except for some graphically intensive games, good battery life and a decent main camera. The main problem is its availability today. You can rarely find a brand new one being sold on a low price but if you can ever find a deal, just like mine, then it is indeed the best 7-inch tablet you can buy today.

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