The Google Nexus 7 tablet has been in the world for a good few hours at least now, so naturally it is already time to make the most obvious comparison of all- how it stands up against the likes of the iPad from Apple.
True, some will argue that to hold the two side by side is something of a David Vs. Goliath battle given their representation of two different ends of the tablet market – the Amazon Kindle Fire would perhaps seem a far more suitable opponent.
However, even before the Nexus 7 was brought to life by Google it occupied a spot in the imaginations and the hearts of infinitely more potential buyers than Amazon’s tablet, which in essence means that the Nexus wiped the floor with the Kindle Fire in Advance.
Google One – Amazon Nil
So, this therefore leaves only the iPad from Apple to use as something of a yardstick for the Nexus 7, as the Google tablet does not have the same ace in the hole Amazon made use of last year – i.e. a release of the Kindle Fire just before the Holiday buying frenzy. Apple’s iPad season is still well and truly open, so exactly what chance does the Nexus 7 have of taking a sizable piece of the tablet market share?
If first impressions prove accurate…the answer is a huge chance.
More than Meets the Eye
Google’s new Nexus 7 is something of a wolf in sheep’s clothing and makes no bones about its prowess right from the first glance. Perhaps the most important thing to bear in mind when considering the Google Nexus 7 is the fact that it has been built from the ground up to serve a very specific purpose – that being for media consumption. Roughly translated, the Nexus 7 is to offer the simplest and fastest access yet to the Google Play store along with its millions of items available for streaming playback and downloading.
By contrast, the iPad is designed to be something of an all in one laptop replacement capable of anything, whereas the iPhone is primarily a communication tool.
Spec Rundown
If your decision is based purely on specs, there is no disputing the fact that the new iPad comes out on top. However, if you bring into consideration that fact that the iPad is two and a half times more expensive than the Nexus 7, cracks begin to show in terms of the iPad’s value for money.
Google’s Nexus falls rather far behind Apple in terms of display prowess, with the latter offering Retina quality graphics at 2048 by 1536 pixels, as opposed to Google’s 1280 by 800.
The powertrain behind the scenes of the Nexus is an Nvidia Tegra 3 quad-core chip, while the new iPad serves up the dual-core A5X processor.
Apple’s new iPad also boasts a decent 5-megapixel camera, while the Nexus delivers a rather more basic 1.2-megapixels.
The more expensive versions of the iPad feature 4G LTE connectivity – the Google Nexus 7 is at present a Wi-Fi only device.
Last but not least, the Nexus 7 is available in 8GB and 16GB storage varieties, while the new iPad offers up to 64GB.
Developer Backing
Both the Nexus and the iPad are receiving massive marketing pushes by their creators as the most incredible media devices for their respective app stores and media centers, while both are also garnering enormous attention in terms of third-party accessories and peripherals.
Perhaps one of the biggest bonuses current favoring the Nexus 7 is the way in which the project is a collaboration between Google, Nvidia and Samsung – therefore it has the weight of three of the biggest names in the business behind it.
That being said, Apple remains quite simply THE biggest name in the mobile technology industry today, therefore attracts a variety of exclusive deals and partnerships at the expense of its rivals.
Purchase Price
Perhaps the biggest deciding factor of all when it comes to choosing between the two will be the staggering difference in their current purchase prices. The fact that the Nexus 7 is available from just $199 means that it will likely sell millions as nothing more than impulse purchases alone – the $500+ new iPad on the other hand is considered by most to be a serious investment. Of course, the extra cash handed over for the iPad delivers more whack in terms of specs and general prowess, but does it deliver two and a half times the experience of the Nexus 7?
Overall
Actually comparing the two like for like in terms of basic grunt is not particularly fair or useful – the two are from completely different sides of the tracks. It would be a little akin to comparing a leading Smartphone with a high-end Ultrabook – both are astonishing pieces of hardware though bring something entirely different to the table.
However, if you are taking about a simple case of value for money, there is no question that the Nexus 7 is quite simply the most staggering piece of tablet hardware released to date.
In terms of success therefore, it can be taken as gospel that over the next few months at least, Apple’s new iPad sales stand to see something of a large chunk poached by Google as consumers in their millions hand over a minor sum for a major game-changer.
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