Google Nexus 7 2 Is First Tablet With Android 4.3 Jelly Bean

The new Google Nexus 7 is the first tablet to ship with Android version 4.3 Jelly Bean and claims to be “the world’s highest resolution seven inch tablet,” with its 1080p high definition screen.

Google said it was staying focused with the same things that made the first generation of the tablet so attractive – portability, power, affordability and synched content – and make it even better.

“It’s been a big hit and we’re trying to follow up with another one,” said Google’s Hugo Barra, Vice President, Android Product Management at Google.

Google Nexus 7 2

The Asus manufactured tablet has the same seven inch screen as its predecessor, but this time it is capable of a resolution of 1920 x 1200 and 323 pixels per inch (ppi). It’s also 2mm thinner than the original, while 3mm has been shaved off the bezel on each side and it is 50 grammes lighter.

“You’re going to notice these improvements right away,” said Barra, who said the new Nexus 7 would be much easier to hold. Dual stereo speakers and virtual surround sound technology have been added, while the tablet boasts a 1.2 megapixel front facing camera and five megapixel rear camera.

The new Google Nexus 7 is powered by a quad-core 1.5GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro processor, while the RAM has been doubled to 2GB, facilitating faster app switching. The tablet supports Qi wireless charging, Near Field Communication (NFC), Bluetooth 4.0, and there will be a 4G enabled version of the device.

Android 4.3 Jelly Bean

It is also the first Android system to support Android 4.3 Jelly Bean. Multi-user support has been enhanced through the addition of restricted users, which allow parents to control which apps their children can use and how apps behave.

Jelly Bean 4.3 also supports Bluetooth Smart technology, which allows for the pairing up with low-power devices such as fitness sensors, while hardware-based DRM API’s will allow for the streaming of HD content through Netflix.

The update will be pushed to a number of Android devices, including the Google Nexus 7 and LG Nexus 4 smartphone in the coming weeks. Google also announced the Google Play App, which allows users to earn achievements in games and challenge their friends.

UK release date soon

The new Google Nexus 7 will be available in three models from next Tuesday in the US, with the UK among the first tranche of countries to receive the tablet in the next few weeks. The 16GB Wi-Fi-only version will cost $229 (£149), the 32GB Wi-Fi version is $269 (£175) and the 32GB LTE version is priced at $349 (£227).

The original Nexus 7 was a great success for Google, and analysts predict the feature set and low cost of the second iteration will prove just as popular.

“Like the original Nexus 7, the Nexus 7 2 is a generously equipped tablet for such a good price. With an entry-level asking price of just £150 it’s neatly positioned to take a bite out of Apple’s tablet domination,” commented Jonathan Leggett, mobile expert at uSwitch. “Fortunately, the value price tag hasn’t led to a compromise in features. These upgrades should see the Nexus 7 2 at least match the estimated 8 million sales of its older sibling, even in the face of more competition from HTC’s mooted mini tablet and the prospect of a Retina Display-equipped iPad mini.”

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