The Best 7-inch Tablet You Can Buy Right Now
There has been an undeniable demand for smaller, more compact tablets. When it comes to eBooks and light web browsing smaller tablets are far superior. With a smaller price point they are also much more tempting for those who want a tablet but don’t want to break the bank buying one. So far Apple has stayed out of the fight, but it is looking like that is about to change very soon. Not everybody is sold on the Apple platform, however, and for those who fit in this category we thought we would take a look at the best alternatives. So far the demand for small tablets has been filled by the Google Nexus 7 and the Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 (the 7inch version).
The Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 (7.0)
Samsung’s Galaxy Tab 2 7.0 has had the advantage of being the first 7inch tablet that can do anything that the big boys can. In order to keep the price down many tablets have had to cut a number of the features such as cameras in order to keep the price down. The Galaxy Tab 2 7.0 makes no such concessions. It has both front and rear facing cameras, expandable memory, a microphone and all the other functionality that one would expect from a bigger tablet.
The Google Nexus 7
While the Galaxy Tab 2 7.0 has been around for a bit, the Google Nexus 7 is the newer and admittedly sleeker looking tablet. Its tapered sides give it a slimmer, sexier look. Unlike the Galaxy Tab, the Nexus 7 only has one front facing camera and has no HDMI out or expandable memory. What it does have is an incredible textured back that feels great and really makes it hard to drop the device. The Nexus runs the latest version of Android’s Jelly Bean operating system.
The Verdict
The biggest difference between the two devices is going to be the price. For an 8GB Nexus 7 you will have to pay $200, while the Galaxy Tab 2 7.0 with 8GB of memory will set you back $249. The advantage of the Galaxy Tab is that you can upgrade the memory later down the line, all the way up to an additional 32GB. On top of that Samsung will give you a free year on Dropbox [3] for an additional 50GB. If you have a large amount of media that you will need to cram into the device the Galaxy Tab will be your tablet of choice. If you are looking for a more casual tablet experience then the Nexus 7 is a great option with a fantastic price.
If you want to know how the Nexus 7 stands against the iPad we have that for you here [4].
Do you have either the Nexus 7 or the Galaxy Tab 2 and have your own verdict to share? Or are you waiting for the iPad Mini? Please let us know in the comments below.