Performance Tests
How do the devices match up in benchmark
tests?
In real world use we found the Nexus 7 to
be smoother than the Kindle Fire HD. The combination of the Project Butter
enhancements in the Nexus 7’s Jelly Bean OS and its faster processor completely
eliminating lag. The Tegra 3 processor in the Nexus is also highly optimised
for 3D gaming, although in reality the number of high quality games for the
Kindle is limited and unlikely to be a major reason for buying the tablet.
In synthetic benchmark tests our findings
were backed up. The AnTuTu test of graphics and processing power showed the
Nexus 7 to be as much as a third faster than the Kindle, while the Vellamo
browsing performance test also showed Google’s device to have a clear edge.
How
do the devices match up in benchmark tests?
Test 5: Performance and hackability
There’s no doubting that thanks to the
processors in both of these devices, especially the Tegra 3 CPU found in the
Nexus 7, you'll have a great time using both of these tablets. Swiping between
pages is a great experience, and apart from the very odd occasion we
encountered lag on the Fire HD, it was hardly noticeable.
The multitasking power of the Nexus 7
should be noted however something that is noticeably lacking in the Kindle Fire
HD, no doubt in an attempt to make the device easy to use and maintain good
battery life. And if you’re a fan of playing the most graphically Intense
games, along the lines of Horn and The Bard’s Tale, you’ll be well covered
here, where the Fire HD might be pushed to its limits, and struggle from time
to time.
Another thing we don’t like about the
Amazon tablet Is that it Is ad-supported. These are often quite unintruslve,
being displayed on the lock screen like a regular Kindle device, but they do
also appear at other times as well. In a way it fits with the entire ethos of
the device it is effectively a massive storefront and is understandable that
compromises have to be made to meet such a low price point, but if you want to
remove them you will have to pay a little more.
For the Android enthusiast the ability to hack
a device cannot be ignored. Here there really is no comparison. While the Nexus
7 can be unlocked, rooted and flashed with custom ROMs and kernels to your
heart’s content, the Kindle Fire HD is well locked down. It can be rooted,
which means you will be able to add some of the missing Android apps, like the
Play store, If you want.
The
Kindle Fire HD provided better battery life
But the bootloader is locked tight, and at
the time of writing it seemed highly unlikely this situation would change. That
means no custom ROMs, and no way of making any serious changes to the software
or Ul. If you thought the Kindle Fire HD represented the opportunity to put
together your own cheap but high-quality Android tablet, think again. We’d
guess it's a similar story for official updates as well. The Nexus 7 will be
the first tablet to get new versions of the Android OS as and when they are
launched. It’s unlikely the Kindle Fire HD will get much more than bug fixes
and enhancements to the Amazon stores. Such is the extent to which Android has
been relegated In the device, however, that this scarcely matters.
Both tablets delivered impressive battery
life, with the Kindle Fire HD getting the edge on our ‘normal use’ test. The
Nexus delivered between about 6-8 hours, and the Kindle around 8-9.
Verdict: Performance and hackability
Kindle Fire HD
·
Fast and responsive
·
Multitasking more limited
·
Almost no hacking support
Nexus 7
·
Very fast and reliable
·
Extremely powerful and flexible
·
Freely hackable
NOOK HD: WORTH WAITING FOR?
Has Android’s new name got its own
Nexus killer?
·
Nook HD instant expert
·
Available in seven-inch and nine-inch versions
·
Nook HD+ has a stunning 1,920 x 1,280 display,
and is priced from £229
·
App store limited to 100 popular apps
·
Movies and TV shows available through Nook video
service
·
Book and magazine stores also included
·
Runs on Ice Cream Sandwich
The Nook HD is the third budget-priced
seven-inch Android tablet. Coming from US bookseller Barnes & Noble it
would appear to be targeted most directly at Amazon’s Kindle Fire HD (the
company also has its own range of Kindle-style eBook readers), but it may find
the middle ground between that and the Nexus 7.
The Nook HD runs Android 4.0 but is heavily
skinned, and lacks the Google apps, instead coming with its own curated app
store. The target market for the device is families and the software supports
multiple user profiles, making it suitable for children and adults alike. The
specs are good: a 1.3GHz dual-core processor and Barnes & Noble claims the
tablet is 80 per cent faster than the Kindle Fire HD. It has a higher
resolution screen than either Amazon’s or Google’s tablets. The prices are
tempting: $254.4 for 8GB and $302.4 for 16GB. Like the Kindle Fire HD, the
biggest question is how Androidy’ the Nook HD is. Its US only predecessor was
extremely hackable; time will tell whether this model is the same.
Test 6: Value
If all this seven-inch tablet talk has got
you itching to go buy one, you might be even happier to hear the price. Prices
for the Nexus 7 start at an impulse buy $254.4. For your money you’ll get 8GB
of free storage, but with apps like Dropbox and Google Drive available from
Google Play, you won’t need to worry about maxing out storage. There's also a
16GB version available for $318.4.
Amazon has done a remarkable job of driving
down the price for the Fire HD to match the Nexus 7, with its entry level 16GB
version coming in at $254.4 and a huge 32GB version coming in at just $318.4 .
Amazon’s
Kindle Fire is $19 cheaper to build than Google and Asus’ Nexus 7, according to
an estimate by the research firm IHS iSuppli.
Verdict: Value
Kindle Fire HD
·
More storage than Nexus 7
·
Ad-supported
·
Unlimited cloud storage included
Nexus 7
·
Future-proof through OS updates
·
Free cloud storage via Google Drive
·
Budget version on the way
The winner...
Two impressive devices, but the Nexus
7 is clearly superior as the all-round super-tablet
They are both seven-inch tablets powered by
Android, and yet they could scarcely be any different. The Fire HD is all about
consuming media content and, more importantly, buying that content from Amazon.
The entire Ul is built around selling you stuff, and getting you to store it on
Amazon’s servers in an approach not at all dissimilar to Apple’s iOS and iTunes
services. It is completely locked down in almost every conceivable way.
Google would also like you to buy stuff
from its stores, but also embraces the open ethos of Android, meaning that it
Is happy for you to use the device however you want in theory you don’t even
need a Google account (although you would be missing out on the best bits of
the tablet).
The verdict is clear: if you want a device
for media use alone then get the Kindle Fire HD. Otherwise the Nexus 7 is
superior in virtually every aspect.
