Last month the Nexus 7 took down
Apple’s iPad Mini, but can Google do it twice more for the clean sweep? Time to
find out…
Google Nexus 7
The mighty Nexus 7 sees off four tiny tabs,
including the iPad Mini, to triumph in this month’s Super test. The finishing
blows are its speedy Tegra 3 brain, super slick Jelly Bean OS and pocket able
Asus build–all at a magnificently affordable price. It’s now available in a
32GB version and with optional 3G, so Google’s baby looks more invincible than
ever.
An affordable 7in slate that eats up
movies, games and the web.
The
mighty Nexus 7 sees off four tiny tabs, including the iPad Mini, to triumph in
this month’s Super test.
Tech specs
·
Android4.2
·
7in IPS, 1280x800
·
Quad-core Tegra 3 @1.2GHz, 1GB RAM
·
1.2MP cam (F)
·
Wi-Fi, 3G (opt), NFC, Bluetooth 4.0, 3.5mm
·
198.5x120x10.5mm; 340g
7in
IPS, 1280x800
Apple iPad Mini
Price: $4,380
Website: apple.com
Combine the Mini’s smaller, lighter form
with its squatter 4:3 screen and the overflowing App Store and you have a tab
that excels at both creating and consuming media on the go. It’s not without
faults – the comparative low-res display is a bit of a disappointment and iOS
is looking stale but performance is speedy and it’s beautifully built. If only
it wasn’t quite so expensive…
Arguably the best all-round tablet out
there, but hindered by its price.
Arguably
the best all-round tablet out there, but hindered by its price.
Tech specs
·
iOS 6
·
7.9in IPS, 1024x768
·
Dual-core A5 @ 1GHz, 512MB RAM
·
5MP cam (R);1.2MP (F)
·
Wi-Fi, 3G, 4G (opt),Bluetooth 4.0, 3.5mm
·
200x134.7x7.2mm; 308g
Google Nexus 4
Price: $6,770
What’s the story?
Looking like it’s been hewn from a glass
Nexus mountain, this minimalist Android phone sold out within hours of its
launch, no doubt partly due to its interesting price. Built by LG, it’s
impressively solid and, at 9.1mm thick, happy to stick two fingers up to the
skinny phone brigade. Its combination of 1.5GHz quad-core Snapdragon brain and
Android 4.2 Jelly Bean OS also promises plenty of power.
Its
combination of 1.5GHz quad-core Snapdragon brain and Android 4.2 Jelly Bean OS
also promises plenty of power.
Is it any good?
The Nexus is dominated by that huge 4.7in
screen, and that’s no bad thing. Its 5:3 aspect ratio means there’s barely a
sliver of a black bar atop 16:9 movies, and it’s also helped LG shave a few
millimeters off the width good news, as it makes the Nexus easier to hold than
rivals such as the S III. On-screen text looks lovely and smooth, although in
terms of contrast and colors, the iPhone just about pips it. Performance-wise
it’s excellent: from swiping around Google Earth to blasting around GTA III,
the nippy processor, 2GB of RAM and wonderfully slick Jelly Bean OS will make
you fall in love with Android. The downsides? Video is shaky, the 8MP snapper
falls a little short of the best and storage maxes out at 16GB, with no SD slot
for expansion. There’s no4G, either. But then again, it’s much cheaper than the
iPhone 5 factor that in, and it’s our winner.
A great screen, big brain and bargain price
snap it up now.
Tech specs
·
Android 4.2
·
4.7in IPS, 1280x768, 320ppi
·
Quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro @ 1.5GHz,2GB
RAM
·
8MP/1080p (rear);1.3MP (front)
·
Wi-Fi, 3G, NFC, Bluetooth4.0, 3.5mm
·
15hr battery
·
133.9x68.7x9.1mm; 139g
