A sharper display, wireless charging, quad-core processor, and rear-facing camera: Google's 2013 edition of the Nexus 7 proves you can get plenty of bang for your buck, even though its latest entry in the budget tablet market now exceeds that magical $199 price point.
But what's an extra $30 between friends? Google's new cost-of-entry isn't so much a price increase as an acknowledgement of success: You loved us at $199. You really loved us. So take our hand, and let us show you what we can really deliver for just a few dollars more.
Android fans have been waiting months for a hardware update from Team Google. The company's I/O event in May was conspicuously lacking in tablet or phone reveals, but on Wednesday, Google finally pulled the curtain on the latest iteration of its flagship Nexus hardware. Though the Nexus 7 tablet bears the same name as its predecessor, its new look and long list of feature updates—including the much-anticipated Android 4.3—give it the aura of an entirely new gadget.
The only similarity between 2012's Nexus 7 and this year's model is its 7-inch diagonal screen size. Indeed, the two tablets are so different, they really should have different names. Google's new tablet is thinner and sleeker—Hugo Barra, vice president of Android product management at Google, explained that the side bezels were reduced by 3mm on each side so that the device would be easier to hold with one hand. Shaving off that 6mm provides a "much more comfortable grip," Barra said at the event.
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