The decision will be taken by analyzing the most important aspects of these three devices, not only their technical configuration and the renown of their vendors. Each detail counts and with every valuable feature, the tablet will approach the winning title.
Nexus 7 vs. Kindle Fire HD vs. Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 7.0
Eye-catching features
Beginning with the Nexus 7, Google has managed to produce a device with over 9 hours of video playback and a small charging time, while offering a nice viewing experience. It comes with full access for Google Play and had the advantage of being the first device with Android 4.1 Jelly Bean. The latest version of Google’s mobile OS comes with improved Face Unlock functionality, increased speed and of course, Google Now (a good response to Apple’s Siri). But besides all this glamour and Google’s untouched mark, the Nexus 7 is just a tablet to be placed inside the Nexus line-up. It holds no specific features that another Android tablet has, besides those brought by the fresh OS, the price and of course, the technical specifications. Moreover, it has some minuses which cannot be overlooked.
Competition with Samsung’s 7 inch Galaxy Tab
The Nexus 7 fails by availability (it can be purchased only in US, UK, Canada and Australia, the same countries where Google Play’s goodies are working), it has no tablet exclusive apps, a very low storage space and no cellular connectivity. Also, it cannot render .mkv files, not even .afi, which is a must have for any video enthusiast (Huawei’s MediaPad can). Taking a peak on Samsung’s camp, the Galaxy Tab 2 P3100 comes with a range of Hubs for music, videos and books, which although has a pretty impressive potential, it offers a small range of titles presently and a low country availability. The slate has an S Suggest service which recommends apps based on past downloads and the user behavior, which is pretty neat. Being the seasoned player in most things with a display on it, Samsung has paired the Galaxy Tab 2 with functionality across most platforms, such as smartphones, smart TVs, laptops, thanks to AllShare Play. This feature allows movies to be pushed onto any Samsung-made device and to be watched on a larger screen. The vendor also included over 20 applications pre-installed on the tablet, which should be added on an opt-in basis, not using brute force.
Battle of the looks: Design comparison
All models have a Candybar design with a 7-ish inch wide form with little to set them apart. The tallest of them is the Nexus 7 with a 7.81-inch length, 0.21-inch taller than the Kindle Fire HD and 19-inch taller than Samsung’s creation. All slates are about 0.4-inch thick and 4.8-inch wide, but the Kindle Fire HD breaks the rule by having a 5.4-inch wideness and also, by being the heaviest of them all.
Differences in technical specifications
When it comes to specs, the Nexus 7 has a more advanced OS, a bigger resolution, a more resistant display and a better battery. It also has the fastest processor, the best graphical unit but the smallest storage space, with 8GB officially and only 5.3GB actually usable. Here’s the rest:
Image credit: PhoneArena
Verdict: Which one should you buy?
This is a hard choice. The Galaxy Tab 2 loses by a mile because of its price and the fact that besides a few Samsung-proofed tweaks, it holds nothing to spark the interest and loses on most chapters (maybe the Student Edition with its accessories will impress more). The Nexus 7 is the most advanced device out of the three, this cannot be contradicted, but Android still has a lot to learn about tablet-specific applications and features.
