Google’s latest annual developer conference was a highly anticipated event which showcased many interesting software and hardware products and services. Amongst Google’s impressive product line up, it was the Nexus 7, Google’s first branded tablet, which stood out. Many in the blogosphere have been speculating that the Nexus 7 will be Google’s standard bearer in the affordable tablet market. They claim that Google’s new gadget is on a collision course with Amazon’s Kindle Fire and its respectable market share. The Kindle Fire came out on 15 November 2011 and proved to be a success by selling approximately five million units by the end of 2011. Sporting a 7 inch multi touch Gorilla Glass display and a similarly affordable price tag, Amazon’s gadget has to stand its ground until the Kindle Fire 2 is released. Let’s take a brief look at how these devices differ and whether the Nexus 7, the new kid on the block, has what it takes to replace the Kindle Fire.
The first and most obvious difference is their looks. Amazon’s gadget wears heavy gray colors and is bulkier than the slick and black Nexus 7. The Fire weighs in at 413 grams whereas the Nexus 7 comes in a bit lighter at 340 grams. Being comparatively thinner than the Fire, the Nexus 7 holds a distinct advantage when it comes to looks. If you want a good-looking gadget, the Nexus 7 should be your choice.
Being seven months younger than the Kindle Fire, Google’s machine naturally packs a more powerful hardware and software combo. Developed and produced by Asus, the Nexus 7 sports a 1280 x 800 HD display, a quad-core CPU and 9 hours of battery life. Furthermore, it features WiFi, Bluetooth, NFC and a front-facing camera. Amazon’s Kindle responds with a 600×1024 resolution, a 1 GHz dual-core processor and 8 hours of unplugged life. The Nexus 7 runs the newest and most advanced version of Android, Jelly Bean (4.1) whereas the Kindle Fire employs customized Android 2.3 Gingerbread. Once more, the Kindle Fire shows its age.
Although the Nexus 7 seems to be running away with the winner, there is one very significant feature that has to be taken into account before a wise decision could be made. Competition between these devices is actually a competition between Google’s and Amazon’s cloud-based content services. These tech giants do not make an all-out effort to profit from hardware sales. They try to monetize their gadgets by subscribing customers to their respective cloud-based content services. Google Play and Amazon Appstore basically determine what apps and services are available to users. To put it bluntly, what users can do on their machines is mostly determined by what content is on offer on gigantic cloud-based services Google and Amazon maintain.
A wise customer should study what these diverse systems have to offer and find out if they will satisfy their professional and social needs. For example, if a prospective customer possesses an Amazon Prime membership, they will discover that Amazon provides unlimited streaming of movies and TV shows with a free trial period to the Kindle Fire users. It is a fool’s errand to say that the Kindle Fire is a more advanced machine than the Nexus 7. This reality, on the other hand, does not mean that the Fire should be set aside. As long as Amazon maintains its own impressive content service system, the Kindle Fire will have distinctive features to brag about.
In conclusion, if one aspires to have a better-looking and faster device, The Nexus 7 is your medicine. The Nexus 7 could be considered another loud signal to those still resisting the mobile computing revolution and sticking with their desktops and laptops. Despite being seven months old, the Kindle Fire’s hardware technology should not be looked down upon as if it is a gadget out of the Flintstones. It might not be as advanced as the Nexus 7, but it will potentially satisfy a lot of undemanding tablet users. Amazon Appstore is also there to provide unique services and complement the tablet experience.