Nexus 7 2013

2 weeks ago, I decided to purchase the Nexus 7, 32Gb, 2013 edition from Amazon. This will be my first ever android device that I will use. It took me weeks of research before deciding to get one. I was very hesitant at first, making sure that I am covering my ground and justifying the need to get the  Nexus 7. I read reviews, watched review videos, read user experiences on various forums and even watched all the unboxing videos on Youtube. While I am a strong supporter of Apple products and would have bought an iPad mini with retina display within a heartbeat if there is a strong need for one, I decided that Nexus 7 could fulfil me needs better for a tablet, and allow me to save some money in the process.

The biggest draw is sadly, the cost (sorry Apple, I know you tried really hard to win me over, but this time, the Nexus 7 wins in the pricing department). Ordering online from Amazon, would translate to roughly SGD310. Compared to the iPad mini retina base model at close to SGD550, the cost saving is just too hard to pass it up. Furthermore, I am getting the 32Gb model, which offers twice as much space that cost so much less than the iPad mini retina base model.

Sure you may argue, using the iPad would definitely give you a much better experience in just about every aspect of tablet usage. From the speedy response to the touch screen, to the marvellous app and the app ecosystem just for the iPad. But I feel, that when i comes to my needs (and i really analysed my need and my specific usage for such a device down to the very app that I would be using on a day to day basis), the Nexus 7 could just perform as well. I have taken a look at the actual device itself. It can easily be held in one hand, which makes is a great replacement to my kindle. The side bezel is narrow, which reduces the overall size, making it suitable to hold the device in one hand. The 16 by 9 aspect ratio screen is gorgeous with retina like display. The colours from the display just pops out without over saturation and the response is just as good as on the iPad. I’m not terribly picky about the response rate down to the millisecond. So I am happy that the Nexus 7 is able to perform well enough based on my needs.

And my needs are simple. First of all, I want to reduce my dependence on using my computer at home. I want the nexus 7 to be able to do everything  I do on a daily basis with my Macbook Air, that is, check email, surf the web, watch youtube, use social media, watch videos, stream music and read books. That’s all there is basically. And I want to do without being tethered to my desk. I have my bed and my comfortable sofa in my room that I just want a small and smart looking tablet to perform all those tasks that I usually do on my computer.

I have an iPad 2 and a kindle. The iPad 2 is starting to get clunky and slow. Due to the iOS update, the hardware performance is no longer able to keep up with the performance demands of the iOS software and the app that comes along with it. It’s starting to get sluggish and switching apps is slow. It no longer provides me with a robust and responsive experience. The kindle? I love it. The e-ink is unmatched when it comes to reading texts. The size is small, light and portable. I never had much complaints about the kindle. I still love it. But i feel that I could get a better looking tablet that combines both the functionality of the iPad2 and the kindle together. Now I can read and do my daily computer activities on just one device. It will be my ‘go-to’ device when I reach home after work. I will still bring it to work, because I can use it to read books on my nexus 7, and then when I get back home, I will use it to surf, and watch videos all at the comfort of my sofa.

There is another reason that really tipped my decision in buying this tablet. Since I started working, I have some flexi benefits given by my company that entitles me to spend on certain things. One of which are electronic devices. The flexi benefit had to be spent before the end of the financial year, which is by March 2014. Seeing as I had nothing else in mind to spend on that are eligible to claim the flexi benefits, I decided that the nexus 7 would benefit me the most. I will not totally offset the cost of the tablet itself, rather only about half of the total price, since that was all I was given, considering that I joined the company in the beginning of the year. So the flexi benefit is in turn, pro-rated as well. But even then it is a huge savings, I only had to fork out SGD160 on my own to get a nexus 7! I think it is a sweet deal, since although I am not a huge fan of using tablets, but I feel that this situation has presented me with a unique opportunity to really integrate tablet usage in my daily life that is meaningful and without spending too much on it.

The tablet should arrive soon, in the coming weeks. I am pretty excited about it! Will update again on my android experience in future blog posts!