nexus 7 – The Metrognome

Our tech writer previews and reviews the specs on the new Nexus phones – the Nexus 5 and the Nexus 7.

by Manik Kakra

Here they are, folks. The Nexus 5 and Nexus 7 (2013) are now officially available in India.

Announced about three weeks back, the Nexus 5 (in pic on left) marks the launch of Android’s latest version – 4.4 (KitKat). The phone is powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 800 chipset, along with 2 GB of RAM. On the back, it sports an 8 MP (AF) camera (plus LED flash) with optical image stabilisation feature; while the front has a 1.3 MP camera.

Boasting a 4.95-inch full HD screen, the Nexus 5 comes in black and white colour options – with 16 GB and 32 GB variant. Other features include Bluetooth 4.0, WiFi a/b/g/n/ac, microUSB (+ Slim port), and LTE (may not support Indian telecom bands). While the 16 GB variant is priced at Rs 28,999, the 32 GB is available for Rs 32,999. The Play Store also lists the official Nexus 5 bumper for Rs 2,999.

Coming to the Nexus 7 (2013, see main image above), the tablet features a 7-inch full HD screen, and comes in 16 GB and 32 GB storage variants. On the back, there is a 5 MP (AF) camera; and the front has a 1.2 MP camera. Under the hood, there is a Snapdragon S4 Pro SoC, along with 2 GB of RAM. This Android 4.3 (4.4 is out) features WiFi a/b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.0, NFC, LTE (depends on the model), and microUSB (+ Slim port). The Nexus 7 starts from Rs 20,999 for the 16 GB WiFi-only model, and goes up to Rs 27,999 for the 32 GB WiFi + Cellular (LTE) model.

Google’s latest event unveiled new devices and a device that, if it comes to India, could smarten up our TVs.

by Manik Kakra

Google recently held an event centred around its Android operating system. The event was held under the name of Sundar Pichai, Android team head. Google showed not one but two new gizmos – new Nexus 7 and Chromecast. On the software side, it released the new Android version – Android 4.3 Jelly Bean.

The tablet. Let’s first talk about the tablet. The new Nexus 7 (in pic on left) sports a 7-inch (1200 x 1920) screen, and runs on the latest Android 4.3 OS. It is powered by Qualcomm’s S4 Pro processor with Adreno 320 GPU, along with 2 GB of RAM. On the back, there is a 5 MP camera; and the front has got the same camera from its predecessor. The tablet comes in 16 GB, 32 GB and 64 GB options with WiFi-only and WiFi + 4G variants, starting from $229 (approx Rs 13,521) and going up to $349 (approx Rs 20,606). As of now, there is no official news on its Indian release or price.

The software. Coming to Android 4.3, Google has brought a lot to the platform with this update, but mainly all under-the-hood stuff. The OS has now got support for 4K videos, yes. Along with better graphics and responsive UI, the OS has also got a new games Play app, which is basically a competitor to Apple’s Game Center on iOS. Other highlights include improved Bluetooth support with lower power requirement; restricted profiles through which you can restrict apps and content consumed by other users using your tablet; tweaked camera app, and more. The OS update is already out for Nexus devices – Galaxy Nexus, Nexus 7, Nexus 10 and Nexus 4, and will be out for Google Play edition devices soon.

Chromecast. The Chromecast was more of a surprising announcement at this event. There were no prior leaks or rumours, and not many saw it coming. What is Chromecast? Chromecast is a dongle which allow you to play content from your PC, tablet or smartphone to your TV. Plug it in your connected TV, and you can watch your content on it. With this plugged in, you can access YouTube and Netflix, too. It costs $35 (approx Rs 1,4756), and is out of stock already. When we can get it in India, you ask? Well, not any time soon. And above that, there is not much hope that we would see any content for such devices even if they make it to India, in the near future. Having said that, Chromecast, and Apple TV, could well be the next buy for your living room just to make that idiot box a little smarter and more useful.

(Pictures courtesy www.redmondpie.com, gigaom.com, allthingsd.com)