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Take that, iPad mini: Retina display Nexus 7 at Google I/O says analyst

Kevin C. Tofel — Fri, 10 May 2013 15:17:51 +0000

While Apple fans are waiting for an iPad mini with improved screen, Android enthusiasts may see the Nexus 7 get its own Retina display next week. KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo penned a research note that AppleInsider read and Kuo expects Google’s small slate to gain a 1920 x 1200 display at Google’s I/O Developer event, which takes place May 15 to May 17.

Kuo’s expectations aren’t that different from earlier Reuters reports, whose sources in April indicated a high-resolution display, faster processor and doubling of device memory to 2 GB coming to the next model Nexus 7. Reuters suggested a 1920 x 1080 panel at 315 pixels per inch, while Kuo figures a 1920 x 1200 display at 323 PPI.

A Qualcomm APQ8064 chip will power the updated tablet, says Kuo, which is the same Snapdragon 600 currently used in the LG Optimus G Pro, Samsung Galaxy S 4 and HTC One smartphones. Wireless charging, an LTE option, 5 megapixel rear camera and Android 4.3 are also expected by the analyst.

These specifications sound right to me and I do expect Google to introduce a refreshed Nexus 7 at its developer event. I don’t think, however, that Google will be able to maintain the $199.99 current starting price for an updated Nexus 7. Even if the device comes in at a $249 to $299 range for a base Wi-Fi model, it’s less than Apple’s non-Retina iPad mini, which is $329. I still give some advantage to the iPad line, however, as I see more applications optimized for higher-resolution screens on iOS than on Android.

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HP Slate 7 hits US for $169. How does it stack up against Google’s $199 Nexus 7?

Kevin C. Tofel — Fri, 26 Apr 2013 19:43:47 +0000

Months after it was introduced, HP’s Slate 7 is available in the U.S. for $169.99. That’s not a bad price for a 7-inch Android tablet with a 1.6 GHz dual-core processor, but to keep costs down HP had to cut a corner here and there. And that makes it a difficult choice to choose the Slate 7 over Google’s own Nexus 7, even though the latter costs $30 more.

HP is shipping the Slate 7 with Android 4.1. That’s close to current, but of course Google’s own product ships with the latest version: Android 4.2. It’s also very likely to get software updates faster. Both tablets include 1 GB of memory. HP’s Slate 7 has 8 GB of internal storage capacity with support for an additional 32 GB of micro SD expansion. The Nexus 7 with 16 GB of storage doesn’t have a micro SD card slot.

Both tablets have front-facing video cameras for chatting, but here the Slate 7 one-ups the Nexus: HP added a 3 megapixel camera to the rear of the tablet. HP also included support for Beats Audio sound. There’s not much difference in the size and weight of the two tablets, which is not surprising given that both have 7-inch screens. The Nexus 7 wins out here, however, using a 1280 x 800 display. HP opted for a 1024 x 600 screen, which is the same low resolution on the 7-inch Samsung Galaxy Tab I bought in 2010.

Unless you really need a rear camera or micro SD card slot on your 7-inch tablet — or just have to have Beats Audio support — I’d probably spend the extra $30 on the Nexus 7 if you can swing the money. And if you’re in the market for a small slate right now, I’d even consider waiting a few short weeks. Google’s I/O Developer event takes place in mid-May and it was at last year’s event that Google introduced its Nexus 7. A refresh could be in the works, meaning either more tablet for your dollar or last year’s model at a lower price could be coming.

It’s certainly good to see HP get into the mobile market with a new tablet, especially since the HP TouchPad was a billion-dollar bust. The company needs to step it up though when it comes to hardware. It’s 2013, not 2010 and people are starting to expect higher-resolution displays in their laptops and their tablets to help improve the experience.

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Breakdown of Android tablet market shows small slates rule the roost

Kevin C. Tofel — Fri, 12 Apr 2013 14:29:15 +0000

The market for Android tablets appears hotter for less expensive small slates than their bigger, pricier counterparts. On Friday, Animoca, a cross-platform app publisher of entertainment products for Android devices, shared its internal data of the Android tablet market. The figures come from Animoca users around the world for one month, ending March 20, with a sample size of 978,000. When figuring market share, the company assumes that 75 million Android tablets are in use.

Animoca notes that there are numerous Android tablets that follow this list, but Samsung, Amazon and Google are clearly the bigger players here. Note that Google’s Nexus 7 is actually built by Asus, which has a few larger slates on the list.

Assuming Animoca’s data is representative of the Android tablet market at large, it shows the development of the trends spotted in late 2010: small tablets have some advantages over larger ones. The lower costs are surely a factor but the improved portability over their larger cousins could be influencing the market as well.

This actually could bode well for Microsoft if it is indeed planning a smaller version of its Surface tablets. The current product line doesn’t appear to be making a huge dent in the tablet or PC markets just yet. If the company can keep the costs down — Surface RT is too expensive compared to Intel Atom Windows 8 tablets, in my opinion — while focusing the experience on touch-friendly applications, a smaller Surface could outsell its big brothers.

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Report: New Nexus 7 tablet due in July. Here’s what to expect.

Kevin C. Tofel — Wed, 03 Apr 2013 13:32:04 +0000

Watch for an updated Google Nexus 7 tablet as early as July, sources tell Reuters on Wednesday. Aside from a higher-resolution display, the refreshed 7-inch Android slate should also have a chip inside from Qualcomm instead of Nvidia. Pricing could change, say Reuters sources, but the focus will be on keeping the cost low in an effort to ship up to 8 million units in the second half of 2013.

With Google’s I/O developer conference scheduled for mid-May, I don’t think we’ll have to wait too long to see if this report pans out. And I suspect it well. The cycle of hardware technology improvements for mobile devices is running around 12 to 15 months and the original Nexus 7 debuted in June of last year. The current model has already seen a very minor refresh with a boost of internal storage at no additional cost: the original $199 model went from 8 GB of memory to 16 GB and Google later added a 32 GB model with integrated mobile broadband for $299, for example.

It’s likely that Google will hold the $199 price point for the lowest new Nexus 7 model and drop the current model pricing by $50 until the older units are sold out. As for what to expect in a refreshed Nexus 7? Here are my thoughts, which are mostly minor improvements:

The same 7-inch screen size, but a higher-resolution panel of 1920 x 1080 for a pixel density of 315 pixels per inch (ppi). The current device uses a 1280 x 800 resolution display at 216 ppi.
It’s possible that Google keeps an improved 1280 x 800 model at $199 and offers the higher-resolution panel as a more expensive option; say $249.
Google opts for Qualcomm’s new quad-core Snapdragon 600 chipset. The company often switches hardware components between manufacturing partners on Nexus devices, but if this happens, it’s certainly not good for Nvidia and its Tegra 4 chip.
With a Qualcomm chip inside, it’s highly likely the Nexus 7 gets an LTE option due to the chipmaker’s solid modem integration on its silicon.
The new Nexus 7 will get a memory boost: 2 GB of RAM up from the current 1 GB.
A rear camera is added but it won’t be a top-of-the-line sensor: Just good enough for Google+ photos and such.
The refreshed tablet will ship with at least Android 4.2 software and a later version to quickly follow via software update; that software will be what Google announces at its developer event.
I expect the current metal pins to be in the same place on a new tablet model; this would keep the new device compatible with the Nexus 7 dock which only arrived on the market recently.

As Reuters correctly notes, this is a low- or zero-margin strategy for Google. The company isn’t looking to earn a high profit margin on the hardware. Instead, it wants to get as many Android devices out in the wild so it can collect data and earn money through targeted ads and services. An improved Nexus 7 tablet at current pricing would help do just that.

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Google launches (and sells out of) a $30 Nexus 7 dock

Kevin C. Tofel — Thu, 07 Mar 2013 14:09:42 +0000

In the better late than never category, Google introduced a simple dock for its Nexus 7 tablet on Wednesday evening. The $29.99 accessory charges a Nexus 7 while propping it up in landscape mode. A 3.5-millimeter headphone jack in the dock supports external speakers when playing music from the tablet, which also supports wireless music playback over Bluetooth. Sadly, in what’s becoming a recurring theme, the dock is sold out as of Thursday morning.

I bought a Nexus 7 after reviewing one last July but later sold it in favor of an iPad mini; not because Google’s tablet didn’t have a dock available, but because I use multiple mobile platforms to maintain perspective. If I still had my Nexus 7, however, I’d be quite miffed for two reasons. It really shouldn’t take a half-year or more to introduce simple accessories for a product. And once they finally arrive, why add insult to injury by not producing enough inventory?

The odd thing to me is that it’s not as if Google doesn’t know how many Nexus 7 tablets have been sold. Yes, the tablet can be purchased outside of the Google Play store at some brick-and-mortar retailers, but Google surely keeps track of Nexus 7 activations.

While it can’t predict demand perfectly, Google — with all of its data and algorithms — should have a better handle on expected demand; especially if it wants to really compete in the hardware market with Nexus devices, Chromebooks and Chromeboxes.

This post was updated at 10:15 am to correctly say the dock works in landscape, not portrait, mode with the Nexus 7.

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iPad mini and other small tablets could outsell large slates in 2013

Kevin C. Tofel — Fri, 01 Mar 2013 14:50:19 +0000

Apple may have publicly dismissed small tablets at first, but its bet to introduce the iPad mini last year has turned out to be a good one. As successful as the larger iPad model has been since 2010, the device’s smaller sibling is a hot seller. In fact, the overall market for small slates could be growing far faster than that of the larger tablet market if data out of Display Search is accurate. The research firm has reversed an earlier forecast and now suggests that smaller tablets will outsell larger ones in 2013.

Why the big change? It’s an early data point, but Display Search found that small tablet screen shipments dwarfed larger panels at the beginning of this year.

“Shipments of 9.7” tablet PC panels collapsed, falling from 7.4 to 1.3M, while 7” and 7.9” panel shipments grew rapidly, from 12 to 14M. Shipments of 10.1” panels grew only slightly. The January panel shipment data may be an indicator for 2013, starting with Apple’s product mix shift. As we noted in December, Apple had planned to sell 40M iPad minis (7.9”) and 60M iPads (9.7”) in 2013. However, the reality seems to be the reverse, as the iPad mini has been more popular than the iPad. We now understand that Apple may be planning to sell 55M iPad minis (7.9”) and 33M iPads (9.7”) in 2013.”

A visual representation of tablet panel shipments between Dec. 2012 and Jan. 2013 (in millions of units) show this stark difference between small and large displays. While one month doesn’t make a trend, it can surely be the beginning of one:

The lower price of smaller tablets is surely one driver for sales of the iPad mini, Google Nexus 7 and other similar devices in this market. Apple’s newest iPad starts at $499 while a Kindle Fire, Nexus tablet or iPad, for example, start at $159 to $329. But another reason is what I noted when comparing portability of the original iPad and a 7-inch Galaxy Tab in early 2011:

“I purchased the Tab on a weekend at the local T-Mobile store and my family wanted to hit the mall afterwards. I either carried the device in hand or placed it in my back jeans pocket while cruising the mall for hours. As my wife or daughter stopped to browse for clothes, I quickly whipped out the small tablet to manage email, web-surf, and watch YouTube videos.

I wouldn’t have been able to do that with the iPad for one simple reason: the iPad wouldn’t have come with me on a trip to the mall in the first place.”

Fast forward two years and I do take an iPad to the mall and nearly every other place I go. But it’s the iPad mini because it offers all of the features of a standard iPad in a more portable package. It’s easy to use in more places and simple to take everywhere.

There’s clearly still a market for larger slates; they’re better for productivity and media consumption due to the larger screen. Simply put, Apple’s 9.7-inch iPad isn’t going away anytime soon; nor will the Google Nexus 10, Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1, Asus Transformer or any number of other large slates.

The trend, however, is toward downsized tablets — or large phones such as the Samsung Galaxy Note 8.0, depending on your definition of what’s a smartphone and what’s a tablet.

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Software turns Amazon Kindle Fire into a Nexus 7 lookalike

Kevin C. Tofel — Mon, 17 Dec 2012 16:15:27 +0000

Owners of the original Kindle Fire that want to experience the full Google tablet experience have another option now. A full build of the latest Android 4.2.1 software is available for the Kindle Fire; with a few steps, you can download it, install it and practically turn your Kindle Fire into a Nexus 7 tablet, save for a few functions.

The steps to download or install are available from the XDA Developers site and of course, it’s recommended to perform a full backup of your Kindle Fire in advance. Installing the software will completely remove Amazon’s Kindle Fire software, which uses a customized version of Android. You’ll lose the ability to watch Amazon Instant Video if you take the plunge, but your Kindle Fire will gain far more as it can be used as a full Android tablet.

How well does the Kindle Fire work as an Android 4.2.1 tablet? Pretty good, based on Liliputing’s hands-on video:

I wouldn’t foresee most Kindle Fire owners make the leap of turning their device into a full Android tablet, but enthusiasts might.

Thanks to occasional sales and refurbished deals, you can pick up the Kindle Fire for less than its $159 current price. Add this custom software to a low-cost Kindle Fire and you have a compelling Android tablet without paying full price for a Nexus 7 or other small slate. You won’t have camera support and the screen resolution of the Kindle Fire is lower than the Nexus 7, but it’s still a compelling solution on the cheap.

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Android this week: Wi-Fi changing app; Nexus 7 dock; Xbox SmartGlass

Kevin C. Tofel — Sat, 01 Dec 2012 14:37:24 +0000

I started my week out by using near-field communications, or NFC, wireless stickers to automatically toggle Wi-Fi and Bluetooth radios on my Android phone when leaving home. That solution works really well — see the video here — but later in the week, I found a super option for folks that don’t have NFC chips in their handset. Smart WiFi Toggler accomplishes the same task and its free.

There are plenty of other ways to do this type of task, but what I like about Smart WiFi Toggler is that it doesn’t require your GPS radio to be on. Other apps use the GPS signal to determine when you’ve left home, for example, and then turn off Wi-Fi for you.

I don’t like that approach because I only use the GPS radio when I need to: I don’t want the radio on all the time. Smart WiFi Toggler simply uses the already-on cellular radio to triangulate your location and take the appropriate actions. This method isn’t as precise for location, but in this case, it doesn’t need to be.

You can’t use this app for a Wi-Fi only Nexus 7 tablet because there’s no cellular radio. But all Nexus 7 tablets may soon get the anticipated landscape dock. Android Central got a tip about the dock appearing on a Japanese Asus site; Asus builds the Nexus 7 for Google.

On the site is information suggesting availability for the dock this month. The cost when converted from yen to dollars is $41 but I suspect the US price to be $49. Hopefully, I’m wrong and it comes in less than that, but either way, the dock looks handy for watching video and other activities in landscape mode.

One of those activities could be running the Xbox SmartGlass application, which just added support for the Nexus 7 this past week. The software adds a second-screen experience to Microsoft’s Xbox 360 console, providing additional information to any content being consumed. It also allows you to control your Xbox and lets you use the Nexus 7 as an on-screen keyboard for the console. I haven’t used this free app yet, so I can’t offer any opinion on the value of the app; if any readers have used it, I’d love to hear if it’s worth a try!

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Android 4.2 starts rolling out to Nexus devices

Kevin C. Tofel — Tue, 13 Nov 2012 14:39:18 +0000

Google’s Nexus devices have started receiving software updates to Android 4.2, the latest version of Google’s mobile operating system. The updates coincide with availability of Google’s newest hardware: The Nexus 4 smartphone and Nexus 10 tablet went on sale in the Google Play store on Tuesday. Google hasn’t officially commented on the roll-out plans or schedule, but it’s likely that Nexus device owners will see the software update in the coming days.

Previously, some Nexus devices weren’t updated for a few weeks after new software became available as newer devices were the first to see the updates. As Google continues to push the direct-to-consumer Nexus brand, however, it makes sense to keep the entire Nexus device line updated with software at the same time for a more consistent experience across the brand.

My Nexus 4 and Nexus 10 review units received the updates last night — stay tuned for the reviews — and both now have lock-screen widgets while the tablet gains multi-user support: Similar to the Chromebook I use, different people in the family can sign in to use the Nexus 10 and have a personalized experience.

Other bits in Android 4.2 include support for wireless video streaming to an HDTV; notification improvements; updates to Google Now and Google Voice Search; a 360-degree camera experience with PhotoSphere; and Gesture Typing for faster keyboard input using a single finger.

Nexus 7 tablet owners that can’t wait for their update can hit Android Police, where the download links and instructions to install Android 4.2 manually are available.

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MobileTechRoundup podcast 282: iPad mini here, Windows Phone 8 soon

Kevin C. Tofel — Mon, 05 Nov 2012 14:05:04 +0000

MoTR 282 is 63 minutes long and is a 38.7 MB file in MP3 format.

CLICK HERE to download the file and listen directly.

HOSTS: Matthew Miller (Seattle) and Kevin C. Tofel (Philadelphia)

TOPICS:

Microsoft’s Windows Phone 8 announcement and thoughts on 8X and Lumia 920
Google canceled their NY event, but still announced new Android products: Nexus 4 and Nexus 10
Apple iPad mini delivered – Kevin likes it more than iPad 3
More Surface RT thoughts

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