A couple of notable Google products were announced last week, the Nexus 7 (2013) and the Chromecast. With reviews hitting today for both products, I thought I would share a few opinions on what Google brought to the table and whether or not I would buy them today.
Nexus 7 (2013)
At $229.99, the new Nexus 7 is a tough tablet to beat if you have no ecosystem bias. I’m very impressed with the specifications bump Google & ASUS pulled off. More memory, faster processors and dual band wi-fi are all appreciated. I didn’t feel the increase in screen resolution was necessary but I will take it nonetheless. The old Tegra 3 Nexus 7 felt sluggish at times but I never complained about the screen.
Some pitfalls with the latest Nexus 7 is the smaller battery. With everything else being bumped up, something had to give and Google & ASUS chose battery size which ultimately resulted in lower battery life. It’s slightly disappointing.
Chromecast
The only reason I would get an AppleTV is for AirPlay. And what would I be doing with AirPlay? Not playing games but watching videos on the big screen. The $35 Chromecast will give any HDTV with an HDMI port the ability to accept wireless broadcasts from any Chrome web browser. Google maximized their potential audience by enabling this dongle for Chrome and not just Android. A very wise move.
While Google should be lauded for their newest piece of hardware, I am waiting for 2014’s model. Early reviews have pointed out some performance issues and the highest resolution to be 720p. I don’t necessarily need my YouTube videos to render at 1080p but I would like a smoother experience.
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