Besides giving you quick access to Gmail and YouTube, the Nexus 10 steers you to digital movies, books and other content available for sale through Google's online Play store.
Because of that, I wasn't thinking of the Nexus 10 as an alternative to Apple's general-purposeiPad - even with a price tag that's $100 cheaper, starting at $399. It took more thought and time with the Nexus to change that perception. After all, apps available for Android smartphones work on the tablet as well.
Still, the Nexus really shines when it comes to media - especially content bought through Google.
For the past year, Google has been trying to challenge Apple and Amazon by selling digital content.
The Play store is Google's version of iTunes for Apple devices. There, you can get a variety of apps, some free and some for a small fee. You can buy or rent movies and obtain books, magazines and music. Google isn't satisfied with building search engines and selling ads. It wants a bigger role in the digital economy.
Over the summer, Google came out with a 7-inch (17.5-centimeter) tablet called the Nexus 7. Just as Apple made an iPad Mini that's about the size of the Nexus 7, Google is now selling a larger version of the Nexus, about the size of Apple's regular iPad. It starts shipping this week.
On the Nexus 10, icons at the bottom of the screen emphasise Google's media products available through Play. Click on a picture of film to watch movies, headphones to listen to music and a book to, well, read books. Another icon gets you to the Play store to obtain more content and apps.
The Nexus has a rubberised back and fits more snuggly on my lap than the metal-backed iPad. In my hands, I don't feel as if the Nexus would slip out and crash on to the hard floor, as I continually do with the iPad.
There are front-facing speakers going up and down both sides of the Nexus, compared with just one tucked in a corner on the back of an iPad. You feel more immersed watching video with sound coming right at you from the entire device. I hadn't considered that a problem on the iPad, but I began to notice it once I played video on the tablets side by side.
The screen measures 10.1 inches (25.6 centimeters) diagonally, which is more than the iPad's 9.7 inches (24.6 centimeters). But the screen isn't any larger because while it's about an inch wider in horizontal mode, it's also about a half-inch less in height. This works well for widescreen content, which completely fills the screen. On the iPad, the latest movies and TV shows often have black bars, no matter how you hold the tablet. In some cases, you might see the sides of video cut off to fit the space, as I did watching this week's episode of "Revenge" on Hulu. Again, I hadn't considered that a problem on the iPad, until I began to notice it.
What makes the tablet's shape good for movies makes it less-than-ideal for magazines, though. There's wasted space on the top and the bottom for magazines on the Nexus. But I watch TV shows and movies online more often than I read magazines digitally, so I'll let it slide.
As for books, text on the Nexus' screen comes out sharp. News sites and apps also look nice. The Nexus has a screen resolution of 300 pixels per inches, slightly better than the 264 ppi for the latest full-size iPad (which itself is far better than the 132 ppi on the older iPad 2 model still available).
True, there are other tablets designed as media players, too. Amazon.com Kindle Fire and Barnes and Barnes & Noble Nook HD come to mind, and both have larger versions out this month. But neither has the diversity of apps available for the Nexus and other full-fledge Android devices (The Kindle and the Nook run on modified versions of Android and restrict apps to what's available through their own online stores).
So what does that mean?
Apps on my Samsung Galaxy S III smartphone automatically appear on the Nexus 10 after signing in with the same Google account. I'll note that the Nexus 10 is also made by Samsung Electronics, even though it's branded Google.
Three of my apps, for AccuWeather, Citibank and Dunkin' Donuts, aren't compatible for unknown reasons. But those I use most often - Facebook, Instagram, Foursquare and a slew of other weather apps - all work on the Nexus. The companion app for the TV show " Dexter" also works, allowing me to play trivia games and watch video clips.
Not all apps have been specifically adapted for the tablet's larger screen, but they take advantage of the entire screen, nonetheless, thanks to the way Android lets software programmers build their apps in modules. All the content gets blown up and still looks decent.
Apple's store has a far wider selection of apps, though, including a half-dozen apps for exhibits at the American Museum of Natural History in New York. A search on Play comes up with only one.
The Nexus comes with the latest version of the Android operating system, version 4.2. It introduces a new feature for sharing tablets, the way family members can share Windows and Mac computers while keeping personalized settings. You no longer have to fight with a kid who constantly changes the volume or moves apps around. Now, just sign in as separate users.
The Nexus is a tad lighter, while the iPad promises longer battery life and has an option for cellular broadband for $130 more, plus the cost of data plans. Neither has a slot to expand memory with SD cards. Both have two cameras - 5 megapixels on the back for taking photos and video, and a lower-resolution one on the front for videoconferencing.
The iPad remains king among tablets, with its ease of use, variety of apps and dominance in the market. But challengers such as Google offer choice. The Nexus 10 is a good choice if you already have an Android phone and use a lot of Google services. That's especially true if you also watch a lot of movies and TV shows, but don't want to be limited to that.
Google Nexus 10: Build
Let’s get something out in the open: The Nexus 10 – switched off at any rate - will not make you weak at the knees.Call it understated if you like, but it doesn’t have that cutting edge ‘wow’ you’ll find on the iPad or Galaxy 2 10.1. In fact the front edge curves act a bit like a fish-eye lens making the tablet feel larger than it really is.
That said the build quality is first rate and the statistics make for excellent reading. Weighing in at 603g and with a thickness of just 8.9mm the Nexus 10 is 49g lighter than the latest iPad. And it feels it too.
Flip it over and the grippy plastic and lack of right angles give you superb grip, and while it doesn’t feel as premium as we hoped the tactile surface makes manhandling a treat. The surface greatly improves one-handed holding, which is especially important on a bigger tablet.
On the back you also get a landscape orientated 5mp camera with LED flash. Ports include MicroUSB, Micro HDMI, 3.5mm headphone jack and Pogo pins (we assume for docking).
There’s also a plastic strip that looks and feels like a battery cover. Remove it and you’ll find the usual serial numbers plus two magnets which we assume will be for covers. We hope they are, because the awful snap-on screen protector we were supplied with is embarrassing. It works fine, but lacks any of the design detail of the iPad’s Smart Cover.
Google Nexus 10: Screen
All our design dissapointments were instantly forgotten once the screen sparked into life. The Nexus 10's display is nothing short of sensational. The 10-inch Corning Gorilla Glass 2 panel boasts a record 2560 x 1600 pixels and a screen resolution of 300ppi. That’s more than your HDTV and leagues ahead – statistically at any rate – than the iPad’s much admired 264ppi Retina display.To be fair, at these resolutions it is almost impossible to tell the difference between the iPad and Google Nexus 10. Both are stunning. What Google have though is a 16:9 aspect ratio which make movies a joy to watch and just about everything else a huge amount of widescreen loveliness.
As with the iPad’s Retina display, some website images do look a bit blurry. No fault of the screen resolution, just a case of the display being too good for the web.
Google Nexus 10: Camera
Equipped with a meagre 5MP in the back and 1.9MP front facing camera the Google Nexus 10 is never going to be a photographic power house.The main camera isn’t awful, but it certainly isn’t as good as the iPad, or most new smartphones. What saves it however is Photo Sphere — allowing you to capture 360-degree panoramas very similar to Photosynth on Windows Phone. It isn’t perfect and takes a bit of practice but it’s addictive and the results can be fantastic.
Google Nexus 10: Sound
Like the Samsung Galaxy 2 10.1 the Google Nexus 10 has two tiny slivers of front-facing speaker. They don’t look much – combined with the black, on black on black colour scheme blend in nicely - but they sound great.Obviously a decent Bluetooth speaker sounds better, but for everyday viewing they have plenty of volume and enough warmth to prevent you reaching for the headphones.
Gripping the edge will cover one speaker up, but thanks to the rubberised back you can rest the tablet in the palm of your hand without fear of falling.
Google Nexus 10: Jelly Bean updates
Screen quality aside it is Google’s unadulterated Jelly Bean 4.2 OS that excites us the most. With no manufacturer skins this is the purest way to experience the stunning interface.Jelly Bean was good before, but some incoming updates [should roll out on 13th November] make it even better – especially for tablets. Multiple user support – different individuals are able to log into their own apps, settings and preferences – is a huge bonus for any families who share the tablet and should put an end to arguments over hijacked Facebook accounts.
The upgrade will also feature Miracast wireless display support, allowing the Nexus 10 to interact directly with a compatible HD TV. We expect huge things from this industry wide Wi-Fi sharing tool – think Airplay for everyone – and can’t wait to get hands on.
Google Nexus 10: Apps
As much as we adore the display, the OS and the tactile rubbery-ness we’d quite like some dedicated apps for the Google Nexus 10.We appreciate developers need time – and encouragement – to reformat their products for the 10-inch screen, but until then most options are just over stretched phone apps.
With acres of unused white space and tiny – albeit pixel sharp text – many everyday apps just feel awkward. Engorged phone apps work wonderfully on the Nexus 7, but don’t impress on the 10-inch screen with Twitter almost painful to read with anything but 20:20 vision.
With such a fantastic display we’re sure it is only a matter of time before 10-inch specific Android apps come flooding in, but for now, if you need proof of how lovely they can/will/better be, take a look at Google’s own selection; YouTube, Google Earth and Google + all look incredible.
Google Nexus 10: Performance
The Nexus 10 is powered by a 1.7GHz dual-core Exynos 5250 processor with Mail T604 graphics and comes with a cool 2GB RAM. Combined with the effortlessly impressive Android 4.2 Jelly Bean operating system and you’ve got one impressive performer.Everything is faultlessly fast and fluid, with apps loading almost instantly, games – even racing titles such as Need for Speed Most Wanted cruised along effortlessly – and HD movies never faltered.
Choose form 16GB or 32GB internal memory – fine, but a memory card slot would have been nice. There’s also no 3G or 4G support (yet) so it is Wi-Fi all the way. That said, thanks to multiple-in, multiple-out (MIMO) technology and a promise of up to 4x faster download speeds, it’s no slouch.
We’re not convinced it is 4x faster than the Galaxy 2 10.1 or iPad but it’s no couch potato.
Google Nexus 10: Battery
With 9000mAh at its disposal the Google Nexus 10 claims 9 hours of video playback and 500hrs standby. Impressive?You bet impressive. During our mixed use test – emailing, surfing, movie downloading and a bit of gaming – the Nexus 10 managed 10hrs between charges.
Google Nexus 10: Verdict
There’s no doubt about it, the Google Nexus 10 is a fantastic tablet that challenges – and in the case of the 300ppi display beats - the iPad in almost every department. Google has produced a genuine contender that’s slim, light and tactile; fast, effortlessly easy to use and a joy to play with.The screen is a sensation and deserves the plaudits, but the Nexus 10 isn’t perfect…yet. It gets pretty close – especially when you fully embrace Jelly Bean 4.2 – but until Google Play is furnished with more than a handful of 10-inch specific apps the iPad and its choice of 275,000 wins the battle.
But the war is far from over, and as more apps appear this stylishly slim, effortlessly intuitive and ridiculously good value tablet may well conquer all. It’s the best 10-inch Android tablet available right now and that’s high praise indeed.
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