Google Nexus 7 Indepth Review

1. Introduction2. Design Exploration and Design, Display3. Android 4.1 Jelly Bean4. Google Now, Voice Search, Keyboard5. Google Chrome, Wireless Connectivity, Multimedia Playback6. Hardware Performance7. Battery Life, Closing Thoughts8. View All Pages

Android 4.1 Jelly Bean

The $199 tablet from ASUS and Google is a Nexus class device, which means you get completely raw Android, with absolutely no manufacturer or carrier modifications in sight. This is quite a welcome departure from devices I have used in recent times.

Android 4.1 also introduced a new type of user interface display. In Android 4.0 there was the phone interface and then the tablet interface for different device sizes.

With Android 4.1 this has been changed up a bit. While there are still the same classes for both ends of the spectrum there is now something in the middle – as seen on the Nexus 7. It is half phone, half tablet interface with mixed results.

Applications like Gmail look as they would on a larger tablet. While other relatively stock applications such as Google Reader or the Play Store look like a blown-up version of a smartphone.

Improvements made in Android 4.1 Jelly Bean are immediately visible from the lockscreen. There is a new dimple print animation in the lockscreen circle, plus the option to launch directly into Google Now – more on that in a bit.

Security wise, the same old security measures are present but now the face detection option will also look for blinking, although it has already been proven to be easily fooled.

Another new feature is also apparent as soon  as you start to flick through the homescreens. With Project Butter the user interface is now much smoother. I admit that it is not perfect, I have noticed the occasional stutter and slowdown but it is so much smoother than previous versions of Android. As for how it compares to Windows Phone or iOS, I admit to not using those platforms recently enough to compare.

At the bottom of the homescreens you can have up to six applications docked here. Above that is a six by six grid for widgets and app shortcuts. Widgets now relocate themselves automatically. If you want to insert a four grid clock widget, but there is no clear 2×2 space for it, then other widgets will arrange themselves in a way that allows for it to be placed, assuming there is enough space for it in the first place.

At the top of the homescreens is a revamped Google Search bar that links to either Google Now or the improved voice search in Jelly Bean.

Sadly, only portrait orientation is supported in the home screens and app drawer. This has annoyed me on multiple occasions coming from landscape apps and is definitely a con.

Other changes you wouldn’t expect on a tablet is that while there is the three Android buttons (back, home and recent apps) in the bottom taskbar, the notification area has been moved to the top – just like Android smartphones. The Android navigation bar is always visible, only retreating to three dots in apps like games or while watching video in third party applications. The only time I saw it disappear completely was while watching video using the stock video player. Meanwhile the notification bar does disappears under the same conditions.

This can be fixed by tweaking the DPI settings, although that’s above and beyond most users. Preferably this almost “phablet” user interface wouldn’t exist in Jelly Bean and that there would only be the tablet and smartphone options.

Regardless, the notification menu is found at the top of the display and includes options to lock the screen orientation, head to the settings and if it is possible, to clear notifications. In Android 4.1, all notifications are now merged together. So basically there is no different groupings for ongoing notifications and one-off notifications.

With Jelly Bean, notifications can now be expanded to reveal more information. For example a Gmail notification can tell you that there are three new messages, or you can pinch zoom to reveal the subject lines of these three messages. It works well for different scenarios as well.

Multitasking works well on the Nexus 7, and Project Butter does its part. The multitasking, or recent apps overlay has not changed at all in the transition from Android 4.0. I can easily switch between Gmail and Chrome. Although the same process with 3D games is understandably not quite as smooth.

The application drawer is very simple, nothing is complicated here. Each page is occupied by 30 applications while tabs can quickly take you to apps and widgets. Admittedly it would be nice to have some more options here.

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