Nexus 7 Demand Exceeds Google’s Expectations

Within a few weeks after the announcement of the Google Nexus 7, orders for the 16GB model were held off when stocks ran out. Asus has ramped up production and expects to meet demand soon. Google initially expected the 8GB model to sell better because of its $199 price tag. Apparently, consumers still prefer the option of higher storage instead of relying heavily on the cloud.

Has the Apple iPad finally found its match? Though Apple still dominates the tablet PC market, other brands are slowly catching up with quality tablets at a more affordable price.

What triggered the huge demand for the Google Nexus 7? Considering the specifications of the Nexus 7, the $199 (8GB) and $249 (16GB) price is probably the best bang for your buck in a tablet PC. Some even believe that it may be selling at cost, if not at a loss.

Demand for tablets may be at a critical stage that manufacturers will do anything to grab a portion of the iPad’s market share. Educators are now looking at the prospect of tablets for textbooks and other educational tools. If tablet PCs are forecasted to replace printed books, the market is a huge one indeed.

Other than being affordable, the Google Nexus 7 is lighter and more portable with its 7-inch screen and 340 gram weight – even lighter than the successful Amazon Kindle Fire.

Just by touching the tablet itself, one would know that it was crafted from high end materials starting with the rubberized back to its 1280 x 800 IPS display. Though it doesn’t match the Retina display of the iPad 3, it surely comes close with good text rendering and great 720p videos. Sound is not top-notch, but decent enough at moderate volume.

Probably the biggest strength of the Nexus 7 is the NVidia Tegra 3 quad core chipset, considered to be the fastest mobile processors in the industry. It is also one of the first gadgets to use Android 4.1 Jelly Bean which boasts of transitions that are as smooth as butter and touch response that rivals that of the iPad. Battery life was quite impressive as it lasted over 9 hours in tests performed using Wi-Fi and video looping.

At this point, the only downside to the Nexus 7 is the lack of HDMI port, no 3G capability, and apps that are not yet as extensive as those of the iPad or the Kindle Fire. Nevertheless, apps are sure to follow soon in view of its success. Overall, the advantages far outweigh the disadvantages since we are talking about a Tegra 3 tablet PC priced at a dollar below $200. If textbooks are to be migrated to tablets in the near future, the Nexus 7 is the perfect fit for kids – lightweight and low budget. So far, Google is basking in the success of its tablet. But rumors of an imminent iPad Mini may translate to a short-lived victory for Google. Once again, all eyes are on Apple while the rest of the industry waits with bated breath.