It's been a year since the release of the original Nexus 7, and following up on the undeniable success of the device Google has released a new tablet by the same name with a completely new look and feel. Our full in-depth review of the new Nexus 7 is under way, but we just couldn't hold back our excitement and need to share some of our initial thoughts on the device.
Hang with us after the break for an in-depth video look at the new Nexus 7 now that we've had a little time to give it a proper once-over. If after watching you still have some burning questions about the tablet, be sure to ask us in the forums!
More: In pictures: Two generations of Nexus 7
Hardware
I feel like I've said it a hundred times over now, but it still needs to be said: the new Nexus 7 has stepped up its game in terms of hardware look and feel. I always enjoyed the solid build of the original Nexus 7, but you'll instantly feel the difference when holding the new one in your hand for a few minutes. Being that the case is now narrower and thinner, the entire device feels more dense and therefore has a premium feel. The case itself has been put together tightly, and there clearly has been an improvement in the fit and finish of the construction.
Around the front of the device Google has again made a serious improvement in the quality of the screen. We've bumped up from 1280x800 to 1920x1200, while sticking with the same 7-inch screen size. That's well above 300ppi and it shows. Beyond the resolution bump, the new display is notably brigher, more vivid and retains the same great clarity and viewing angles as the original.
Software
Be it the software optimizations alone or the pairing with updated hardware specs, the Nexus 7 is insanely quick and smooth all around. I personally had one of the original Nexus 7's that never felt completely snappy, with frequent sluggishness and software lags. In this regard the new Nexus 7 is in a completely different league. We are looking at the same internal specs (more or less) as the Nexus 4, and even with that higher density screen we have yet to find a slowdown or glitch. Time will tell if that holds up once we get loads of apps installed and everything set up for daily use, but we have to say how impressed we are with the speed and fluidity currently.
