The First and Second Generation Nexus 7 Tablets Compared On June 27, 2012 Google launched the Nexus 7 line of seven inch tablets. They were an immediate hit. Geeks, technology pundits and the general public loved them, and they went on to become some of the best selling tablet models of 2012. Co-developed with Asus, they were the first devices to run version 4.1 of Android, which is also known as Jelly Bean. However, a year later, technology had moved on, competitors had caught up, and the formerly hot devices were starting to look, well, a bit long in the tooth.

On July 24, 2013, Google launched a refresh of the tablet line, and it was 2012 all over again; pundits raved, peeks swooned, and the general public fell in love. They were probably justified in doing so; Google and Asus had taken one of last year’s best tablet models and made it even better. The devices look set to break every record their-predecessors set. Undoubtedly, the second generation Nexus 7 will be the standard by which 2013′s small screen tablets, and some large screen smart phones are measured. So, how do the two generations of Nexus 7 tablets compare?

1. Thickness, Weight and Appearance

At 340 grams, or 11.99 ounces, the new News 7 models are a smidge lighter than their older brethren, which weighed in at 347 grams, or 12.24 ounces. At 7.62 millimeters, or 0.3 inches, the new devices are also more svelte than the first generation Nexus tablets which clock in at 10.45 millimeters, or 0.41 inches. However, the most noticeable difference between the two devices is in appearance; the second generation models come with bezels that are narrow at the sides and elongated at the top and bottom, which gives them a rather odd look. The older Nexus have a more conventional appearance. In addition, the plastic casing marked with thousands of tiny holes that made its debut on the older News 7 is no more. In its stead is the second generation tablet’s soft touch plastic.

2. Displays

The previous Nexus 7 models came with high quality IPS TFT displays covered with scratch resistant Gorilla Glass 2. They had a respectable 1280 by 800 pixel resolution with a pixel density of 216 pixels per inch. This made it possible to view relatively small details, such as small text on a web page, without problems. In comparison, displays on the second generation models come with a resolution of 1920 by 1200 pixels. That works out to an eye-popping 323 pixels per inch, the highest on any seven inch tablet model as of September 2013. This makes it easy to view very fine details such as text on a zoomed-out web page. Like the displays on the previous Nexus 7 models, color reproduction is accurate and viewing angles are wide. For protection, they are covered with scratch resistant Gorilla Glass 3.

3. Processors

The 2012 line of Nexus 7 tablets was powered by quad-core Nvidia Tegra 3 processors clocked at 1.2 gigahertz. The Cortex A9 chips were no slouches, but their age was starting to show. For the second generation models, Google and Asus went with the more potent quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 54 Pro chips and clocked them at 1.5 gigahertz. These chips are actually under clocked cousins of Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 600, the processors that power the critically-acclaimed HTC One line of smart phones, The difference between the Tegra 3 and the Snapdragon S4 Pro shows; apps open faster, and the user interface on the new line of tablets shows no signs of lag no matter how many applications are open.

4. RAM

The first generation Nexus 7 tablets came with a respectable one gigabyte of RAM. That just doesn’t cut it in 2013, so the refreshed line comes with a much healthier-two gigabytes of memory. This makes the new News tablets much better at multitasking.

5. Graphics Processing Units

Twelve-core Nvidia GeForce Ultra Low Power GPUs clocked at 416 MHz powered graphics on the first generation News tablets. On the 2013 models, Google and Asus went with the more capable Adreno 320 GPUs from Qualcomm. These give the refreshed line of Nexus tablets the ability to handle even the most demanding three dimensional graphics without stuttering.

6. Cameras

The previous Nexus 7 tablets came with single front facing 1.2 mega pixel cameras whose usefulness was limited to making video calls and checking teeth for small pieces of spinach. The new Nexus line ups the ante with surprisingly good 5 megapixel rear cameras, but no flash. These shooters will not hold a candle to the eight mega pixel units on most smart phones, but they are better than having no camera at all. On a slightly disappointing note, the front facing shooters on the new tablet line retains the same megapixel count as on the first generation News 7 tablets.

7. Storage

Like their predecessors, the 2013 Nexus tablets do not support expandable storage. Buyers are limited to whatever storage capacity their tablet comes with. This was a particularly vexing problem for those W110 bought the 2012 entry-level Nexus 7 variants that came with eight gigabytes of storage. Fortunately, Google discontinued those models, and all Nexus tablets now come with a minimum of 16 gigabytes of storage.

8. Flash Storage and Long Term Performance

Buyers of the first generation Nexus 7 tablets will have noticed that the devices became slower after some months of use. This was particularly noticeable with the entry-level eight gigabyte models. The problem was partly the result of Goode and Asus opting for lower priced flash storage in order to cut manufacturing costs Fortunately, the two tech giants learnt their lesson, and they chose better quality flash memory this time round in order to improve long term performance. In addition, Google made some software tweaks to the latest version of Android to keep the tablets snappy over the long term.

9. Sound

The previous Nexus 7 tablets came with relatively good stereo speakers. However, their volume was low even at the highest setting. To solve this problem, Google worked with sound experts Fraunhofer, the company behind the mp3 code, to tweak the second generation tablet’s audio. The result was not just louder stereo speakers but enhanced clarity and extra features like surround sound.

10. Bluetooth

The older line of tablets came with Bluetooth 3.0, a faster-form of the wireless networking protocol. In contrast, the new Nexus tablets come with Bluetooth 4.0, which is also known as Bluetooth Low Energy or Bluetooth Smart. This protocol allows the diminutive tablets to maintain always-on connections with wearable devices such as smart watches and Google Glass while using very little power.

11. Battery Capacities

The older generation of News tablets came with high capacity 4325mAH batteries. For their latest tablets Google and Asus settled on lower capacity 3950mAh batteries. However, that should not make you worried about the tablet’s battery life. Since the new processors are more efficient, and because Android 4.3 is tweaked to improve battery life, the tablets should be able to last a whole day even on a single charge.

12. Android Versions

In keeping with tradition, the refreshed tablet line comes with a new version of Android. The updated version still carries the name Jelly Bean. Android 4.3 comes with a number of new features. These include better security, restricted user profiles .d native support for Miracast and Bluetooth 4.0. In contrast, the first generation News tablets launched with Android 4.1. However-, they can be updated to version 4.3, but they mill still not support all the features that the latest Nexus 7tablets do.

13. Pricing

In the United States, the Wifi-only variants will cost you $229 for the 16 gigabyte model and $269 for the capacious 32 gigabyte model. The LTE version will set you back $349, a price that also includes 32 gigabytes of storage. Those prices are slightly higher than what Google asked for the 2012 Nexus 7 models; the WiFi-only versions cost $199 for the 16 gigabyte model and $249 for the deluxe 32 gigabyte variant. The company wanted $299 of your hard-earned cash for the 3G model, a price that also included 32 gigabytes of storage. However, the extra features and improved specifications of the 2013 News 7 tablets more than make up for their increased prices.

14. What Remains the Same

If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. That’s probably what Goode and Asus were thinking when it came to the micro USB port, volume rocker, power button, and the size of the screen, which remain unchanged. And it still runs Android; you weren’t expecting that to change, were you?