16gb or 32gb version? Which do I need?

[davidp007]

I have searched the net and even this forum and I can't find any feedback about which memory size someone should get for the Nexus 7, 16gb or 32gb.

I just need something to be able to hold all my stuff. I got the iPad 3 32gb and let's just say I would have had a hard time living with a 16gb one. (But the ipad takes pictures and video which the N7 doesn't, so that saves space.)

For just $50 more I could just double my space and let that be that. (No memory expansion on this thing as I recall.) But then, the Nexus 7 came out in July 2012 so that means probably next gen will come out about same time in 2013, which means a short life span before it becomes 'old' and loses much of its value.. (Yeah I got zapped on the ipad 3 in 7 months).

So no doubt you need to know what I'm gonna be doing with it. Well no 'work related' stuff. Basically I'm just wanting to get my hands on my first android device. I don't know things like: how much space does 1 movie take up? I like to just download a bunch of apps and try them out. Also have to consider how much I would get out of it next year when new version comes out (will 32gb give me more money back - proportionally - than the 16gb version?)

BTW, I keep reading about quality control issues with the pads coming unglued, etc. Is that fixed by now?

Thank you.
Dave

 

[anon(847090)]

you seem like you are pretty much convinced that you need 32Gb. so go for it.

How much value can you lose? $200 max when you break it. its a low cost tablet you will still get $100 for it.
You cant compare it with ipad. Ipad 32 is $599 tablet and Nexus 7 is 250. you can buy 2 with that price. one next year when new one comes out.

 

[B. Diddy]

Depends on how much media you like to keep on board. If you like to keep a lot of movies on your device, keep in mind that your average 2 hour movie digital copy or ripped copy from a DVD takes up around 1 GB. You start out with around 28 GB free (because some of the advertised 32 GB of memory is taken up by the OS). So you can do the math there.

Music isn't quite as big of an issue, since you can upload all of your music to the Google cloud and access all of it via Google Play Music. The catch is that you need an internet connection, so you'd have to have wifi or perhaps tether your Nexus 7 to your phone.

Apps don't take up as much memory as you might think. Really huge detailed apps like Asphalt 7 or GTA III can take up around 1 GB of memory, but most apps are <100 MB. 28 GB = 28000 MB, so it'd be hard to run out of room from apps alone.

If you're afraid that any device you buy now will be outdated by next year, then welcome to tech reality! Try not to feel paralyzed by this, and just enjoy what you have. In my opinion, the Nexus 7 is an incredibly affordable piece of cutting edge tech, and even when the next new thing comes out, you'll still be able to use it happily for years to come.

 

[Eduardo06sp]

Just get the 32GB version; better safe than sorry.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Android Central Forums

 

[anon(924308)]

But then, the Nexus 7 came out in July 2012 so that means probably next gen will come out about same time in 2013, which means a short life span before it becomes 'old' and loses much of its value.. (Yeah I got zapped on the ipad 3 in 7 months).

Wouldn't worry too much about that, they already 'zapped' early adopter a few months after release; mine dropped in price by 20% less than two months after I bought it; but hey, I'm glad I had it those 2 months. So it probably won't get revamped for a while. The iPad 3 was like $500 new, right? Nexus 7 is only $250 max. That 7+ months you use it will be weeell worth it. July 2012 (more like Oct) is pretty recent, all things considered.

Evaluate how you plan on using it, and what takes up the bulk of your memory on the ipad. Will you keep movies on the device? If so, how many at a time? Will you keep music on the device? If so, how many songs? Will you download intense 2GB games? If so, how many at a time? Do you tend to dl tons of apps without uninstalling them?

IMO you can probably survive with 16GB if you become more efficient about what you store (e.g., only 1 movie at a time), but if you're a heavy data consumer just get the 32GB. It's only $50 more, and I think it'd be more than enough. Keep in mind "16GB" doesn't actually mean 16GB of space; on mine it was about 13GB of usable storage.

 

[retsaw]

Some games these days are using huge amounts of space. Asphalt 7 uses 1.4GB, N.O.V.A 3 uses 2GB and A Bard's Tale uses 3.4 GB if you want the HD graphics. You can fill up a 16 GB model with games without too much effort. So if you think you might play lots of games you probably want the 32 GB model unless you don't mind just having a couple of big games at one time and deleting them when you're done, but that'll mean another huge download if you want to play them again.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Android Central Forums

 

[davidp007]

Thank you all for your feedback. Appreciate it. I'm glad to see others giving input on this Q, because it has amazed me how there seems to be no answer on the net for which size is recommended (at least I didn't find it).

Yes, short life is a reality in today's tech world. I feel a little sorry for those who had to pay $50 more before they dropped the price (and the 8gb model which seemed kinda ridiculously small to me, especially since no memory upgrade-ability.)

As far as breakage of a tablet, I pretty much always get extended warranty + ADH from SQUARETRADE.COM. A little security for not much price over 2yrs time.

Right now I'm looking at what kind of screen protectors are not very expensive but good at smudge resistance. There is a thread on this site giving some input. I don't want something tough or expensive, just fingerprint/smudge resistant for sure. Don't need a case for my use I don't think. I see Google Play offers their own case when you buy the N7 there. Don't know if that case is decent or not?

Well I'm still 'looking' right now. Getting things lined up for a final purchase (probably before xmas), but still debating case, screen protector, etc. and considering the tax, shipping, and 16 vs 32 costs, price is starting to jump up once I add all this stuff. That may be a plus for not spending a 'mere' $50 more on a device that I don't even know how I'll really use at this point. Just wanting to try out an Android device. We'll see.

Dave

 

[B. Diddy]

If you're patient (unlike me), you might want to wait until Black Friday deals.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Android Central Forums

 

[Unicorn Rancher]

Wait for the 64GB model or you'll kick yourself.