My review. Google Nexus 7 vs Blackberry Playbook

[bitek]

Here is my comparison. Blackberry Playbook vs Google Nexus 7.

Disclaimer. Blackberry Playbook user for over a year and Google Nexus 7 user for a week.

1. Built quality.

I've had Playbook for a while and it can take beating. Playbook is made of better materials. Rubber casing on Playbook does not feel as cheap as plastic on Nexus 7.

This one goes to PB

2. Design

I love slim profile of Nexus 7 and its weight which is noticeably less than Playbook.

This one goes to N7

2. Speakers

This goes to Playbook hands down. Having speakers in the front and on both sides of the screen creates far better listening experience. Rear N7 speaker is good but not as good as Playbook.

3. Display

This goes to Nexus 7. Playbook screen is brighter but letters are noticeably sharper on Google Nexus 7. Far better for eyes.

4. Performance

This goes to Nexus 7. Nexus 7 feels snappier than Playbook. I guess quad core cpu in N7 makes a difference

5. OS

This is tough one. This is my second "adventure" with Android. First time I had Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 and honestly I did not like it at all.

Android 4.2 Jelly Bean is way better than Gingerbread or Ice Cream Sandwitch on Samsung Galaxy Tab. I love Android customization options with widgets, live wallpapers etc. Google integration and notification solution is just awesome on 4.2. However, i find QNX to be more robust with its TRUE full multitasking and no button os. swipe function on Playbook. 7" screen is small realty and Playbook utilizes this space 100%. I find it annoying that Nexus 7 "control bar" is always visible when playing games and there is no way to hide it unless app allows for it. It is good that control bar is at least gone when watching movies. I strongly disliked it on Gingerbread. Also full support of flash on Playbook and its bridge integration with blackberry phones are strong assets. As long as Playbook and BB phone are connected through bluetooth, playbook is always connected to the internet. Seamingless tethering with no need for any extra steps. Email redundancy is gone with Playbook and BB phone combo. Finally having Android Player on Playbook is benefit as it allows to run both native QNX and many android apps on Playbook.

so this is draw at this point. I like both os for different reasons and it is hard to choose complete winner. I will revisit this once BB10 comes out on PB with its "flow" notification system.

6. The internet

Chrome is faster than Playbook browser. Chrome generates online pages way faster and offer more options than Playbook browser.

This one goes hands down to N7.

7. App store

Hands down N7. To be fair Playbook has gone long way since it was introduced. Now Playbook app store has good selection of apps and games. There are many great apps both native and android based. Android player works surprisingly well on Playbook. Having said that Android store app selection is just jaw dropping. The only minus of Android store is that many apps are made for phone not tablet. Also Rim is very aggressive and offers many games on Playbook at no charge that cost money on Android. Playbook has strong community and app builders that create some awesome stuff only available on Playbook. Like games Flycraft, Pacemaker or exclusive Amiga game on Playbook. Still Playbook has long way to go. Also I find that many titles do not get released at all or released late on Playbook.

8. Price

This hands down goes to Playbook. RIM offers crazy deals on Playbook now.

9. Connections and camera

this one goes again to playbook. Built in HDMI and BOTH front and rear cameras are great on Playbook. I could leave with no rear camera on N7 but HDMI should be already included in N7.

10. Future

Playbook as it is now is already done. With over 2,000,000 playbooks sold i think rim will eventually come out with Playbook 2 after BB10 is launched. future of Playbook and RIM. Google is 100% behind Nexus so i am not worried about its future support and development.

So this one goes to N7 as of today.

Final words. N7 is pretty cool tablet but i do not see myself selling Playbook. I think i will keep Nexus 7. There is a lot to be liked about N7. But there is a lot to like about Playbook as well. At its current prices Playbook is just awesome buy especially with BB10 coming out on Playbook in short few months.

Please welcome comments.

Update

11. Accessories

Playbook has far better selection of OEM accessories such as cases, shells,Bluetooth keyboard rapid charger etc. Nothing like that is offered by Google. There are some stuff for N7 on eBay but they not OEM and they are of questionable quality. RIm made PB accessories are high quality.

This one goes to PB

12. Battery

This one goes to N7. Battery will last longer on N7 than PB. However all "goodies" such as live widgets and wallpapers need to be kept to minimum. They are power hungry.

 

[NealJ777]

Ever heard of the HP TouchPad?

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 2

 

[bitek]

Ever heard of the HP TouchPad?

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 2

yes, of course what about it ?

Sent from Blackberry Playbook using TapaTalk 2

 

[NealJ777]

yes, of course what about it ?

Sent from Blackberry Playbook using TapaTalk 2

What I'm saying is... RIM is dying a very slow death and they just don't get it or they choose not to see it. Why do you think that there are "really good deals" right now? No one is buying them. If BlackBerry 10 fails, then RIM is dead.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 2

 

[Shilohcane]

6. The internet

Chrome is faster than Playbook browser. Chrome generates online pages way faster and offer more options than Playbook browser.

This one goes hands down to N7.

I haven't tried it yet but I saw a good Tech Video that showed the Dolphin Browser just blows away Chrome on performance on Android 4.2. It wasn't even a contest. It is free at the Playstore.

 

[odd1ne]

The playbook has sold 2,000,000 where did you see that all I ever read was that it had been a complete failure and hasn't sold well at all.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Android Central Forums

 

[JustinMueller8810]

LOL OP PRICE GOES TO PLAYBOOK? That alone negates everything else you just said and strips you of your credibility.

And we all know blackberry future and it is grim.

 

[Minkey1]

I thought the price comment was absolutely accurate, at least in the UK.

Blackberry Playbook 64Gb ?129
Google Nexus 7 32Gb ?199

I only opted for the Nexus as I don't have a Blackberry, and didn't want the RIM OS. But value for money, absolutely.

 

[bitek]

What I'm saying is... RIM is dying a very slow death and they just don't get it or they choose not to see it. Why do you think that there are "really good deals" right now? No one is buying them. If BlackBerry 10 fails, then RIM is dead.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 2

No tablets sell very well compared to iPad. Not even N7. Why do you think nexus 7 with quad core and 16gb sales for $199 and ipad mini $310. HP dropped total support. Not same story with rim. Anyways I do agree that playbook as rim future is based on bb10. I think rim will succeed with bb10.

LOL OP PRICE GOES TO PLAYBOOK? That alone negates everything else you just said and strips you of your credibility.

And we all know blackberry future and it is grim.

Sure 150 vs 250. 100 is big difference. N7 is really cool but playbook is good too especially with BB phone

The playbook has sold 2,000,000 where did you see that all I ever read was that it had been a complete failure and hasn't sold well at all.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Android Central Forums

it will be around 2mil now. up here in Canada pb is #2 tablet after ipad. it has good market share incanada. canadian cellular providers sale new playbook with lte and updated hardware. os1 was poor but os2 ans os2.1 are good. android player, sideloading apps, bb bridge etc are cool. check out bestbuy.ca for reviews. more and more apps are coming out. game selection is good as well. no in game ads etc. at all. but it is still very limited compared to android.no major appslike skype, netflix etc. I think bb10 will change this situation drastically. at the end n7 is great but pb is good to have as well

Sent from Blackberry Playbook using TapaTalk 2

 

[simeonnevel]

The problem is that RIM is a company in a state of serious decline.

They've been losing market share like they've fallen of a cliff.

Crackberry isn't a good choice for the long haul.

IMHO of course.

Simeon

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 2

 

[NealJ777]

Sure 150 vs 250. 100 is big difference. N7 is really cool but playbook is good too especially with BB phone

I'm a government contractor. The US Government is probably RIM's largest customer. The Government Officials that are carrying a BlackBerry don't want one. They would rather have an iPhone.

Many developers have announced that they have stopped supporting the BB version of their apps.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 2

 

[anon(847090)]

5. OS

This is tough one.

Thats an easy one for me.. nexus 7 hands down. no competition there.

10. future

the only reason playbook is selling is because of price and they probably will be selling it for a lose.
dont see RIM piling up more lose. playbook 2 is far from reach.

 

[randall2580]

Bitek - having both myself I enjoyed reading your comparison and agree with a lot of it. My biggest complaint about N7 is the lack of HDMI out or a way to do it yet, I hope that changes some day soon.

1. The build quality and speakers and sales - remember the PlayBook was built to be sold at a much higher price point than it's being sold for now. Originally the 16gb PlayBook sold for $499 (one of the reasons it was a failure). RIM took huge losses on their stock of PlayBooks selling at current prices (it lead to a half billion dollar write down). I think it's a consideration in this discussion of the build. Dollar for Dollar the N7 is an awesome deal, and when it was released set new ground for quality/specs for the price. I believe I read the other day that Google will sell 5,000,000 Nexus 7's by the end of 2012 - roughly 5 months of sales. Compare and contrast that to the PlayBook that's been available since April 2011 - 20 months of sales by end 2012.

2. The Android emulator on the PlayBook is crap. Yes if you qualify it as it allows the PlayBook at least base functionality to get apps like Kindle, which for some reason RIM still hasn't found a way to get on the PlayBook in a native way The emulator is Gingerbread based, the same OS you said you didn't like on your GTab, and it won't play Android apps made in native code. BB10 is expected to bring ICS to the emulator - which for PlayBook means sometime after the phones come out in Feb 2013, so it will be at least 2 steps behind again, probably more.

3. Connections and camera - I don't disagree with a word you say. However you neglected to mention that to today, PlayBook only has a peer to peer video conferencing app. If your counter party doesn't have a PlayBook there is no practical way to use the camera to video conference. It's a strike against the PlayBook and still to today, we have no assurance from RIM that will change even in BB10, though we live in hope. PlayBook is a great camera, especially if you own a BB phone right now which really doesn't have a great camera. If you own an Android phone however you probably have at least as good a camera as the PlayBook and perhaps a better one if you have purchased and Android phone this year. Having the choice to use my phone or my Tab to take a photo or a video I will use my phone every time.

3. Accessories. Yes the BB accessories for PlayBook are top notch. But the point is with the disappointing sales of PlayBook - if you don't get it from RIM there aren't many other options. I have a SlipCase for my N7 that is every bit as good as the one that comes from RIM for the PlayBook. N7 dock is coming very soon as will quickly be taken up - including by me. With these large sales I bet we see some other high quality devices coming soon.

4. You are nit picky with Flash. You don't mind having to sideload Android apps to the emulator which involves having converted and signed Android apps side loaded through the computer to the PlayBook and they frequently either don't work well and crash or have problems, though improved in 2.1 there are still problems. Yet there is simple work around with Flash that involves simply side loading Flash 11 to the N7 and a browser like Firefox Beta, Xscope or Boat and it works at least as well as an Android sideload on the PlayBook, in my experience - better.

IMHO want makes the N7 the one I use most of the time now is simply anything I find I want to do on a tablet - the N7 does. . PlayBook cannot say that and until it can I don't see how it can be in the same conversation. Yes it has a lot of nice features, but those features are hamstrung by the lack of Dev support, that hopefully changes the day BB10 comes to the PlayBook. Until that day, it's not a fair comparison.

 

[Ziptied]

What I'm saying is... RIM is dying a very slow death and they just don't get it or they choose not to see it. Why do you think that there are "really good deals" right now? No one is buying them. If BlackBerry 10 fails, then RIM is dead.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 2

When BB10 fails, which it kinda already has with the stupid delays. BB should just license bbm and its enterprise to others and give up on their own. You can't start behind and expect to get ahead.

 

[chris michael]

I am undecided what 1 to get I love the hardwear of the playbook but the os of the nexus 7 the playbook is now 199 for 64 gb at Wallmart. What does every1 suggest?

 

[B. Diddy]

Although the Playbook is admittedly a nice piece of hardware (for 2011, anyway), what good is it if the app selection is so poor? I realize that some Android apps can be ported over, but that requires someone to actually convert them, which is not a simple task. Choosing between a Nexus 7 and a Playbook is like choosing between a Blu-Ray player and an HD-DVD player. You can probably still find the latter for dirt cheap if you look hard enough, and there may be a handful of HD-DVD movies out there, but there sure won't be any more movies made in that format.

 

[jpash549]

Having both the Playbook and .the N7 I would agree that there are many more Android apps than native Blackberry and ported Android apps currently available for the Playbook. Thus the PB does not have Skype or Neflix and there are some other holes. With BB10 OS if and when it makes it to the PB that will probably change. The PB app selection is only poor if it doesn't include your must have apps. Look at the forum and see what the gripes about the N7 and PB are and see if they are deal breakers for you. Does not having a way to connect to TV to see apps and movies on a large screen or not having a rear camera bother you. Playbook has these capabilities and currently N7 does not.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Android Central Forums

 

[Comineeyeaha]

I am undecided what 1 to get I love the hardwear of the playbook but the os of the nexus 7 the playbook is now 199 for 64 gb at Wallmart. What does every1 suggest?

I'm not sure if you really expect anybody to tell you to go out and get a Playbook while you're on a forum dedicated to Android . I had a Playbook for a while, but I ended up selling it so I could get the Nexus 7. I hardly ever used my playbook because it didn't have the apps I wanted/needed. I use my Nexus 7 constantly. I feel like buying a Playbook, at this point in the game, is foolish.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk HD

 

[bitek]

I'm a government contractor. The US Government is probably RIM's largest customer. The Government Officials that are carrying a BlackBerry don't want one. They would rather have an iPhone.

Many developers have announced that they have stopped supporting the BB version of their apps.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 2

Sure but the thing is that BB10 will offer the best mobile os with unmatched security. There is a reason why President Obama is still using BB.

The problem is that RIM is a company in a state of serious decline.

They've been losing market share like they've fallen of a cliff.

Crackberry isn't a good choice for the long haul.

IMHO of course.

Simeon

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 2

My opinion is that many ex-bb users will switch back to blackberry once bb10 is out. Rim does not need all 750k apps of android. it only needs the best apps.

Sent from Blackberry Playbook using TapaTalk 2

 

[NealJ777]

Sure but the thing is that BB10 will offer the best mobile os with unmatched security. There is a reason why President Obama is still using BB.

Sent from Blackberry Playbook using TapaTalk 2

We just finished deploying iPads to all the VIPs in our agency. They're not going to be in a rush to go back to BB.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk HD