I've owned both the 2012 and 2013 Nexus 7's, and while they were both fantastic tablets, over time two things have become a huge issue for me. The first being the size. The Nexus 7 kind of feels like a big phone. This wasn't a big deal when I had a 4-inch phone, but now I'm not getting too much of a benefit when I have a phone with a nearly 5-inch screen. Even the occasional game just feels kind of cramped. Ever since I bought my Toshiba Chromebook 2 (Full HD version) I've had no reason to watch videos on my Nexus 7. My Chromebook goes with me everywhere so there isn't going to be a time when I want to watch a video and my Chromebook isn't within reach.
Although Chromebooks are more productive and still rportable, a tablet still has a place in my life mainly as an eReader. But unfortunately that's the only thing I use my Nexus 7 for, and even then I can't use it to its full potential. PDF's look awful on this screen due to reason #2: The aspect ratio. Casual web browsing is just as bad because of the 16:10 screen. In fact, the Nexus 7 is kind of unusable in landscape mode. The notification bar and the navigation bars take up way too much screen space and in portrait mode the screen is too skinny. There actually aren't too many websites with a mobile version, and some of the sites that do still display the desktop version on my Nexus 7.
I used to love my Nexus 7 and the form factor it had. But something about me has changed and now the combination of screen size and aspect ratio just don't work anymore. I decided it was time to look for an Android tablet with a 4:3 aspect ratio. Aaaand... there aren't very many of them. Right now the best 4:3 Android tablet is the Nexus 9, which is way too expensive for me. 1) I'm a college student and 2) Even if I had the money, nearly every review mentions build quality issues and light bleed. There's the Xiaomi MiPad, a Chinese iPad Mini knockoff with a "retina display", but it's running a skinned version of Android that plagiarizes iOS, it's not easy to root, and it's still a bit pricey for me. There's the Nokia N1 coming soon, but I probably won't be able to afford it if it comes to the US.
I realized I was reaching too high. I actually don't need a premium tablet. If I won't be playing many games or watching videos, then higher-end specs are overkill for my needs. After looking around I've found there are a lot more Android tablets with 4:3 screens, but most of them are pretty crappy. They only tackle the low-end market and most of them are off-brand, ugly and bulky.
And then I found the [URL="https://forums.androidcentral.com/e?link=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.kqzyfj.com%2Fclick-7301867-12102890-1432155017000%3Fsid%3DUUacUvbUpU4272273%26url%3Dhttp%253A%252F%252Fus.acer.com%252Fac%252Fen%252FUS%252Fcontent%252Fseries%252Ficoniaa1%2522&token=yDkDMbj0]Acer Iconia A1-830[/URL], and I've decided it's the tablet for me. The 1024 x 768 resolution won't compete with the Nexus 7's 1920 x 1200 screen, but the 4:3 aspect ratio on a 7.9" screen is better for my needs. Thankfully, it's by Acer, a well-known brand, and the aluminum build is much more premium-feeling than you'd expect for the price. So, I ordered one, and I'm actually excited. Yes, I'm downgrading from the 2013 Nexus 7, widely considered one of the best Android tablets ever made, and I actually think I'll be happier with the device I'm downgrading to. I must be crazy, right? I'll update when my new tablet arrives to see how it compares to the 2013 Nexus 7.
Although Chromebooks are more productive and still rportable, a tablet still has a place in my life mainly as an eReader. But unfortunately that's the only thing I use my Nexus 7 for, and even then I can't use it to its full potential. PDF's look awful on this screen due to reason #2: The aspect ratio. Casual web browsing is just as bad because of the 16:10 screen. In fact, the Nexus 7 is kind of unusable in landscape mode. The notification bar and the navigation bars take up way too much screen space and in portrait mode the screen is too skinny. There actually aren't too many websites with a mobile version, and some of the sites that do still display the desktop version on my Nexus 7.
I used to love my Nexus 7 and the form factor it had. But something about me has changed and now the combination of screen size and aspect ratio just don't work anymore. I decided it was time to look for an Android tablet with a 4:3 aspect ratio. Aaaand... there aren't very many of them. Right now the best 4:3 Android tablet is the Nexus 9, which is way too expensive for me. 1) I'm a college student and 2) Even if I had the money, nearly every review mentions build quality issues and light bleed. There's the Xiaomi MiPad, a Chinese iPad Mini knockoff with a "retina display", but it's running a skinned version of Android that plagiarizes iOS, it's not easy to root, and it's still a bit pricey for me. There's the Nokia N1 coming soon, but I probably won't be able to afford it if it comes to the US.
I realized I was reaching too high. I actually don't need a premium tablet. If I won't be playing many games or watching videos, then higher-end specs are overkill for my needs. After looking around I've found there are a lot more Android tablets with 4:3 screens, but most of them are pretty crappy. They only tackle the low-end market and most of them are off-brand, ugly and bulky.
And then I found the [URL="https://forums.androidcentral.com/e?link=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.kqzyfj.com%2Fclick-7301867-12102890-1432155017000%3Fsid%3DUUacUvbUpU4272273%26url%3Dhttp%253A%252F%252Fus.acer.com%252Fac%252Fen%252FUS%252Fcontent%252Fseries%252Ficoniaa1%2522&token=yDkDMbj0]Acer Iconia A1-830[/URL], and I've decided it's the tablet for me. The 1024 x 768 resolution won't compete with the Nexus 7's 1920 x 1200 screen, but the 4:3 aspect ratio on a 7.9" screen is better for my needs. Thankfully, it's by Acer, a well-known brand, and the aluminum build is much more premium-feeling than you'd expect for the price. So, I ordered one, and I'm actually excited. Yes, I'm downgrading from the 2013 Nexus 7, widely considered one of the best Android tablets ever made, and I actually think I'll be happier with the device I'm downgrading to. I must be crazy, right? I'll update when my new tablet arrives to see how it compares to the 2013 Nexus 7.
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