Why should I upgrade from my Nexus 7 8GB?

[plumberdv]

I've only had the 8GB model a couple of weeks or so, but I love it. I already had the Galaxy S3 phone so the learning curve wasn't too steep for this old man.

I ordered a 16GB 7 but then learned of the coming release of the 32GB model so I returned the 16 for a refund. Now, I'm wondering why I'd want to upgrade at all? It's not a money thing, that's not a problem for me. The fact is, I've spent hours looking at apps and have everything that I feel I can or will use on the tablet now and have about half the storage left. I even have a couple of ebooks on there. I've added the app that allows me to attach a 32 GB thumbdrive to the unit that contains a bunch of movies that I've converted to watch when I need to be entertained while waiting somewhere for some reason or other.

Is there something new available on the 16 or 32 that makes a big difference other than the extra storage that I don't know about that would make an upgrade really desirable or necessary? Is the big buzz just a case of wanting the latest and greatest?

 

[shona001]

Like you I have a 8GB N7, I have only used about half the storage, I have about 130 songs, about 25 books, a load of apps, a few games. I don't really want anything else, I have an OTG cable with flash drives I can put movies on for watching on the train etc. I think you only need the extra storage if you want a load of games, music and films. I certainly can't afford to upgrade, the 8gb N7 was the only good tablet I could afford, I don't have any other devices like a smart phone or anything and am quite happy. I can always delete games when I get bored of them to make room for some new ones.

 

[Ultra50#WP]

Nothing new just more storage.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Android Central Forums

 

[Unicorn Rancher]

Some people need (or want) more storage than other people. You can see that in everything from USB drives to bedroom closets.

 

[a1kemist]

Only if you want more storage, however the trend is that apps are getting larger in size, more so in games. That leads to needing more space.

If you only do web browsing and light use, it's not as necessary. Some people also like to "future proof", even if it's for a year.

Plus everyone wants more for less, or in this case the same money, so it's win win if you are looking to buy.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Android Central Forums

 

[natehoy]

I ordered a 16GB 7 but then learned of the coming release of the 32GB model so I returned the 16 for a refund. Now, I'm wondering why I'd want to upgrade at all? It's not a money thing, that's not a problem for me.

If you had the opportunity to "upgrade" your device for additional future-proofing, I'd say you might want to just to keep it relevant for a few more months. For example, I happily paid $50 more for the 16GB even though I still have PLENTY of free space (an 8GB would have been more than sufficient). I did so "just in case" I ever wanted that extra memory. I expect this device will become obsolete at less than 50% full, but I'd rather overbuy a bit and not have to worry.

However, since I'd have to re-purchase in order to get the 32GB, I see no compelling reason to buy a whole new one just to get a few more months out of the platform as a whole. My 16GB, or even an 8GB, will certainly get me through a year of fondleslab happiness, and by the time I'm feeling its memory limitations, I'm certain there will be something newer/shinier/sexier out there anyway.

So the upshot is, if you need to buy a new one for some reason, hold off and get the 32GB so you'll get the longest potential use out of your investment. If you already bought the 8GB and it's meeting your needs presently, then jsut focus on getting the longest possible use out of the investment you've already committed to.

 

[plumberdv]

I've decided that at least for the time being, I'm going to stick with what I have. I don't do the game thing, just a bit old for that stuff, but I love gadgets. I'll hold off until I find something new that catches my eye.

Thanks for the answers and opinions, they confirmed what I already suspected. My Nexus is a just a toy and like alot of other toys I've aquired, it will likely soon lose it's novelty and get put away.

 

[cognus]

I've come to think of many of these devices as "toll devices": certainly that's the case for Kindle, and for every phone I know of unless one uses month-to-month cell, or owns an Ipod Touch [not a bad device at all.]. They exist for the sake of the seller, not the customer.
We all know that the limitation of 8gb, 16gb, 32gb etc iPad/Nexus/et al. is an artificial one, a deliberate "governor" that limits the customer, and maximizes profit for the maker. whenever one of them cares to "blink", that limitation will vanish.
and what is it about the added "phone" app that makes something worth double the cost of phone-minus? ... that's another thread. the electronic aspect of it is worth about 20 bucks

 

[canesknights]

It's all in how you use the device. I don't have any media stored on mine, unless it came with media stored on it. I only use it at home or at coffee shops, so I always have wifi to stream things. 8GB is plenty for me. Yes, there are some games I might not be able to install because they are just too big, but I probably won't play games like that anyway. At the moment, I pretty much have only been playing Flick Golf, which I got during the 25-cent app/game sale. Small games like that are probably the extent of what I will use the tablet for.

Other people use it differently, so 16GB or 32GB makes sense for them. The cool thing is, we have a choice. Choose the size/price that's right for you.

 

[Unicorn Rancher]

We all know that the limitation of 8gb, 16gb, 32gb etc iPad/Nexus/et al. is an artificial one, a deliberate "governor" that limits the customer, and maximizes profit for the maker.

Can you connect the dots for me how Google profits more by limiting the number of movies, books, apps, etc. the device can hold, which tends to limit how many the customer will buy. I missed something the first time around.

and what is it about the added "phone" app that makes something worth double the cost of phone-minus? ... that's another thread. the electronic aspect of it is worth about 20 bucks

If you really believe that, here's a perfect opportunity for you to become a billionaire.

 

[tabletnovice]

I have the 8GB N7 and it's plenty of storage for my needs. I have almost 4 gb of space left on the tablet, after owning it for three months. About 1/3 of my apps are for my grandchldren. And I have more apps than I need.

I'm around wi-fi a lot. My important documents are online and accessible via Google Drive, etc. I'm into photography so, among other photo hosting sites, I upload my photos to Picasa Web Albums and can view them even when I don't have a wi-fi connection.

If I were going to buy another Nexus 7 it would not be for more space but for new features such as an improved front facing camera and the addition of a rear facing camera. Maybe future versions will have a slot for a removable SD card.

I still prefer using my notebook for most things.

 

[natehoy]

Can you connect the dots for me how Google profits more by limiting the number of movies, books, apps, etc. the device can hold, which tends to limit how many the customer will buy. I missed something the first time around.

By encouraging the user to use a streaming media infrastructure instead.

For example... music. Google wants you to upload all of your existing music to their servers so it is instantly available on all your devices, from your low-memory Nexus to a desktop computer at a friend's house. Because why spend all the money to have hundreds of gigabytes to store all that stuff on a half dozen devices, right?

Once you've done so, you're more likely to do two things. First, choose a device that can access that library. Second, buy music that is instantly accessible from all your devices.

If you have gobs of memory, you'll just copy your mp3s to internal memory and call it a day. If you don't, you're likely to start becoming dependant on their infrastructure, more likely to stay with it in future, and more likely to buy from it.

This is why the Nexus is subsidized by Google, the Kindle is sponsored by Amazon, etc.



Sent from my Nexus 7 using Android Central Forums

 

[Sriman]

I feel 8 GB is a little too less. To be able to have a couple of large games, you will need at least 16 GB. Having said that I don't think that is really a problem with Nexus 7 because you just need to invest $1-2 on a OTG cable and can use memory cards or flash drives with ease...

 

[anon(924308)]

if you've only had the device a couple weeks, you might run into situations later on where more data (without having to use an OTG cable, thumb drive, etc) would be preferred. If the return is very simple and you plan on using the N7 frequently, you might as well upgrade. Otherwise, there's no point.

I ordered an 8GB from the Play store and cancelled the order to get a 16GB in-store. I didn't think I would need 8GB (which is really ~5.8 GB) but decided to have the extra space just in case. I ended up replacing my iPod with the N7, so I transferred like 6GB of music. I have another 1.3GB from apps, so I have about 6GB free out of 13GB. At this point, I really don't foresee using that much more data, but I might temporarily download one or two of those 2GB monstrosity games I bought during the $.25 sale lol.