Well, I got my Nvidia Shield K1 last night from Best Buy. Pretty nice! Haven't fully put it through the paces yet, but thought I'd post some initial impressions and how it compares to my Google Nexus 9. I'm more of an Apple guy, but like the Android tablets due to the fact that I am a Clash of Clans addict and it's much easier to manage multiple accounts on Android OS. Anyway...
Form factor is very good. 16:9 screen as opposed to the N9 16:12. My use is in landscape view so being a little less wide is easier for gaming. It is also lighter, but of course the trade-off is the screen being only proportionally 75% the height of the N9. Also, holding the K1 is really nice with the "knurled" rubber speaker area on each end. Very nice to grip! The micro-usb power jack at the top takes some getting used to though.
Battery isn't all that great, but probably slightly better than the N9. Battery Saver mode on both stretched it out considerably. I've done timed battery tests while playing Clash and both at ~25-30% brightness. Below are how they compare.
Speed is very good. Buttery smooth in game play and other operations. Only a little slow at the very beginning setting up the tablet due to all the app downloads and updates which is not unexpected. Testing with the battery saver mode on for both tablets, the K1 seems faster. I ran Geekbench 3 on both in normal and battery saver modes.
Per these scores, it would seem the N9 is overall better, but maybe there are other factors like the screen size/pixels or graphics optimizations that have the K1 feeling a bit faster, especially in Battery Saver mode. Both are very fast though.
Sound seemed very good on the K1. However, I don't think there is any vibration or haptic feedback on the K1. I like that when typing on the screen, but of course not a deal breaker. I have not connected the K1 to a TV or anything yet. I also did not buy the gaming controller.
Price-wise, I had bought the N9 used for $200 on ebay a couple months ago and this K1 was new for $200. After playing around, the K1 will go back to the store or I'll sell the N9 (or give it to my kids). We'll see.
I'll post more observations and comparisons as I use the K1 more.
Form factor is very good. 16:9 screen as opposed to the N9 16:12. My use is in landscape view so being a little less wide is easier for gaming. It is also lighter, but of course the trade-off is the screen being only proportionally 75% the height of the N9. Also, holding the K1 is really nice with the "knurled" rubber speaker area on each end. Very nice to grip! The micro-usb power jack at the top takes some getting used to though.
Battery isn't all that great, but probably slightly better than the N9. Battery Saver mode on both stretched it out considerably. I've done timed battery tests while playing Clash and both at ~25-30% brightness. Below are how they compare.
Normal battery settings:
N9: 4:13 pace
K1: 4:30 pace
With Battery Saver on:
N9: 6:47 pace
K1: 7:30 pace
N9: 4:13 pace
K1: 4:30 pace
With Battery Saver on:
N9: 6:47 pace
K1: 7:30 pace
Speed is very good. Buttery smooth in game play and other operations. Only a little slow at the very beginning setting up the tablet due to all the app downloads and updates which is not unexpected. Testing with the battery saver mode on for both tablets, the K1 seems faster. I ran Geekbench 3 on both in normal and battery saver modes.
Normal battery settings:
N9: 1983/3351
K1: 1130/3623
With Battery Saver on:
N9: 999/1693
K1: 741/1308
N9: 1983/3351
K1: 1130/3623
With Battery Saver on:
N9: 999/1693
K1: 741/1308
Per these scores, it would seem the N9 is overall better, but maybe there are other factors like the screen size/pixels or graphics optimizations that have the K1 feeling a bit faster, especially in Battery Saver mode. Both are very fast though.
Sound seemed very good on the K1. However, I don't think there is any vibration or haptic feedback on the K1. I like that when typing on the screen, but of course not a deal breaker. I have not connected the K1 to a TV or anything yet. I also did not buy the gaming controller.
Price-wise, I had bought the N9 used for $200 on ebay a couple months ago and this K1 was new for $200. After playing around, the K1 will go back to the store or I'll sell the N9 (or give it to my kids). We'll see.
I'll post more observations and comparisons as I use the K1 more.
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