Google’s Nexus 7 Android tablet: everything you need to know – The Verge

Google expands global reach with Nexus 7 launch in Japan

2012-09-25T01:27:49-04:00

eric schmidt nexus

Eric Schmidt appeared in Tokyo today to show off the Nexus 7 to a Japanese audience for the first time. The tablet is available now from the Play store at ¥19,800 (about $254) for the 16GB model, and Google Play Books has also launched in Japan with a fairly solid selection of local content. Schmidt was quick to express his enthusiasm for the Japanese market, saying that it has the third highest number of Google Play installs worldwide and, at 75 percent, customers in Japan proportionally make more purchases on their devices than anywhere else. From October 2nd the Nexus 7 will also be available at major Japanese retailers such as Bic Camera, …

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3G Nexus 7 could be coming in ‘around six weeks’

2012-09-03T00:34:19-04:00

nexus7stock

There isn't much wrong with the Nexus 7, but one drawback for some might be the lack of mobile data connectivity - such that we questioned the Android tablet's suitability for the camping trip shown in its first commercial. Well, if you've been holding off on a purchase for that reason there may be some good news. Paul O'Brien over at MoDaCo claims that Asus is preparing a 3G-enabled variant for launch in "around six weeks," with production already underway.

O'Brien doesn't offer evidence for the claim or any other details on the launch, such as which carriers will offer the variant, in what territories it'll be released, or how much it'll …

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Nexus 7 now available from Google Play in France, Germany, and Spain

2012-08-26T20:37:15-04:00

nexus7stock

For many in Europe the wait for Google's Nexus 7 tablet is nearly over - the device is now available in France, Germany, and Spain. Prices are numerically the same as those in the US, only denominated in Euros - €199 for the 8GB model and €249 for 16GB, and work out identically to the UK prices of £159 and £199.

The news marks the Nexus 7's first expanded availability since its July launch in the US, Canada, and Australia. We still don't have any word on European availability at retail, but ordering now from Google Play should get you a tablet in 3-5 days. And to the rest of Europe, we'll let you know as soon as we hear anything.

Thanks to e …

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New Nexus 7 16GB orders shipping in three to four weeks from Google Play

2012-07-17T14:44:03-04:00

Nexus 7 box

The Nexus 7 may be Google's big play at the tablet market, but the ASUS-made device certainly hasn't been easy to come by. While the 7-inch tablet did meet its mid-July launch date, supplies have been low ever since it started shipping, and now the US Google Play Store says that new orders of the 16GB tablet won't ship for another three to four weeks. The first-party store and other retailers began selling the device last week, but most places still have extremely limited stock or none at all. If you're willing to limit yourself to 8GB of onboard storage, the Nexus 7 will ship in one to two weeks from Google Play. We've yet to hear any sales …

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Nexus 7 arrives: here’s where you can buy it right now (update: Google Play orders now shipping)

2012-07-12T11:42:14-04:00

nexus7stock

Google has made good on its promise for a mid-July release of the Nexus 7: the company is now shipping orders placed on Google Play and the Asus-manufactured device is starting to appear at authorized resellers. Customers who placed their pre-order with GameStop are being contacted to pick up their new Android 4.1 tablet. We first got our hands on the Nexus 7 at Adorama, though the NYC-based store began sales earlier than Google had anticipated. Both it and Ebuyer, the first UK outlet to officially launch the device, were told to halt sales. Lucky buyers who got in quickly have already received their Jelly Bean fix, but it's clear that the f …

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Nexus 7 reportedly shipping in the UK from Ebuyer, some orders scheduled to arrive on July 13th (update)

2012-07-12T10:49:57-04:00

Gallery Photo: Nexus 7 pictures

The big question since Google unveiled its Nexus 7 tablet two weeks ago is when users would get their hands on it. Despite the fact that orders directly from the Google Play store still don't appear to have shipped, it looks like some lucky UK buyers should be getting their hands on the new tablet as soon as tomorrow. A tipster wrote in to let us know that his pre-order from Ebuyer.com had shipped and was scheduled to be delivered on July 13th; the product listing on the site confirms that if you buy within the next eight hours or so you can have it delivered this Friday. There's also a stock tracker on the site which we've seen in the past …

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Nexus 7: when and where can you get one?

2012-07-10T20:33:05-04:00

Gallery Photo: Nexus 7 pictures

The day Google announced the $199 Asus Nexus 7 tablet, it told us the slate would ship in mid-July. Now, a series of retailer leaks suggest that the slate could arrive as early as the end of this week, depending on where you buy. It's particularly interesting to see how many brick and mortar retailers are interested in stocking the device themselves. While no store has committed to a specific ship date, Staples is teasing customers with an exceptionally vague shipping window right here:

Product will ship between July 12th and July 17th. Expected delivery: 1 - 3 business days, arriving no earlier than July 13th 2012.

Meanwhile, Office Depot …

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Google Play store movies, shows, and magazines not coming to UK with Nexus 7

2012-07-04T14:45:36-04:00

Gallery Photo: Nexus 7 pictures

At this year's Google I/O, the company announced updates to the Google Play store with movies, TV shows, and magazines, but because of differing copyright laws many of these new features will not be available in the UK with the launch of the Nexus 7. The Inquirer spoke to a Google representative who confirmed that the new Play store content is only currently available in the US. This means that Google's new tablet, priced at just £159 in the UK, will have to do without a lot of the content advertised to US consumers. Google aimed to beat Amazon's Kindle Fire with international distribution, and although the company never claimed that these f …

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iFixit’s Nexus 7 teardown reveals multiple speaker drivers, Hydis-manufactured display

2012-07-03T09:19:29-04:00

iFixit Nexus 7 teardown

As per usual, the mad repair scientists at iFixit have gotten their hands on the latest hardware and turned it inside out - this time, the victim is Google's new Nexus 7 tablet. The specs of this Asus-made device have been well publicized, so there aren't any huge surprises here - iFixit confirms the 4,326 mAh battery and Tegra 3 chipset, while also noting that the 1280 x 800 display is manufactured by Hydis. Somewhat surprisingly, there's a pair of speaker drivers packed inside the Nexus 7, despite the external appearance (and note on Google's official specs page) that the tablet uses a single speaker. Unfortunately, iFixit wasn't able to c …

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Jelly Bean factory image for Nexus 7 released, lets you go back to stock

2012-07-02T06:44:01-04:00

Nexus 7 unlock

There are certainly lots of benefits to Google's Nexus program, and one of them is that the search company provides flashable stock images to make it easy for developers (and Android enthusiasts) to get a fresh start after bricking a Nexus device. Of course, Google has just released the Nexus 7, and right on cue it has uploaded the device's factory image of Jelly Bean onto the Android Developers website for all to use. The 246MB download is an important step in ensuring that developers feel free to push the limits without fear of bricking the tablet for good, and considering that the Asus-built device has already been rooted and given a versi …

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