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Weekly Roundup: Moto X preview, Nexus 7 review, Chromecast review, and more!
You might say the week is never really done in consumer technology news. Your workweek, however, hopefully draws to a close at some point. This is the Weekly Roundup on Engadget, a quick peek back at the top headlines for the past seven days -- all handpicked by the editors here at the site. Click on through the break, and enjoy.
Editor's Letter: Made in the USA... sort of
Motorola has been doing its best to build some buzz around the Moto X, which launched this week. As a smartphone, the X is decidedly middle-of-the-road. It boasts specs and a design similar to the Droid models Motorola announced last week. Available later this month at $199 on-contract from most major US carriers, the X's biggest claim to fame -- other than swappable backplates, including one made of wood -- is the fact that it's assembled in the US, in a 500,000-square-foot factory in Fort Worth, Texas. Yes, that's "assembled." Despite widespread reports that the X is being made in the US, most of its components, from its display to those backplates, are produced in factories around the world, and workers in Texas will assemble the phones. Does it really matter where your smartphone is made? If your main concern is domestic job creation, it might. A 2012 survey by Boston Consulting Group found that over 80 percent of Americans are willing to pay more for products that are made in the US instead of China, mainly because they want to keep jobs in the country. Interestingly, the same survey found that 60 percent of Chinese consumers would pay a premium for US-made products, apparently based on the belief that the US produces higher-quality products. When it comes to smartphones, that's an idea that's difficult to put to the test; there are none currently manufactured in the United States, and that's not about to change with the launch of the X.
Engadget's tablet buyer's guide: summer 2013 edition
Tablets are virtually tailor-made for our summer vacations, whether we're checking email at the hotel or watching movies during an airport layover. The manufacturers must know this, as there's a surge of new slates set to arrive while the weather's still scorching. Our 2013 summer tablet buyer's guide will help you decide which of these models is worth space in your travel bag. There are also several veteran tablets we recommend, although some of them could be obsolete soon -- we'll let you know when newer devices loom ahead. Whether or not you want the latest hardware, though, our guide should have the tablet you need.
The Daily Roundup for 07.29.2013
You might say the day is never really done in consumer technology news. Your workday, however, hopefully draws to a close at some point. This is the Daily Roundup on Engadget, a quick peek back at the top headlines for the past 24 hours -- all handpicked by the editors here at the site. Click on through the break, and enjoy.
Nexus 7 review (2013)
More Info Nexus 7 hands-on (2013) Android 4.3 Jelly Bean official Nexus 7 with LTE headed to AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile Who knew affordable tablets could be so good? That was our reaction after reviewing the original Nexus 7 when it went on sale last year for $200; at the time, comparably specced products were going for at least $100 more. So, when this year's follow-up came out at a slightly higher price ($229 and up), we were a little concerned the higher cost would dissuade penny-pinching shoppers from taking the plunge. After we got a good look at the spec sheet, though, we quickly forgave Google and ASUS for their decision. For the money, you get a gorgeous 1,920 x 1,200 IPS display, 2GB of RAM, a rear camera, a quad-core processor, wireless charging and the latest version of Android, Jelly Bean 4.3. Now that we've had the opportunity to take the new and improved Nexus 7 for a spin, we're ready to tackle all the obvious questions: is this still the best budget tablet on the market? How does it compare to the iPad mini? And does the spec sheet actually reflect real-world performance? Let's find out. %Gallery-194844%
Refresh Roundup: week of July 22nd, 2013
Your smartphone and / or tablet is just begging for an update. From time to time, these mobile devices are blessed with maintenance refreshes, bug fixes, custom ROMs and anything in between, and so many of them are floating around that it's easy for a sizable chunk to get lost in the mix. To make sure they don't escape without notice, we've gathered every possible update, hack, and other miscellaneous tomfoolery we could find during the last week and crammed them into one convenient roundup. If you find something available for your device, please give us a shout at tips at engadget dawt com and let us know. Enjoy!
The Weekly Roundup for 07.22.2013
You might say the week is never really done in consumer technology news. Your workweek, however, hopefully draws to a close at some point. This is the Weekly Roundup on Engadget, a quick peek back at the top headlines for the past seven days -- all handpicked by the editors here at the site. Click on through the break, and enjoy.
Second-generation Nexus 7 gets the iFixit teardown treatment
We're sure glad there's iFixit to take apart new gadgets so we don't have to, and it comes as no surprise that the next-gen Nexus 7 is one of its latest experiments. If you've read our hands-on with the device, you won't be surprised by much of what the folks at iFixit saw while tearing it down. Unfortunately, it doesn't look like the new version has huge improvements when it comes to repairability. Its huge battery is glued to an adhesive tray, and like its predecessor, its display seems to be the biggest problem -- you'll need a heat gun to get it out. Still, iFixit gives it a score of 7 out of 10, because all they needed to pry it open was a plastic tool.
New Nexus 7 now available to order from Google's US Play Store
As of now, Apple's still wholly content letting Google and its clan of followers dominate the sub-$300 tablet market. Hence, the new Nexus 7. For those drawn to a thinner, lighter, more powerful version of the Android-based slate, orders can now be placed directly through Google's Play Store... for customers located in the United States. Both the 16GB and 32GB WiFi-only models are still on track to ship by next Tuesday, while those on the lookout for a cellular version will need to wait a few more weeks. It's Friday. You probably just got paid. And really, what's $230 between friends?
New Nexus 7 to arrive today at Best Buy, ahead of schedule (update: confirmed)
A tipster has told us that the latest Nexus 7 from Asus and Google will hit Best Buy stores today, and a pre-order we placed earlier for the device seems to confirm that. We put our money down for one when the order page first went up, and while the confirmation originally said it would arrive on the original July 30th launch date, it's now telling us that we can expect our tablet later today. That jibes with info we were given by a source claiming to be the manager of a Best Buy store. He said that while pre-orders started yesterday, "there were few (of them) in my region," meaning that "if you are present at a (Best Buy) location today at opening, you have a good chance of buying the tablet." He added that some stores don't have stock yet due to agreements with Google, but pre-orders are still possible at those locations. Until we receive confirmation, however, you may not want to make a long journey to one of the outlets. Meanwhile, we've reached out to both Google and Best Buy. Update: Best Buy has touched base, telling us "we can confirm that the Nexus is available at all Best Buy and Best Buy Mobile stores and BestBuy.com now." [Thanks, Anonymous]
New Nexus 7 up for pre-order at UK retailers, but not expected until mid September
Those who observed yesterday's Nexus 7 shenanigans from across the Atlantic may well be wondering when it'd all become relevant to them, and it seems we have the first hint of an answer. Currys and PC World now have active pre-order pages for the Google tablet, with the 16GB version priced at £199.99 and the 32GB variant at £239.99, and with an availability date of September 13th. It's possible that this time window could change, of course, but it still sounds like quite a wait.
Nexus 7 hands-on (2013) (update: video!)
The Nexus 7 was a rather swell device when it was officially launched last year, and now we've had the opportunity to play with the next-gen version, which bumps the swellness factor a notch or two. The tablet, which boasts a 1080-quality display (1,920 x 1,200, to be precise) and Android 4.3 Jelly Bean, is being shown off after this morning's Breakfast with Sundar event -- which we suppose means we're now at brunch. We've grabbed a few images of the new tablet, seen below, and have added some early impressions after the break. Meet us there to see what we think. Update: Hands-on video after the break! %Gallery-194578%
The new Nexus 7 vs. last year's model: what's changed?
Google's second-generation Nexus 7 hasn't been the company's best kept secret -- we've seen leak after leak, after leak and, well, you get the point. Still, now that the revamped 7-inch slate is officially out the bag, we can finally leave speculation behind and attach some formal specifications to the thing. As expected, the new Nexus 7 brings a number of internal upgrades to the table, while its outer shell has seen a few minor aesthetic changes. All signs point toward it being a worthy successor to Mountain View's popular tablet, but how big of an upgrade are we talking about, exactly? Those answers await after the jump, where we break down the specs and spell out what's different between the old and new Nexus 7.
New Nexus 7 vs. the competition: battle of the budget 7-inch tablets
The original Nexus 7 launched in a relative vacuum -- there were other low-cost, 7-inch Android tablets before, but few with the full support of a major manufacturer. The 2013-era Nexus 7 is entering a far more crowded marketplace with many recognizable names, and even more aggressive pricing. With that in mind, we've compared Google's latest tablet with three of its newest 7-inch peers -- ASUS' MeMo Pad HD 7, HP's Slate 7 and Samsung's Galaxy Tab 3 7.0 -- to see whether it's as strong a value as its predecessor. Ironically, the new Nexus 7 occupies the high end in this space. It's the most expensive tablet here, with the sharpest display, the fastest processor and the most built-in storage. However, that doesn't mean it's priced out of contention. The $30 you save with the Galaxy Tab 3 7.0 just isn't worth it; Samsung's tablet is a big step down in every aspect outside of expandability. And you're clearly getting what you pay for with the Slate 7, whose low price doesn't excuse a poor display and sluggish performance. The Nexus 7's real competition comes from its own manufacturer, ASUS. While the MeMo Pad HD 7 has a lower resolution screen and a slower CPU, its cameras, display quality, processing power and storage are superb for the price. If you don't crave the Nexus 7's technology or stock Android 4.3, it may be wiser to save $80 and buy the good-enough MeMo Pad instead. Full specifications for all the tablets are available after the break.
New Nexus 7 with LTE headed to AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile (update: 32GB LTE model available in the 'coming weeks')
Coming as no surprise at all, Google's just unveiled its newest Nexus 7 tablet at a breakfast meeting in San Francisco this morning. What has caught us off guard, however, is news that the Android 4.3 tablet will bow on three of the US' top wireless carriers -- that's AT&T, Verizon* and T-Mobile -- as a single SKU and with support for LTE. No release date or pricing has yet been announced for the 7-incher, but when it does launch, it'll be the premier device to ship with Android 4.3 Jelly Bean. Update: Google's just released pricing and availability for the new Nexus 7, pegging the WiFi version for a July 30th bow in-store and online. There'll be two configurations -- a 16GB and 32GB -- that'll retail for $229 and $269, respectively. Users that prefer to wait for the LTE-enabled version will have to fork over $349 for a 32GB model, although this variant still doesn't have a solid street date; Google's saying it'll hit retail in the "coming weeks." *the Nexus 7 LTE will not support CDMA (read: 3G service) on Verizon
Google announces thinner, lighter Nexus 7 with higher-res screen, arrives July 30th for $230
When we reviewed the Nexus 7 last summer, we said it was the best tablet $200 could buy. A year later, that still might be true if it weren't for the fact that there's a new Nexus 7 in town. One that's a bit better specced and a bit more expensive than the OG model. Today Google took the wraps off an updated version of its smaller tablet offering, this one also made by ASUS, which takes everything you know and love about the original and makes it just a little bit better. For one, the already-solid screen has been bumped to 1,920 x 1,200, giving the new Nexus a pixel density of 323 ppi. The 7-point touch IPS panel sports glass that's not only scratch resistant, but also fights off fingerprints and smudges (we'll believe that one when we see it). Of course, putting a stunning display on a device is pointless if you don't have the horsepower to serve up lots of smooth, high-quality content. So, Google gave the CPU a bit of a bump, moving to a 1.5GHz quad-core S4 Pro from Qualcomm that comes paired with an Adreno 320 GPU and 2GB of RAM. Oh, and all those wonderful new components should be well utilized by Android 4.3, the exciting (if incremental) OS update released alongside Google's new tablet.
New Nexus 7 'Razor' prices, specs, benchmarks revealed (update: Best Buy pre-order page still up)
It seems like new Nexus 7s are everywhere, so we're not surprised one of the tablets floating around has finally been subjected to a quick round of benchmarking. Android Police has dug deep into the specs, confirming this slate -- device codenamed "Razor" -- has internals nearly identical to the Nexus 4, with a Snapdragon S4 Pro CPU running at 1.5GHz and 2GB of RAM behind its 1920x1200 7-inch screen. Running the 3DMark and AnTuTu benchmarks revealed scores slightly higher than the Nexus 4, but we'll probably have to wait just a little longer to find out exactly what its Android 4.3 OS is bringing to the table. Update: Droid-Life points out that Best Buy has kicked off pre-orders early for the 16GB and 32GB variants. The pricing ($229 and $269, respectively), release date (July 30th) and specs are all well-known by now, but if you're willing to be the next person to buy one, you can get in line at the link below. Update deux: Best Buy has pulled the pre-order pages. Sadface. [Thanks, Charlie] Correction: OK, so the pre-order pages haven't been taken down, as such. You will no longer find them by searching Best Buy's site, but the direct URLs are still live and they confirm the key specs (see the source links).
New Nexus 7 surfaces in photos, packaging and all (update: more photos, video)
You know that new Nexus 7 that's been leaked several times over the past few weeks? Well, it looks like someone got their hands on it early, according to these newly released images on Reddit. There's not much else to glean from these snapshots aside from new packaging (we've included an image of that after the break), a SKU and what is obviously a new Nexus tablet -- the rear matches the leaked renders we saw from @evleaks a couple of days ago. Aside from its 7-inch screen size, rumored specs include a 5-megapixel camera and that highly-anticipated Android 4.3. We're not sure how this guy got it so early, but this does signify the imminent arrival of Google's next tablet. Update: A tipster has sent in more pictures of a device and packaging, showing off its rounded edges and Android 4.3 OS. Check out the gallery for a quick look or after the break for a video unboxing and hands-on posted by Android Police... all before Google's new slate is even officially launched. [Thanks, Rafael]%Gallery-194498%
The Daily Roundup for 07.22.2013
You might say the day is never really done in consumer technology news. Your workday, however, hopefully draws to a close at some point. This is the Daily Roundup on Engadget, a quick peek back at the top headlines for the past 24 hours -- all handpicked by the editors here at the site. Click on through the break, and enjoy.
New Nexus 7 press shots leaked, spotted in Best Buy ad
The new Nexus 7's official unveiling might still be a few days away, but impatient tablet fans can get a peek right now: @evleaks seems to have come across the alleged device's official press render. The image doesn't do much to confirm the 7-inch tablet's internal specifications, but what we can see matches previous leaks, giving us a clearer view of the device's rumored 5MP rear-facing camera and and a branded backside -- now lacking the dimples of the original. A pair of speakers can be seen on the rear's north and south ends and volume, power and a microphone input line the tablet's right edge. On the front we can see an offset front-facing shooter, an underlining notification LED and what is most likely Android 4.3. Although the press shot doesn't reveal anything about the device's screen, a Best Buy ad featuring it pegs it as a 1,920 x 1,200 display, pricing the 16GB variant of the upcoming tablet at $229 --$40 less than the reported price of the slate's 32GB model. Phone Arena says the leaked ad is scheduled to run next week, placing the circular's promised Tuesday availability for the Nexus 7 on July 30th. We'll wait for Google to give us the full story on the 24th before jumping the gun, but if you just can't wait, feel free to ogle Best Buy's unreleased insert after the break. Update: Android Police has nine additional press shots, showing a clearer view of the device's sides (and SIM card slot) as well as an updated background. Check them out at the source link below.
