Nexus HD 7.7 vs. Galaxy Tab 3 Plus: Stock Google Android Meets Samsung’s Premium Suite
Two powerful tablets, both running Android, are set to snipe at each other a few months from now and if reports proved true they'll showcase new techs, which experts said will set the trend in the remaining months of 2013.
Samsung is introducing in full blast the full flavour there is in Exynos Octa 5 CPU by third quarter of the year, giving Android device fans a taste of 8-core processing might that is mixed with Google's mobile platform.
Reports have indicated that the remaining high-end gadgets lined up by Samsung later this year are centred on the Exynos Octa architecture and the notable recipients would be the Galaxy Note 3 and the full-sized Galaxy Tab 3 Plus.
Of special interest to tablet watchers is the Tab 3 Plus, which analysts said will replace the Galaxy Note 10.1 as Samsung's top-notch slate offering this year. Obviously, the South Korean tech giant is piecing together the puzzle that will allow it to finally compete in equal terms with last year's high-rollers - Apple's iPad Mini and Google's Nexus 7.
For this comparison piece, we will look at the possibility of having to pick between two premium Key Lime Pie tablets - one coming in vanilla serving and the other candy-coated with features that brought satisfaction to millions of Samsung fans.
The Key Lime Pie showdown
The Nexus breed is known for what native Android can deliver and judging from the relative success achieved by the Google gadgets last year, the stand-alone JellyBean commands a sizeable crowd of its own.
From Google Now to insanely-designed device features, Nexus 7 has established its niche in the small tablet class notwithstanding the presence of heavyweight competitions, foremost of which the iPad Mini and the bevy of Android rivals.
Hardcore Android users expect no less from Nexus 7's second serving. It is highly likely that the 2.0 version will be first tablet to show off what Google has cooked up via the Key Lime Pie - its abilities definitely a notch higher from what were seen in JellyBean.
Everything about KLP is speculative at the moment but analysts believe Google is unleashing a product that could make Android devices frontrunners with the tech giant's DNA written all over the smartphones and tablets it will run. No skins from Samsung, HTC or LG will eclipse the power that will be unveiled in Android 5.0, that's the Google battle plan.
However, Samsung has been sending signals that intends to create its own device platform imprint and that agenda took a solid form in the recent unveiling of the Galaxy S4. That event gave away the company's unfolding blueprint of propping up its own brand name while pushing aside Android as a mere afterthought, at least on Samsung's own show.
This pattern will be seen further in the months ahead. Samsung will take advantage of the best that Android can offer while endeavouring 'to minimise' its presence in the Galaxy ecosystem. It is not far-fetched that Nexus 7 and Galaxy Tab 3 Plus duel will trigger a full slug out between Android and Premium Suite, the latter Samsung could use as the base for its own mobile operating system.
The sideshow
Unconfirmed reports pointed to the best hardware specs for both the second-generation Nexus 7 and the Tab 3 Plus. Exynos, Snapdragon and NVIDIA could come into play by allowing the use of their best computing, graphics and communication chips.
In the end, however, they'll be minor players in a battle that consumers will experience as stock Android and Premium Suite actually revving up for the bigger showdown inevitably brewing between Google and Samsung.
So in picking between Nexus 7 and Galaxy Tab 3 Plus, buyers are essentially taking sides. They can go for Team Google and enjoy the raw Android platform or pick out Team Samsung and live with all the Premium Suite enhancements trying to overwhelm Android.