One Good Reason to Skip Nexus 7 2 & Wait for the iPad Mini 2 with Retina: Google Confirms Shoddy Touchscreen Functions
Google has reportedly confirmed that the Asus-assembled Nexus 7 2013 edition is having touchscreen issues, which could prompt would-be buyers to skip the stock Android tablet and hold off for the iPad Mini 2 with Retina debut later in the year.
The acknowledgment of the problem, according to Gotta Be Mobile, was made by the tech giant via its product forum site. At the same time, the company promised that a firmware fix is on its way though a definite schedule for its deployment was not given as of writing.
In the same report, GBM has highlighted users' complaints that mainly touch on the Nexus 7's screen, which seems to react erratically on input gestures.
Specifically, "we found that it was over sensitive to the point that it was difficult to drag icons without keeping a finger perfectly still," GBM said, pointing to its own internal review of the popular native Android tablet, powered by Jelly Bean 4.3.
Other problems reported by Nexus 7 owners involve keyboard malfunctions and unintended double taps that definitely take away huge points for the gadget that is otherwise a certifiable Dealbreaker at only $330 with killer features and top-notch inner components like a quad-core CPU and Retina-like display panel.
In a review, Consumer Reports found the tablet as a must-buy, declaring that "the updated Google Nexus 7 tablet has a gorgeous, bright screen, the sharpest one we've seen yet in a tablet."
At a very affordable price point, the group conceded that the Nexus 7 "looks good, sounds good ... (plus) it also has a faster processor than its predecessor, a front camera, and the latest Android OS."
But buying the tablet now would be unwise, Consumer Reports declared, adding that Google must first fix the touchscreen and GPS issues that numerous Nexus 7 owners have aired on tech, blog and forum sites.
"On the sample Nexus 7 we bought, we found it impossible to use the Swype method of word entry, as the continuous sliding from one key to the next gets chopped up by whatever the problem is, entering gibberish instead of meaningful text," the group's report said.
But the new Nexus tablet fix will not spread as quickly as intended as GBM claims "the update is likely going to be rolling out slowly for owners of Google's new Nexus 7 tablet."
These glitches would only prod many tablet shoppers to look beyond the Nexus 7 version 2.0 and save some headaches by opting for the 2013 iPad Mini build, which analysts said will be upgraded with a faster CPU, higher RAM provision from last year's 512MB and an eye-popping Retina screen resolution of 2048 x 1536 with a pixel density of 324ppi packed on its 7.9-inch screen.
Powered by iOS 7, thus giving it a flood of killer features, the iPad Mini 2 is said to touchdown right into the 2013 holiday quarter, its release date likely between late October or early November this year.