Here's our breakdown of how the Nexus 9 stacks up against the Nexus 7.
Prices:
The Nexus 9 is priced at $399 (for 16GB), $479 (for 32GB) and $599 (for 32GB with built-in LTE support).
The Nexus 7 has two variants available on Amazon. The one with the 16GB storage option is available for $175 and the 32GB variant is available for $265.
Deals:
Save up to $18 on the Nexus 7 here, or you can get a Nexus 9 for just $349 here.
Pros and Cons of the Nexus 9:
The Nexus 9, Google's latest flagship tablet, is manufactured by HTC and is the first to run Android Lollipop. Lollipop is the biggest update Google's mobile platform has received in a while and comes with a redesigned user interface called 'Material Design', improvements to the notifications which can now be accessed from the lock screen, internal changes to the platform with the Android Runtime (ART) officially replacing Dalvik for improved application performance and with changes intended to improve and optimize battery usage. Its 64-bit Tegra K1 processor is very powerful and gives amazing performance especially for gaming. It falls right in the middle of the tablet size scale. It has a great display and the dual front-facing stereo speakers provide a full-sounding sound.
The 8 MP camera does not match up to that of its competitors. The photographs are not as sharp and are bordered by bars on the sides of the screen and the auto focus is slightly slow. Some apps still need work and do not run quite smoothly. The model with the highest capacity offers 32 GB and there is no micro SD slot available.
Pros and Cons of the Nexus 7:
Nexus 7 is a super high resolution tablet which supports 2.3 million pixels by packing 323 pixels into every inch. It provides a very crisp display which does disappoint in the slightest. It has an amazing battery life lasting up to 10h with multimedia. The quad core processor makes the device slick and responsive and one does not experience, even the slightest stutter.
Nexus 7 is difficult to hold since the screen has been blended into the sides after shrinking the bezel. It's lacking a micro SD card slot and comes only in 16 and 32GB options. The storage available after the OS installation in the 32GB model is around 26GB, which is too less. The display of the device is fabulous but the colors are slightly inaccurate.
Specs:
The Google Nexus 9 is the first tablet to run on Android 5.0 Lollipop. It has a powerful 64-bit Tegra K1 processor. It comes with an 8.9 inch IPS LCD capacitive touchscreen and front facing, stereo speakers. The battery is 6700 mAh and provides up to 720 h (3G) stand-by.
The Nexus 7 has a 7 inch LED- back lit display which provides a resolution of 1920 x 1200. It has a 1.5GHz quad-core Krait CPU, Qualcomm SnapDragon s4 Chipset, which works on 2GB of RAM. It has a 5MP rear camera and a 1.2 MP front camera. It has a smaller battery of 3950 mAH as compared to its predecessor. The device has two variants, one comes with a storage option of 16GB whereas the other comes with a 32GB storage option.
Talking Points:
The Android 5.1 Lollipop update will apparently start rolling out soon for all supported devices. Since this is a Maintenance Release, all the members of the Nexus family which received Lollipop support will get upgraded to Android 5.1. If the reports are accurate, then the Android 5.1 update will not bring any new features as it is mostly aimed towards bringing improvement in the overall system performance and fixing some bugs. It seems though that in Android 5.1, the WiFi and Bluetooth toggles in Quick Settings will behave differently.
The Nexus 7, despite being launched in 2013, is still one of the best tablets. The new version is slimmer and lighter, making it more portable. The new version even sports a 5MP rear camera, which was a much missed feature in its predecessor.
Conclusion:
At a glance, there's not much to distinguish between the Nexus 9 and the Nexus 7 other than the difference in shape and size. While the Nexus 7 carved a niche for itself as one of the defining tablets for Android, it does not have the best battery or camera. The larger and more powerful Nexus 9 with the improved aspect ratio positions itself better for gaming purposes but the lack of RAM affects its performance. Based on specs alone, the Nexus 9 is a clear winner but the cheaper Nexus 7 seems better suited for the more budget-conscious buyers.
