Lenovo IdeaTab A2107A vs Google Nexus 7
Google Android OS has been one of the most revolutionary inventions in the last decade. If not for this majestic operating system, customers would have been stuck with Apple iOS till the end of time. It wouldn’t have been the same if it’s a proprietary OS either. The rise of Android OS had a lot to do with it been open source, which enabled the manufacturers to modify the operating system to fit to their devices. What Google Android OS did was to unify the scattered manufacturers under one flag and form an Android alliance. By doing so, it automatically became a strong opponent for Apple and manufacturers benefited in increased amounts of sales. Few years back, it used to be the choice between Android and iOS while now there’s the Windows Phone as a choice for the operating system, as well. While some analysts see this as hostility and scattering of resources, some perceive that as a bright sign of competition enabling consumers to have more choice on what they want.
Today we are going to talk about two tablets that are allied under the flag of Android. One is the brainchild of Google itself. Google normally shapes up their new editions of Android operating system to fit a new device. Back in the days, it used to be Samsung Galaxy Nexus and Nexus S smartphones. However, Google has chosen Asus Google Nexus 7 to release their new operating system Android Jelly Bean. As the opponent of this battle, we’ve chosen a new tablet revealed by Lenovo which shows a promising future. It’s true that Lenovo IdeaPad A2107A doesn’t have the advantage of being released with a brand new Android OS; nonetheless, it is a tablet that can create an appealing sensation in the market at the correct price range. Let us compare them side by side and move on to comparing them in the same arena.
Lenovo IdeaTab 2107A Review
Lenovo IdeaTab A2107A is a 7 inch tablet that is more or less like Amazon Kindle Fire. It features a resolution of 1024 x 600 pixels and is powered by 1GHz dual core processor on MediaTek MTK6575 chipset with PowerVR SGX 531 GPU and 1GB of RAM. The version we are talking about is with the 3G connectivity whereas the Wi-Fi only version has 512MB of RAM. The operating system is Android v4.0.4 ICS, and we hope there will be an upgrade to Jelly Bean soon. It is slender, but a bit to the heftier side of the spectrum scoring a thickness of 11.5mm and dimensions of 192 x 122mm. However, Lenovo has made it refreshingly light at 400g which makes it a pleasure to hold on to its smooth matte back plate.
Lenovo boasts IdeaTab A2107A to have professional level GPS support deeming that it can lock the location in 10 seconds top which may be an attractive option. It comes with a 2MP camera on the back and 0.3MP camera on the front that can be used for video conferencing. In terms of storage, there will be three versions having 4GB, 8GB and 16GB of storage all with the option to expand using microSD card up to 32GB. It is a rugged tablet which is stronger and more resistant to falls and bruises than your regular tab with its roll cage enclosure. It has Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n connectivity as well as 3G connectivity enabling you to use internet seamlessly without any connectivity issues. It also has micro USB support and built-in radio element. The tablet aims at 8 hours stretch from a single charge. The battery is said to be 3500mAh but no official indication on that either. Lenovo has been silent about the price and the release information as well although we are hoping the tablet will be released sometime in September 2012.
Google Nexus 7 Review
Asus Google Nexus 7 is known as Nexus 7 in short. It is one of the Google’s very own product line; Nexus. As usual, Nexus is designed to last till its successor and that means something in the rapidly changing tablet market. Nexus 7 has a 7 inch LED backlit IPS LCD capacitive touchscreen that features a resolution of 1280 x 800 pixels at a pixel density of 216ppi. It is 120mm wide and 198.5mm in height. Asus has managed to make it thin as much as 10.5mm and rather light with a weight of 340g. The touchscreen is said to be made from Corning Gorilla Glass which means it would be highly scratch resistant.
Google has included a 1.3GHz quad-core processor on top of Nvidia Tegra 3 chipset with 1GB of RAM and ULP GeForce GPU. It runs on Android OS v4.1 Jelly Bean which would make it the first device to run on this newest Android operating system. Google states that Jelly Bean is specifically developed to enhance the performance of the quad core processors used in this device and hence we can expect a high end computing platform from this budget device. They have made it their mission to eliminate sluggish behavior and it seems the gaming experience is highly enhanced, as well. This slate comes in two storage options, 8GB and 16GB without the option to expand storage using microSD cards.
The network connectivity for this tablet is defined by Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n only which can be a disadvantage when you can’t find a Wi-Fi hotspot to connect. This won’t be much of a problem if you live in a country that has a wide Wi-Fi coverage. It also has NFC and Google Wallet, as well. The slate has 1.2MP front camera that can capture 720p videos and can be used for video conferencing. It basically comes in black, and the texture on the back cover is developed specifically to enhance the grip. Another attractive feature is the introduction of enhanced voice commands with Jelly Bean. This means Nexus 7 will host a Siri like personal assistant system which can answer your question promptly. Asus has included a 4325mAh battery that is guaranteed to last for 8 hours and that would give it enough juice for any general use.
A Brief Comparison Between Lenovo IdeaTab A2107A and Google Nexus 7
• Lenovo IdeaTab A2107A is powered by 1GHz MTK Cortex A9 Dual Core processor with PowerVR SGX 531 and 1GB of RAM while Nexus 7 is powered by 1.3GHz quad core processor on top of Nvidia Tegra 3 chipset with 1GB RAM and ULP GeForce GPU.
• Lenovo IdeaTab A2107A runs on Android OS v4.0.4 ICS while Nexus 7 runs on Android OS v4.1 Jelly Bean.
• Lenovo IdeaTab A2107A has 7 inch capacitive touchscreen featuring a resolution of 1024 x 600 pixels while Nexus 7 has 7 inch LED backlit IPS LCD capacitive touchscreen featuring a resolution of 1280 x 800 pixels at a pixel density of 216ppi.
• Lenovo IdeaTab A2107A has 2MP camera on the back, and 0.3MP camera on the front while Nexus 7 has 1.2MP camera that can capture 720p videos.
• Lenovo IdeaTab A2107A is slightly larger, thicker and bulkier (192 x 122mm / 11.5mm / 400g) than Nexus 7 (198.5 x 120mm / 10.5mm / 340g).
Conclusion
There’s no doubt that Lenovo IdeaTab A2107A is a good tablet with moderate performance. It also has appealing looks with a ruggedized body and gives us the feeling of being able to use it anywhere for anything. However, compared to what Nexus 7 has to offer, IdeaTab A2017A becomes mediocre in terms of performance as well as other features. For instance, Nexus 7 features a 1.3GHz Quad Core processor on top of Nvidia Tegra 3 chipset which is way better than the 1GHz MTK dual core processor on IdeaTab A2107A. Nexus 7 also hosts a better screen featuring a resolution of 1280 x 800 pixels compared to the 1024 x 600 pixels screen of IdeaPad. The cherry on top is the new Android OS Jelly Bean running on Nexus 7. However, we find a strong suit in Lenovo IdeaTab A2107A which is that it has a version with HSDPA connectivity. This would be rather important, if your Wi-Fi coverage is cloudy. Nexus 7 would have to rely on the availability of the Wi-Fi networks at all times in order to connect to the internet. This can be compensated if you make up your mind to carry a Mi-Fi device with you which is a convenient option. It’ll be darn hard to beat the $199 price set by Google Nexus 7 unless you degrade the performance, in which case, Asus Google Nexus 7 becomes the clear winner.