Google Nexus 10 Review
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Since Ice Cream Sandwich, Google’s aim with its Android platform was to combine the smartphone and tablet experience into one – and that’s surely what we continue to see with Jelly Bean. Just like the Nexus 4, the Nexus 10 is sporting the newest flavor of Jelly Bean, Android 4.2 to be exact, as opposed to a totally new dessert flavored version. Visually speaking, there’s very little different with the general presentation and layout, and for most people familiar with Jelly Bean already, there’s not a significant change in maneuvering through the platform. Rather than rehashing all of the new experiences found with Android 4.2, which we’ve detailed in our review of the Nexus 4, like Daydreams, native widget support in the lock screen, and automatic resizing widgets, we’ll pay close attention to the aspects specific to this tablet-optimized version.
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The Google Nexus 10 is sporting the newest flavor of Jelly Bean, Android 4.2 | |||
Support for multiple users:
Whoa! That’s all we have to say about this one. Even though it might seem insignificant, it’s actually a feature we’ve been yearning for since the original iPad. Unlike our smartphones, which are personal to us, tablets are meant to be shared amongst family members and friends. So naturally, we’re thrilled to find that Android 4.2 brings forth support for multiple users – giving each user the ability to personalize the UI of the platform and taking ownership of specific media content.
Notifications and connectivity panels are separate:
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Connectivity panel |
Overall, we see Google’s stance of resorting to a very minimalistic layout with Android 4.2 Jelly Bean. It doesn’t have the same futuristic look of Honeycomb, which can be perceived as good or bad on a case by case basis, but at the same time, it doesn’t have a cartoony look either. Basically, it has that perfect blend to make the transition from a smartphone to tablet seamless – or vice versa. However, there are still some bugs found with the software because we’ve experienced our fair share of lockups and restarts.
Functionality:
Generally speaking, the usual trove of organizer apps have maintained their form and function – with no drastic change with any of them. With this being a tablet and all, it’s fitting that things like the Calendar and People app are presented in a paneled view, but for others like the Calculator and Clock apps, they merely look like stretched out versions of their smartphone counterparts – such as bummer to say the least!
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Organizer apps | |||
Being a part of the 10-inch and above tablet category, the Nexus 10’s stock Android 4.2 keyboard is ideally best suited for landscape usage – primarily because of its spacious confines. Also, it helps that it’s super responsive as well. If tapping each button is too old school for you, then you can opt to use the alternative gesture based input it has to offer. Meanwhile, with its portrait style option, it’s a bit too wide to properly use with minimal frustration because our thumbs really need to stretch to encompass its entire layout. Alternatively, it features Swype-like gestures to input text as well.
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Gesture based input | |||
The stock Android 4.2 keyboard | |||
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Processor and Memory:
Sometimes we forget, but higher resolution displays require a pinch more processing power to maintain that lovely level of performance. When so many top notch devices sport quad-core processors, some might be irked to know that the Nexus 10 opts to employ a dual-core 1.7GHz ARM Cortex A15 based Exynos 5 chip with 2GB of RAM – albeit, it’s aided by its quad-core Mali-T604 GPU. Performance is good, which is expected with the optimizations with Project Butter, but it’s not without some flaws. Basic tasks are quickly executed with barely any fuss, but when multiple processes are occurring, it exhibits some noticeable lag with its performance. It’s not terrible or anything, but merely something that catches our eye. Taking a quick glance at its benchmark scores, they’re nothing to boast about.
| Quadrant Standard | AnTuTu | NenaMark 2 | |
| Google Nexus 10 | 4446 | 8954 | 55,4 |
| Google Nexus 7 | 3599 | 0 | 55,7 |
| Asus Transformer Pad Infinity | 4204 | 12693 | 39,6 |
| Lenovo IdeaTab S2110A | 4782 | 7037 | 58,9 |
Unfortunately, the Nexus 10 doesn't feature a microSD card slot, which some may not like. Instead, the device comes in two internal storage flavors: 16GB or 32GB.
Internet and Connectivity:
Surfing the web via Wi-Fi connections only, we’re naturally pleased by the Nexus 10’s performance with the Chrome browser. As expected, it loads up complex pages in a good amount of time – while its smooth navigational controls and proper rendering help to make the experience fittingly pleasant.
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We’re naturally pleased by the Google Nexus 10’s performance with the Chrome browser | |||
From the onset, the Google Nexus 10 is available in Wi-Fi form only – with no indication if we’ll see cellular connected versions. Rounding out its connectivity features, it packs aGPS, Bluetooth 3.0, and NFC.
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78 Comments
1. aboona777 posted on 21 Nov 2012, 07:53 10
Nexus 10 32GB is back in stock at Play store!!
head there now if interested!!
22. -box- posted on 21 Nov 2012, 10:24 2
Great device, but despite all of Android's recent advances (and that excellent screen), the only tablet (IMHO!) worth having now if spending more than $250 is one running Windows (and if wanting Android, there's always BlueStacks). More raw capability, and it works better as a desktop replacement and portable digital-life device. For web browsing or having a larger screen to fiddle with, sure a $200-range tablet is just fine, but with full Windows 8 devices (some with touchscreens) being within $200 of the Nexus 10, I couldn't really justify the pricing.
I would hope that folks stop buying ipads and buy this though, if they don't want a desktop replacement. This is much more than an ipod with a large screen, and has some great capabilities on its own. Just not for me (and others who are dissatisfied with devices that do little more than what their phones already can)
68. Nadr1212 posted on 22 Nov 2012, 22:46 0
I'm probably going abided galaxy Nexus 10 (2) Because my parents are already going to get me the HTC droid DNA and the Kindle fire HD
And hopefully the Kindle fire HD (2) won't come out during that time!
51. Dr.Phil posted on 21 Nov 2012, 19:54 2
Desktop replacement in what ways? Microsoft Office? That's the only thing I know of that the Surface tablet offers. Everything else that it offers is the same as every other tablet besides the ability to switch to old Windows mode (which I have heard is pretty useless because the buttons are not optimized for a tablet).
The real desktop replacements are the more expensive Pro tablets that are coming out next year which cost around $1000.
56. jove39 posted on 22 Nov 2012, 01:38 0
MS-Office is not only application people use on desktop...Damn...its been months I have used it...I would like to see development suite apps like eclipse, tomcat and jdk for android tab...to be real productive :)
69. Grajales7 posted on 22 Nov 2012, 23:33 1
Do you realize that, tablets that are "desktop-replacements" as you call them, are priced starting at US $500? There is virtually no tablet, besides this nexus 10, that offers this capability at a $250 price. And, tablets that are around US $500, are the basic Wi-Fi only with 16 GB of storage, which really limit their "desktop-replacement" appeal. Next year, when those "desktop-replacement" tablets with windows 8 start becoming widespread at $800 and higher, you will understand that what you are saying, doesn't make too much sense. And besides, that "raw capability" that you talk about, will be roughly the same that those of android and iOS counterparts, as windows 8 RT will also run on ARM processors.
2. networkdood posted on 21 Nov 2012, 08:04 14
No 3G/4G connection is not a con in many people's opinion.
4. Aeires (unregistered) posted on 21 Nov 2012, 08:10 17
Agreed, all my tablets are wifi because I can't see paying for another data plan on a device I'm likely to use only at home or work.
19. CellularNinja posted on 21 Nov 2012, 09:51 5
I agree, tablets are primarily a home and school thing for me.
Plus, with a rooted android you can always share connection with Wifi Hotspot for free.
6. MichaelHeller posted on 21 Nov 2012, 08:28 15
It's not the lack of 3g/4g that is a con but the lack of that option. Not many people may want it, but it is still an option that some would like to see. We dinged the Nexus 7 for the same thing when it was released, so this is also about consistency.
12. Wiki_jaan posted on 21 Nov 2012, 08:39 3
may b they launch cellular version too just like ASUS did
50. moronman66 posted on 21 Nov 2012, 19:34 0
And like Google did with the Nexus 7 after a while
15. Nathan_ingx posted on 21 Nov 2012, 09:05 1
"Not many people may want it but it is still an option that some would like to see"
If it's an option...i don't think it deserves the negativity.
64. CellularNinja posted on 22 Nov 2012, 08:01 1
but it's not an option............ that's what he is saying.
20. theoak posted on 21 Nov 2012, 09:53 1
I have a tablet with cellular. Once you have it, you will ask yourself why you did not get it sooner.
With more and more folks moving (by choice or otherwise) shared data plans, adding a tablet is not as big a deal as it used to be.
43. nnaatthhaannx2 posted on 21 Nov 2012, 16:17 2
my tablet never leaves my house.... so it wouldn't be of much use.
3. PackMan posted on 21 Nov 2012, 08:06 8
It seems score of 9 is the most uncontroversial score for PA, everyone is happy that way.
5. darac posted on 21 Nov 2012, 08:18 2
Even putting aside the unbelievably fair pricing, you get the best tablet out there, PERIOD.
23. -box- posted on 21 Nov 2012, 10:26 3
Best mobile-OS-based tablet, yes. But best overall? Debateable.
24. wassup posted on 21 Nov 2012, 11:00 7
W8 is a fail, even the RT version which is more fail. I'll stick with W7 and Android thank you very much. Have you read the reviews of the W8 tablets? they fail compared to recent Android tablets and the iPad
29. chaoticrazor posted on 21 Nov 2012, 12:26 0
sure they do mate, and we all know reviews are concrete right...except when its bad against android then it becomes biased and lies
your a fail mate and your comments the evidence, sick of you android fanboys praising everything android and never missing a chance to slate competition
30. wassup posted on 21 Nov 2012, 13:17 2
Sick of you bingheads saying, try WP8 out! it's so much worse, but we want you to like it anyway.
so you're telling me 100s of sources on the web (not counting binghead websites), that say that W8 isn't good enough, are biased? sorry but i believe their word over yours.
32. chaoticrazor posted on 21 Nov 2012, 13:24 0
binghead sites...wow your stupid
you give me 100 sources please . i will wait here
your just a sad little hater fanboy. and its not worse your just saying this as your a defensive muppet who dont like competition
33. wassup posted on 21 Nov 2012, 13:39 2
ever heard of hyperbole?
yeah binghead sites, you know, sites full of bingheads like yourself?
Oh i love competetion, and i love it even more when the thing i'm supporting wins, so I'm Happy that the windows tabs exist, just one more fail from microsoft
34. chaoticrazor posted on 21 Nov 2012, 13:49 0
lol wins, you know winning would mean the end of competition so nothing has won, and you supporting it and cheering like its a sport is sad. this is tech we should be discussing and staying open to new things not like you, been a fanboy and only supporting what you use and attacking all others sad little man
but you will carry on been immature and pathetic. lets hope your not like this in real life because that would be terrible for those around you
35. wassup posted on 21 Nov 2012, 13:59 2
aww shurrup
yaaay i win! you got mad
Troll succeeded :D :D
37. chaoticrazor posted on 21 Nov 2012, 14:22 0
not mad sad sack, trolls like you just make the world a sad place, not get people mad
and you won nothing, but if your life is that emtpy you have to think of been a troll as a win well thats tragic
thanks for proving your immature though
38. SleepingOz posted on 21 Nov 2012, 14:58 2
talking about "getting all defensive".. lol
39. chaoticrazor posted on 21 Nov 2012, 15:03 0
lol love how you support the trolls ect when its pro android or against any other os
see you all whine about phonearena been biased yet the comment section is biased towards android never hear you say a word on that
android fans = ifans both as bad as the other, dont class yourselves as tech lovers just fanboys
40. SleepingOz posted on 21 Nov 2012, 15:16 2
I'm not supporting anyone dude, quit being biased. I'm just pointing your hypocrisy. Aren't you the one who said that Android fan get all defensive when you criticise Android? Yet you're on every articles trying hard to defend Nokia and WP.
I have never ever call PA biased even if they said that the iPhone is better that some Android flagships out there.
Haha yup, that's what you are, since you never missed an opportunity to trashtalk and bash Android users. You're not just a simple fanboy but a frustrated one. Think about it. =]
41. chaoticrazor posted on 21 Nov 2012, 15:27 1
haha no mate im not defending nokia as nokia is hardly brought up. im sick of the android lot swarming every article not related to android and been all fanboys slating it and praising android
you wont agree as you yourself dont mind unless its against android. android users are worse now then apple users.
ohh so now im back to been an android hater...so when i use my android tablet i must be so annoyed right.....seriously you prove my point if i say anythin against android im a hater straight away. thanks to you lot phonearena has become fanboy central
i dont have to think about it, it makes no sense. besides your clearly an android fanboy yourself so its pot calling kettle black
54. dmakun posted on 21 Nov 2012, 22:50 1
@chaioticrazor, OK I hear you & I agree with you on some points you make about certain people who are clearly fanboys of one or another os/platform always rooting for their favorite & criticizing other platforms. But why does this upset (or make you sad)? It's quite normal that this occurs & it's like that on many tech sites I've checked out. I see you're pro wp even though as you say, you own a android device which makes you @least appear to me as pro wp or so fan so it doesn't really matter. I for one have not seen the attractive feature of wp phones or tablets & Microsoft really ought to focus their marketing on what makes their devices distinctive to be able to steal market share from the competition instead of the simple adverts that don't tell anyone why they should put away their android or ios devices (or even the blackberries).
The impression I have of wp is that it's a platform catching up rather than a major improvement to existing platforms & I have read quite a bit of reviews & briefly used a w7 device of a pal last year. I think the wireless charging feature is nothing "unique" but I do like the touch screen useability feature, other than that it leaves little to be desired.
61. chaoticrazor posted on 22 Nov 2012, 04:42 0
i dont see how im a wp fan if i dont own a wp8 phone. so basically im branded one as i defend it from those said fanboys who talk utter crap. ive also defended android and bb. guess im fanboys of those too. if thats how it works on here.
diffenace is the arrogance of the android lot nowadays has hit new hieghts. you say windows is playing catch up but what fuctionality are they missing that only android can offer? or what are they lacking? for me it seems there lacking nothing needed and have gone a differant route to android. funny this courses android users to shout how they need to go more android like but these same users slate ios for doing exactly that.
as for unique, well whats unique about any android device, only the note 2 has a selling point others dont at the moment and even that isnt of much use for average users. take the 920 as an example its camera is unique so theres one point again want be for everyone. the sensitive screen is another one too
and yes i expect a rain of red thumbs again as the fanboys get upset ive not praised android. and it is sad as every tech site has been infected with fanboys you cant discuss anything reasonably
66. CellularNinja posted on 22 Nov 2012, 08:17 0
... so please stop complaining like a little child on every single article! You're acting like the whole world is against you, and yes, you are getting VERY DEFENSIVE, so don't try to make it sound like you're not.
The nature of the comments section is of such that people will leave comments (got it???), so sometimes you aren't gonna those comments, get over it.
67. chaoticrazor posted on 22 Nov 2012, 09:53 0
no its not against me, ive never said its against me, i said its always the same, android fans on there high horse slating every other os. why? whats the need for it
and ok if you believe its ok to leave such comments i may join in, every android article talk about its negative points see how long it is before you all bitch
ohh and no this isnt a tech site, it used to be but thanks to fanboys its just a tragic wannabe war.,
but sure you ee it as im whinning, but when they turn on android and your defending it as you all do i'll be sure to mention how your moaning and its there right to comment any crap they like.
this is done now, been replying on this article too long to care lol so enjoy
70. dmakun posted on 23 Nov 2012, 07:08 0
It doesn't matter your preferred platform IMO, I'll pay attention to your comment if you "know" the platform you "like". There are few people's comments/opinions I even bother to read whenever i visit this site (one individual that comes to mind is Remixfa) He/She is clearly pro android and he knows android which is the OS I use so you get why.
As i said before, WP appears to be catching up with android (and i don't mean in features alone but clearly in market share). You appear to like WP (from all your earlier comments). I'm not big on megapixels and picture quality arguments cos I think my galaxy note 1 takes (IMO) amazing quality photos. I like android a lot because of how it allows me personalize my device and I don't mean wallpapers or live wallpapers alone (I'm big on customization because I like to perform actions on my devices quickly and i easily get bored of how my device looks or work and thus i constantly change and move things around to make my user experience differ whenever there's the urge to do so). I read somewhere that WP doesn't have a notification center, whereas it as 're-sizable' live tiles it doesn't offer users a deep level of functionality like android widgets (e.g. music player widget etc.) instead its a kind of notification icon you have to look for on your device's screen (pls correct me if I'm wrong on this one).
Anyway, Microsoft has a lot to do to pull users away and they better get going cos android appears to be growing despite the competition.
65. CellularNinja posted on 22 Nov 2012, 08:03 0
If you're so sick of it then don't read the comments. This site consists of people that are into smartphones and technology. Most people that are into smartphones and technology are android fans. It just works like that.
8. omaar97 posted on 21 Nov 2012, 08:29 1
I really like this tablet, the only thing i need but don't have is the ability to play 10 bit MKV Soft Sub HD Videos
can the nexus 10 play 10bit soft sub HD videos without problems ? I have problems with my galaxy note .. I am going to but Windows 8 Tablet or Laptop but if this can play 10bit videos I am gonna buy it !
11. _Bone_ posted on 21 Nov 2012, 08:39 0
My desktop computer can hardly play 10bit fullHD samples, so you're gonna have problems with that, however this video shows that the N10 handles 1440p mp4 quite well, even before MX and BS come out with their N10 optimized update.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HmzEtd3vtnA
17. Nathan_ingx posted on 21 Nov 2012, 09:09 0
What to you call 1440p resolutions and above?? Over HD?...lol
But seriously. i would like to know!
18. _Bone_ posted on 21 Nov 2012, 09:33 0
2600k, 4000k (The Hobbit resolution) etc.
9. fouadqr posted on 21 Nov 2012, 08:31 1
Cons
No 4G/3G verison
Some software bugs with Android 4.2
Choppy performance every now and then
and Still 9/10 thats s**t !
16. Retro-touch posted on 21 Nov 2012, 09:06 0
the last two cons will be fixed with a software update, seems Google released 4.2 half cooked and don't know what made them think chrome was a good enough to make it the default but its still a solid device and will be well into the future
10. _Bone_ posted on 21 Nov 2012, 08:35 2
Just wanna throw out that the Nexus 10 perform the fastest browser experience in any mobile device according to SunSpider, if you use the right browser, which is NOT the choppy Chrome which is the only thing holding back this beast.
Boat Broswer scores a stunning 774ms, and everything is buttery smooth no matter of how many tabs you have opened, again something where Chrome comes very short. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iKuYoyo-pH8&t=20m35s
This is a superb tablet, the awesome screen, 4.2 features and HW performance make up for the lack of SD slot, low number of tablications and rather long charge.
21. darac posted on 21 Nov 2012, 10:22 0
Spot on!
Chrome is crap compared to Boat which was my preferred browser.. until the last Dolphin update.
With the JetPack turned on, it is so smooth on Galaxy s3 jelly bean it feels almost addictive!!
It actually puts iPhone 5 safari experience to shame really..something you wouldn't even think of being possible, but now after this safari suddenly feels sluggish under my fingertip
63. lzsbleach posted on 22 Nov 2012, 07:57 0
Thanks for letting me know about the Boat browser, it is truly fast and smooth and is the best browser I have used on a smart phone.
13. bloodline posted on 21 Nov 2012, 08:40 5
Three nexus devices, three 9/10.
Google - good job done.
14. EhJude posted on 21 Nov 2012, 08:46 3
I really like the Nexus 10 for a few reasons. First, it's got a really solid price point for a fairly strong offering. If I were to compare it to the iPad 4, you might get slightly less battery, but you'd get more RAM, a faster processor, and a sharper screen. It's slightly more compact in terms of dimensions too. I do like iOS but Android's pretty good too.
25. mahmoodh posted on 21 Nov 2012, 11:11 0
"As expected, it loads up complex pages in a good amount of time – while its smooth navigational controls and proper rendering help to make the experience fittingly pleasant."
I agree with the loading the pages quickly but on the video reviews I had seen, there were considerable lag while scrolling and pinch zooming!
27. jphillips63 posted on 21 Nov 2012, 11:53 1
OK PA how about a show down between the nexus 10 the iPad 4 and say the Asus tf700t
I'm torn between one of the three and would really love to see a true unbiased showdown with benchmarks and real world tests between those three.
31. TimTebow posted on 21 Nov 2012, 13:21 1
Everyone thought exynos and Mali were going to be the most powerful.
A15 and new mali gpu and nothing special.
Yeah higher resolution but still....
Nice tablet but Samsung is getting weak
58. darac posted on 22 Nov 2012, 03:44 0
They are, actually.
Detailed analysis of chromebook chip confirms that A15 is the most powerful low power core.
In Nexus, it's held back by that humongous resolution.. but comparatively, it still manages to beat Krait and swift easily
36. Supaheight posted on 21 Nov 2012, 14:04 0
That's what i call a game changer the little inner that became strong
44. JoeDega posted on 21 Nov 2012, 16:23 1
Ahhh those "slots for a sim card" would actually be magnets for upcoming accessories to utilize.... like a cover.
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