Nexus 7 Android Tablet Review
Author: Rick Phelan
Published: 06.25.14
The Nexus 7 Android tablet is worth a look for K-12 schools considering ways to expand their use of tablets in the classroom. The Nexus 7 is Google’s alternative to Apple’s iPad Mini. It has a number of competitive features that make it a good choice for schools. This post reviews the Nexus 7 as a tool for students and teachers.
The Nexus 7 is a mini tablet computer co-developed by Google, Asus, and Samsung that runs the Android operating system. It provides a 7-inch display, quad-core processor, rear camera for photos and video, and front-facing camera that supports Google Hangouts. The tablet’s screen clarity rivals Apple’s iPad Retina Display. The price for a 16 GB Nexus 7 2014 with Google’s management console feature is $250. This compares favorably to the Apple iPad Mini with Retina Display and its $399 price tag.
Advantages
K-12 schools should consider investing in the Nexus 7 for at least three reasons.
- Device Management
Google’s management console features for Chromebooks and Android tablets are practical alternatives to the complicated nuances of iPad management with the Apple Configurator. The Google Play Store for Education enables schools to retain ownership of digital materials and re-assign them to devices owned by a school or district.
- Google Drive and Apps
The Nexus 7 offers the use of Google Drive and Apps in a similar form and function to what users would experience with computers and Chromebooks.
- Multiple Users
The 4.3 Android operating system known as “Jelly Bean” offers settings to assign multiple users to one device. This can be useful to schools that have different students using class sets of Nexus 7 devices. Separate profiles can be set up for primary-age groups and upper-elementary groups with corresponding apps and digital learning materials.
Limitations
Schools should recognize the following limitations of the Nexus 7.
- Screen Projection for Large Groups
The Nexus 7 is limited in that its screen cannot be easily projected to large groups. A VGA adaptor is not available and the popular Chromecast adaptor doesn’t presently work with the Nexus 7. Educators can put the Nexus 7 under a document camera if they are willing to accept a less-than-perfect image rendering on the big screen.
- Availability of Apps
The Google Play Store for Education doesn’t necessarily have all the same apps that are available from Apple’s iTunes Store. Checking the Google Play Store “shelves,” I found some of my favorites—Motion Math, Explain Everything, Wolfram Alpha, Tellagami, Lightbot, and Book Creator. Know that the implementation of some familiar apps on Android devices may contain ads. The Google Play Store for Education alerts educators to ads and options for making “in app purchases.”
- Not Suitable as an SBAC Device
Many technology purchases in 2013-14 were looked at from the perspective of the Smarter Balanced Assessment—could the device be used for Smarter Balanced Field Test? The Nexus 7 cannot serve as a device for Smarter Balanced testing.
Try Out the Nexus 7
If you’re interested in seeing how Nexus 7s can work in your classroom and you’re from a Sonoma County school, consider spending a week with the devices. SCOE has a set of five Nexus 7s that are part of our try-before-you-buy program. Email me at rphelan@scoe.org to make arrangements.
Blog: Technology for Learners
