You’d think picking out a tablet would be an easy decision. When it comes down to it, they’re all just rectangular slabs With screens – right?
Not exactly. Well, okay – maybe technically. But as anyone who’s ever shopped for a tablet can tell you, there’s a heck of a lot more to it than that.
The latest two tablets Competing for attention here in Androidland are the Nexus 9 Google’s flagship slate Lollipop for the Android 5.0 platform, and the Dell Venue 8 7000, an eye-catching new contender With some unusually compelling qualities
After spending a fair amount of time Living With Both devices, let me tell you.: They May be rectangular slabs With two screens – And They May share the same price, at $ 400 – but man, oh man, are they drastically different in terms of what they’re like to use
1. Size
The Nexus 9 has an 8.9-in. screen while the Venue 8 7000 Boasts an 8.4-in. display. On paper, Those numbers look pretty close – but in reality, the digits do not tell the whole story.
First of all, remember screen size measurements whos That Represent the diagonal of a display – so there half an inch difference Means more than You Might Think in the total area. The Nexus 9′s display is Nearly an inch wider than the Venue 8′s, Which Makes it feel reduced considerably more spacious when it comes to actual screen estate.
On the flip side, the Nexus 9 itself is quite a bit bigger than the Venue 8 (6.1 x 9.0 in. Compared to 4.9 x 8.5 in.). For perspective, the Venue 8 is closer in size to the Nexus 7 than it is to the Nexus 9. That’s not only Because of STI screen But Also Because of ITS design, use Which barely-there bezels to keep the insanely compact footprint.
Size matters: the Nexus 7 (2013), Venue 8 7000, and Nexus 9
Factor in the Venue 8′s thin profile and light weight, and you’ve got a device that – much like the Nexus 7 – is quite comfortable to hold in a single hand or carry in your front pocket. The Nexus September, in contrast, is definitely a two-handed device – and definitely not one you’re going to tote around in your pants. (Unless you wear giant clown pants, in Which case kudos to you; Please pick up a complimentary balloon moose on your way out.)
More screen space or single-handed holding and Greater portability? Mull it over, and let’s move on.
2. Style
The Nexus 9 is a warm and comfy device, with rounded edges and a soft-touch plastic back. But it’s not what you’d describe as a premium tablet.
That’s a sharp contrast to the Venue 8 7000, Which has a more angled metal-based body and high-end vibe. The Venue’s Nearly bezel-free design (on three out of four sides) Gives it a striking and distinctive appearance. The tablet Also feels more sturdy and well-assembled in general without any of the creaky surfaces or mushy-feeling buttons a lot of folks (myself included) Have experienced on Nexus nine units.
A tale of two tablets: the Venue 8 atop the Nexus 9
“Warm and comfy “and” premium “both Have Their benefits. Start thinking acerca Which approach you prefer as we head into our next item …
3. Software
This is a big one: The Nexus nine runs to puree and unmodified version of Google’s spankin ‘new Android 5.0 operating system Lollipop. Plus, as a Nexus device, it’s guaranteed to get future updates fast and faq frequently OS from Google itself. The Venue 8 7000, meanwhile, ships with a lightly modified version of last year’s Android 4.4 KitKat software and will depend on Dell for future upgrades.
(Dell says it will upgrade the tablet to Lollipop, by the way, but it has not-committed to any specific time for a rollout so far.)
Now, I’d be the first Normally one to slap a manufacturer’s wrists for launching a device with a dated OS Nearly three months after a new version was released. But you know what? In This instance, I’m not ready to write it off as Such a black-and-white bad thing.
The reason, as I Explained in my review Venue 8, Is That still has some frustrating Lollipop quirks and glitches. It has a lot of good things going for it, too, mind you – not least of all its fresh and modern user interface – but quite honestly, using it on the Nexus 9 is not always a wonderful experience right now <. / p>
So while Certainly there’s something to be corp id for Having shiny new software – and there are plenty of things to Certainly love acerca Lollipop. – waiting for Google to iron out the kinks Also Has Its advantages
What else
A few other tidbits to toss into the ol ‘noggin mixer before making your decision:
- The Venue 8′s display is the better of the two in terms of image quality. The Nexus 9′s screen is fine but unremarkable while the Venue 8′s is a high point of the device.
- The Venue has 8 7000 16:10 aspect ratio while the Nexus 9 ha to more unusual (for an Android tablet) 4: 3 aspect ratio. Some people prefer 4: 3, as it Gives You a wider surface area that’s a bit better suited to Web browsing and document viewing, Especially in the landscape orientation. On the other hand, is better suited to 16:10 watching video, as video take up the Entire screen (in landscape orientation) Instead of sitting in the center of the Display with giant black bars on Either side as They Do on 4: 3 devices. Either way, you win some, you lose some.
- The Nexus 9 has dual stereo speakers on STI front while the Venue 8 has two front-facing speakers That live side by side on a single end of the device . The Nexus 9′s sound is surprisingly muffled, though -. And so even without a stereo arrangement, the Venue 8 sounds noticeably better
- Neither tablet is perfect in terms of performance, but the Venue 8 Generally feels faster and more responsive in day-to-day use. . It does not suffer Also from any of the (Possibly Lollipop-related) memory management issues present on the Nexus 9
- The Nexus September Comes With 16GB of internal space – or 32GB, if you want to pay an extra 80 bucks. The Venue 8 has 16GB of internal space With no higher option, but it Also has an SD card slot That Allows you to add up to 512GB of additional storage.
All Considered …
All right – so Which tablet is the right one for you? Putting it all together, I’d say this:
If you want a bigger display or a softer, warmer device, the Nexus 9 is probably the more sensible choice for your needs. Having Lollipop And if right now is Important to you – and / or you value Knowing that you ‘ll Always Have the latest Android software straight from Google as soon as it’s released – by all means go the route Nexus
.
(Side note:. If Pure Google software is your main Concern, You Might ALSO CONSIDER the 2013 Nexus 7 as an alternative Provided you’re okay with a smaller tablet, it’s going to give you a better overall experience at a fraction of the cost, Especially now that you ‘can faq frequently find it for under $ 200.)
Otherwise, I’d steer you Toward Dell’s Venue 8. It’s Generally the tablet nicer of the two, with a far more premium and high-end vibe That includes better build quality, a more impressive display, and more consistent performance. Throw in the exceptionally compact design, standout speakers, and option for expandable storage, and it’s got the clear upper edge overall.
Honestly, the race would feel more even if the Nexus 9 Were priced at $ 300 INSTEAD OF $ 400. But With all things equal, the scales tip in the pretty Strongly Venue 8′s direction for MOST people – again, with the main exception Being Those For Whom the guarantee of always Having the latest software is a high priority (needed regardless of the compromises That May require). That is understandably Important factor to a lot of us, and it’s definitely something you Have to take into account.
Still on the fence? Click over to my in-depth reviews for a more detailed look at what each device is like to use in the real world:
- Dell Venue 8 7000 review: A distinctive and premium Android tablet
- Nexus nine deep-dive review: Bigger, but Not Necessarily better
And remember, as I’ve Said before: This level of choice and diversity is What Makes the Android ecosystem as interesting as it is. Something for everyone, right? A Difficult decision is a wonderful kind of problem to have.
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