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by Alastair Stevenson
29 Nov 2012
Boasting a brilliant display, fast performance and host of custom Jelly Bean features the Nexus 10 is the best Android tablet currently available.
Pros:
Fast performance, Jelly Bean is great, one of the best screens seen on any tablet, good value for money
Cons:
No 64GB option, camera can struggle in low or bright light
Price: £319
Manufacturer: Google
Google entered the tablet market earlier this year releasing the Asus built Nexus 7 tablet. However, rather than targeting the top end market currently dominated by the Apple iPad, the search giant chose to target the affordable device space, attempting to entice users with the Nexus 7's ultra-affordable sub-£200 price.
The move proved a smart one as sales of the Nexus 7 were higher than even the most optimistic analysts' predictions, with the 16GB model literally flying off UK stores' shelves. Working off this success Google's set its aspirations a little higher, looking to take the Apple iPad on directly, teaming up with Android heavyweight Samsung to create its latest 10in top-end Nexus 10.
Design and build
Visually the Nexus 10 looks very different to the Nexus 7, boasting a design that makes it unmistakably Samsung built.
The Nexus 10 has rounded corners and a slightly curved back that make it look similar to the Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 tablet. Outside of its black colouring, the only big visual difference we noticed is that the Nexus 10 doesn't feature the Note 2's metal trim. Instead the Nexus 10's chassis is entirely made of polycarbonate.
To our surprise we found the Nexus 10 still feels solid and well built despite its plastic casing. In fact, having used the Nexus 10 we're fairly sure it could survive the odd bump unscathed. This is mainly due to the slightly rubberised finish of its chassis, which makes the Nexus 10 feel slightly shock absorbent, though not to the extent we dared drop-test it.
Another perk of the rubbery finish is that it helps make the tablet feel comfortable in hand. This is helped by the Nexus 10's light weight. Despite being slightly longer than the 241x186x9.4mm new iPad, the 264x177x8.9mm Nexus 10 is far lighter. Testing the two tablets this meant that we found the 603g Nexus 10 nicer in hand than the hefty 652g new iPad.
On the outside, the Nexus 10 features micro USB 2.0 and HDMI ports, along with a headphone jack and proprietary Samsung connector port.
Next: Screen and software
Processor: 1.7GHz Cortex A15 processor
Storage: 16GB, 32GB options, 2GB of RAM
Display: 10in 2,560x1,600 resolution 299ppi
Camera: 5MP rear and 1.9MP front
Ports: Micro USB 2.0, HDMI
Connectivity: Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0
Operating system: Android 4.2 Jelly Bean
Dimensions: 264x177x8.9mm
Battery: 9 hours
Weight: 603g
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