Fans of stock Android will want to check this out: not only has the new version of the Nexus 7 tablet gone on sale in Europe and Japan, but the Nexus 4 smartphone is now available in many countries at a severely reduced price.
The Nexus 7 has been on sale in the U.S. since July and Canada since earlier this month, but late on Tuesday or early on Wednesday (depending on where you are) it showed up in Google Play Stores in the UK, Germany, France, Spain and Japan.
Nexus 7 international pricing
In continental Europe, the 16GB version costs €229 ($ 306) and the 32GB version €269, sales tax inclusive. In the UK, the starting price is £199 ($ 309) and in Japan it’s 27,800 yen ($ 286).
The Nexus 7 features a faster processor and higher-resolution screen than the original Nexus 7, which was Google’s first attempt at an own-brand tablet. The Nexus series, both smartphones and tablets, is distinctive for its low pricing and the fact that the devices carry stock Android with no modifications – this also means they are the first Android devices to get operating system updates.
On the downside, Nexus devices don’t have expandable storage.
As for the Nexus 4, the smartphone now comes in $ 100 cheaper than before, starting at $ 199 for the 8GB version in the U.S., and with similar price reductions in place elsewhere. Google is offering price protection for those who already bought one in the last couple of weeks.
Nexus 4 no-brainer
This is no doubt Google setting the stage for the Nexus 4′s successor or a new iteration of the same device – if the company sticks to its usual schedule, this should appear in November.
That said, the Nexus 4 is now an absolutely fantastic deal if you’re OK with forgoing 4G. The next version will probably have a slightly bigger screen and higher resolution, but frankly the Nexus 4′s resolution – 320ppi – is around the level at which the human eye stops being able to distinguish individual pixels. In other words, the next version’s screen may be technically better, but it’s unlikely to make much of a real difference.
The Nexus 4 also has a quad-core processor. I think we’re hitting something of a plateau now, when it comes to mobile processors: new versions will offer incremental benefits, but we’re unlikely to see any great technological leaps in the next couple of years. So the Nexus 4 is a safe bet on that front.
If it follows the new Nexus 7′s lead, though, the Nexus 4′s successor will probably have better graphics processing capabilities. And, if Google has its head screwed on right, it will support 4G. So if these things are important to you, then by all means wait.
If not, there’s a bargain to be had.
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