You Shouldn’t Buy the Nexus 7 Right Now

Those looking to buy the Nexus 7 from the Google Play Store or through one of its various retailers should stop, put the credit card or cash away, and walk away because right now is the absolute worst time to buy the Nexus 7.

Last year, at Google I/O 2012, Google announced both the Nexus 7 and the Android Jelly Bean Android 4.1 update, both of which have been staples over the past year. Android 4.1 Jelly Bean of course was replaced by Android 4.2 Jelly Bean back in November and soon, the Jelly Bean operating system will receive another update in the form of Android 4.3.

The Nexus 7 may look tempting, but please, don’t bite.

And while Android 4.1′s time in the sun ended in November, the Nexus 7 remains on shelves as an alternative to the iPad mini, Kindle Fire HD and the various budget Android tablets that litter the landscape. In fact, the Nexus 7, despite being a year old, is an attractive device.

First off, its one of the only devices that’s currently running Android 4.2 Jelly Bean which means that users have access to features like lock screen widgets, Quick Settings in the Notifications Bar and of course, the Multiple User Accounts feature that is fantastic for those that might share a tablet with family members or a significant other.

The Nexus 7 also has hardware that has endured the tests of time. Featuring a 7-inch IPS display, quad-core processor, durable design and solid front-facing camera, the Nexus 7 can still, very easily, handle games, web browsing, reading, and more. It’s a device, especially with its current pricing, that is worth looking at and we can imagine that more than a few consumers are likely looking at it as an option to buy, even one year later. But even with its attractive qualities, right now is the absolute worst time to buy the Nexus 7.

Here’s why.

Why You Shouldn’t Buy the Nexus 7 Right Now

The Nexus 7 2 is rumored for late July.

The Nexus 7 with its $199 price tag, a price tag that is, at the moment, actually much cheaper through retailers like Office Depot and Staples, is likely on the radar of many tablet shoppers. However, right now, is a terrible time to buy the Nexus 7 and those that have it in their shopping cart would be wise to take it out and wait.

Why? It’s very simple. Rumors suggest that the Nexus 7 will be replaced sometime during the month of July with a new Nexus 7 tablet that is currently dubbed Nexus 7 2, Nexus 7 HD and new Nexus 7. A name hasn’t been decided on but we do know that the new Nexus is likely going to be the Asus K008 and Asus K009 tablets that have emerged through certifications and commission filings.

Passing those certifications are just baby steps on the way to shelves but given that an assortment of rumors have pegged the launch for July, and more specifically late July, and given the fact that the Android 4.3 Jelly Bean update looks set for arrival in July, it’s safe to say that if a new Nexus 7 is on the way, it’s going to be on the way in the next couple of weeks.

This is maybe the most convincing argument for those looking to buy a Nexus 7 right now. The wait for a new Nexus 7 2 should only be a few weeks and while it may be more expensive or may be less attractive than the Nexus 7, it’s still worth it to wait and see instead of shelling out the cash now and getting burned later.

Those that need more convincing only need to look at the rumored specifications for the Nexus 7 2, specs that are based on the Asus K009 which is assumed to be the LTE-version of the Nexus 7 2. Here is a look at its likely specifications:

• 7-inch Display with 1980 x 1200 Resolution
• Qualcomm Snapdragon 600 Quad-Core Processor
• 5MP Rear Camera/1.9 Front-Facing Camera
• 32GB of Storage
• 3,950 mAh Battery
• 2GB of RAM
• LTE
• Android 4.3

Running down the list, the Nexus 7 2 should best the Nexus 7 just about everywhere. The display resolution and pixels per inch should make games, web, and books look much better. The new quad-core chip should deliver better performance with games, multitasking and battery life. The 2GB will help with that as well.

It has a rear camera, something the Nexus 7 doesn’t have and of course, it will likely come with 4G LTE data speeds, something that the Nexus 7 doesn’t have either.

As far as the design is concerned, it looks like the device may utilize a design that’s similar to the Nexus 7 though we imagine that there will be some tweaks that make it better than the previous model. Google is constantly improving its Nexus devices and design is certainly one area that it looks at. Prospective buyers need only look at the design differences between the Nexus 4 and the Galaxy Nexus to know that.

Those who wait for the Nexus 7 2 will be glad they did. Even if they decide to buy the older model.

There is a rumor that the 32GB Nexus 7 2 may cost $299 which could mean a $250 16GB Nexus 7. That would be $50 more expensive than the respective Nexus 7 models. As of right now, that seems to be the only downgrade from the Nexus 7, if it’s even true.

Nothing is for certain at this point but it’s extremely likely that the device will debut in the next few weeks and price increase or not, consumers would be wise to hold off on a Nexus 7 purchase and wait for the new Nexus 7′s debut.

At that point, once the smoke has settled, the choice will be clear.