Google has announced its Nexus 7 which will launch this month and rival the Amazon Kindle Fire.
Although the Kindle Fire hasn't reached the UK the tablets are very similar and therefore warrant one of our comparison reviews. The Nexus 7 will go up against the Kindle Fire in the US tablet market. This article will explore the difference between them.
See also: Google Nexus hands-on review
See also: Amazon Kindle Fire review
Google has just announced the Nexus 7 so this comparison review is based on the on-paper specifications. There will be no crowning of a winner or similar goings on.
Google Nexus 7 vs Amazon Kindle Fire: Price
As we've already mentioned, the two tablets have very different price points. In the US they start at the same $199 price tag. Google also offers a model with larger storage for $249.
For your information the Google Nexus 7 starts at £159 for the 8GB and the 16GB sells for £199 in the UK.
See also: Google Nexus 7 tablet vs Apple iPad comparison review.
Google Nexus 7 vs Amazon Kindle Fire: Dimensions
The two tablets are very similar in size and weight, both being 7in devices. The Kindle Fire is slightly smaller at 120 x 190mm compared to 120 x 199mm; however it is thicker at 11.4mm against 10.5mm.
The Nexus 7 is the lighter of the two at 340g compared to 413g of the Kindle Fire.
Google Nexus 7 vs Amazon Kindle Fire: Screen
As we've mentioned already, both tablets have a 7in display. Both sport an in-plane switching (IPS) panel but differ when it comes to resolution.
The Nexus 7 has a superior resolution of 800 x 1280 while the Kindle Fire uses a less impressive 600 x 1024.
If you crunch the numbers it's clear the Nexus 7 has a more detailed display with a pixel density of 216ppi. The Kindle Fire has a pixel density of 170ppi.
Google Nexus 7 vs Amazon Kindle Fire: Processor
The processor is an important part of any tablet. The Kindle Fire has a 1GHz dual-core Texas Instruments OMAP 4430 processor based on a Cortex A9.
Google trumps this with an nVidia Tegra 3, a quad-core chip along with a 12-core GPU.
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Google Nexus 7 vs Amazon Kindle Fire: Storage
The Amazon Kindle Fire comes with 8GB of internal storage. Google has opted to offer two different versions of the Nexus 7, ones with 8GB of storage and one with 16GB.
Neither of these tablets has a microSD card slot for expansion. Amazon does offer free online storage via Amazon Cloud.
Google Nexus 7 vs Amazon Kindle Fire: Cameras
Google's Nexus 7 tablet has just a front facing camera rated at 1.2Mp. Amazon's Kindle Fire has neither a rear facing camera nor a front facing one.
Google Nexus 7 vs Amazon Kindle Fire: Connectivity
Connectivity on the Nexus 7 consists of Wi-Fib/g/n, Bluetooth (version unknown), microUSB, GPS, near-field communications (NFC) and a two-in-one 3.5mm audio jack.
Amazon has fitted the Kindle Fire with a more limited 802.11a/b/g/n Wi-Fi, microUSB and a 3.5mm headphone jack.
Google Nexus 7 vs Amazon Kindle Fire: Software
Both tablets run Google's Android operating system but they sport different versions. The Kindle Fire runs on Android 2.3 Gingerbread with a customised interface while the Nexus 7 tablet runs the latest version of Android, 4.1 Jelly Bean.
See also: Android 4.1 Jelly Bean FAQ: What you need to know.
Google Nexus 7 vs Amazon Kindle Fire: Battery
The Kindle Fire has a 16.3Wh rated battery compared to 16Wh on the Nexus 7. This slightly higher but Amazon touts a shorter batter life.
It promises 8 hours of battery life while Google states up to 10 hours for the Nexus 7.
