Nexus 7 Unboxing Is Harder Than You Think

July 31, 2016 Gadgets, Google, Nexus 7, Tech

Interested in how Google’s Nexus 7 is packaged, and how hard it is to get it out of its box? Instead of browsing through numerous unboxing videos popping up on YouTube, you can watch a montage that mashed several such videos into one.

Apparently, Google’s 7-inch Android tablet is very tightly fit into its box, which is causing a considerable amount of problems to most reviewers. In fact, a vast majority of this 3:23 minute video is footage of people’s hands scrambling to crack the device’s box open.

BONUS: Read our review of the Nexus 7 here.

Other than that, Google has taken a cue out of Apple’s packaging playbook — the box is a simple dark gray one with the Nexus logo and an image of the device printed on top. How do you like the Nexus 7’s packaging? Share your opinions in the comments.

Google Nexus 7 Tablet Review

Google Nexus 7

The Nexus 7 is essentially Google’s answer the the Amazon Kindle Fire — a 7-inch tablet priced at $199 that’s based around media consumption. In almost every respect, the Nexus destroys the Fire.
Home Screen — Library Widget

The Library widget on the home screen shows the media stored on the device. If you’ve interacted with any of it lately, those titles will be prominent.
App Array

Here’s what the your app screen looks like on the Nexus 7.
Default Google Apps

All the Google-made apps are accessible from a folder on the home screen.
Video Playback

The video player is very responsive, and videos look good on the 1,280 x 800 display.
Browsing Movies

Here’s what browsing movies is like in Google Play
Movie Title

The information you see when you select a particular title.
Magazine Browser

The magazine browser is fast and fluid.
Magazine Browsing, Landscape

Landscape mode allows for a few more titles to fit on the screen.
Magazine Navigation

You navigate by pairs of pages, not single ones, an odd choice — until you realize it forces you to look at more ads.
Magazine Page

Here’s how a typical magazine looks on the Nexus 7. Although layouts look great, they lack some of the interactive features that some magazines on the iPad have.
Text View

If the layout of a magazine is bothering you or it’s too unwieldy, you can switch to Text View.
Magazine Content, Landscape

Here’s a magazine rendered in landscape mode.
Book Collection

The books on the device appear against a white background, with no shelves in sight.
Book Reading View

Here are the options you see while reading a book. They disappear quickly if you don’t touch the screen, leaving only the text.
Book Reading, Landscape

This is how a book looks when you’re reading in landscape.
Music Playback

The Google Music player isn’t nearly as intuitive as iTunes, but it’s passable.
Launching Google Now

You launch Google Now by sliding your finger up through the app-page icon.
Google Now

The Google app automatically brings you local information and weather.
Google Now, Landscape

Google Now fits a little more on the screen in landscape.
Chrome

This is how the Chrome browser looks on the Nexus 7.
Chrome Menu Zoom

Chrome helpfully lets you zoom in big on hard-to-tap menu items.
Google Maps

The Nexus 7 renders those 3D Google Maps just fine.
Maps With Local Results

The execution here is very slick.
Nexus 7, Backside

The leather-like back of the tablet makes it easy to hold.
Right Side

The Power and Volume buttons are the only hard buttons on the device.
USB Port

On the bottom, the Nexus 7 has a USB port for charging and data I/O.
Left Side

Not much here, except for those four metallic dots, which could be used for future accessories.
Top

Also very clean
Versus iPad

Here’s the Nexus 7 alongside a retina iPad.
Nexus 7 Packaging

The colors on the package are vibrant.
Made by Asus

Asus’ branding is smaller than Google’s on the device, but the charging plug makes it clear who made the Nexus 7.