For about a month now I’ve been playing around with a Nexus 7. This is the first Android device I’ve really used on a regular basis. I picked it up for a shoot we were doing at LooseKeys. Since all of the devices and computers I own are Apple products, we needed something else that showed off the Android features and interface of the application that we were highlighting. But this ended up backfiring on me since the app we were showcasing uses the camera and it needed a back camera. It didn’t even cross my mind that the Nexus 7 wouldn’t have a back camera. Really, why? Sure, maybe no front camera but not a back camera, that is just silly at this point; there’s no reason for it. If an Apple product didn’t have a back camera, the internet would of been up in a rage. 

Rather than returning it right away I decided to hang onto it for a bit and give Android a try. 

For the shoot, I ended up purchasing a Samsung Galaxy Tab 2, which did have a back camera. I know the Tab 2 and the Nexus 7 are very similar devices but I have to say I liked the feeling of the Nexus 7 much better. The Galaxy Tab 2 felt cheaper with the plastic case and also seemed more bulky when holding it. We used it for the shoot but I ended up returning that one right away. 

I am still using the Nexus 7  just about every day. I even try and carry it around with me just so I make sure to use it. It’s a nice device and I haven’t decided if it’s the size I really love or if its the Android operating system that I like. I haven’t played around with the iPad mini, I have an iPad 2 so buying an iPad mini seemed silly at the moment. The size of the Nexus 7 is great! Perfect for reading, drawing and email, which are the main things I’m doing on it. I’ve even started using the comicxology app to get back into comics a bit, but I guess that just falls under reading.

Since I haven’t used the iPad mini, I can’t compare the two side by side and for the price the Nexus 7 was a perfect device for me to try out the size and the Android OS.

I’m loving the extra layer of Google services throughout the device. Since I use Chrome, Google Calendar, Google Drive, YouTube and Google+, I’m already living in Googles world so the extra features that sync make the experience even better. Specifically Google Now, which was one of the features I was most interested to see and try out. It’s not perfect and since this is a wifi only device I’m not using it to it’s fullest capabilities. Still it’s handy to see weather, traffic, birthdays and calendar notices right there on my lock screen. I haven’t had any of those magical experiences with it like I’ve heard from others but it’s only been a month and I’m still getting used to it. 

I don’t think I’m ready to leave my iPhone behind for an Android phone, for me the iPhone is still preferable but I’m liking Android more and more and it keeps getting better. Which I hope pushes Apple to keep improving, once the iPhone isn’t the best device for me, I’ll have to look at the space some more.