Is the Nexus 10 Good Enough to Replace an iPad 3?

November 24, 2012 48 Comments

Last update: February 26, 2013

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It’s been several months since my Nexus 10 arrived, so it’s time for an update on my attempt to replace an iPad 3 with it. Was the lack of good tablet apps as big of a problem as everyone said it would be? And what about the superior build-quality of the iPad? Was the Nexus 10 lacking in this area? Read on to learn the answer to these and many more questions.

My Top Gripes After a Month

Since most of my previous columns about the Nexus 10 have stressed its benefits, I’ll get right to my gripes about it. Here are the things that bothered me the most about the Nexus 10 after the first four weeks of use.

You can see an example of a good tablet interface on the left and a bad one on the right.

  1. Limited number of great tablet apps – The number one complaint from reviewers about the Nexus 10 is the lack of great tablet apps. Although it’s true there are more good tablet apps for the iPad, I was surprised this wasn’t more of a problem for me. Many of my favorite Android smartphone apps ran fine on the Nexus 10. In some cases I did need to replace apps, but I didn’t have much of a problem finding suitable replacements. There were two reasons why I needed to replace apps. The first was the fact that some apps have controls which are too small to accurately touch on the Nexus 10. A bigger problem for me was the fact that some of my favorite Android apps couldn’t be downloaded on the Nexus 10. Examples include Zite, USA Today and Flickr. I suspect this is because the companies are working on tablet-optimized apps and are not allowing downloads to tablets because they don’t want to get bad reviews. Now that there are finally a few good selling Android tablets, I suspect we’ll see app makers put more emphasis on creating good tablet apps. I’ve included a list of some Google-recommended tablet-optimized apps here in Tip #4. It’s worth pointing out that not all popular apps are available in tablet versions for the iPad either. For example, Instagram looks much better on the Nexus 10 than it does on the iPad. That’s because it only occupies a small portion of the iPad’s screen. Sure you can blow it up 2x but the text looks distorted and ugly.

    Update: After a month this is no longer a serious problem. Every day I find new tablet-optimized apps that look great on the Nexus 10. Just today a tablet-optimized version of Flipboard finally became available.

    2. Android 4.2’s calendar issue is well-documented

  2. Android 4.2 bugs – Although the stories about Android 4.2’s bugs have been overblown, there is no doubt that iOS 6.0.1 is a more stable, less buggy operating system. Most of the current Android 4.2 bugs are things you won’t experience unless you stream music over Bluetooth, use the lock-screen music widgets, or enable auto-brightness. There is also the well-documented issue which occurs when you try to add an event that occurs in the month of December in the People app. As far as the random crash issues go, I still experience a few a week, so Google does have some work to do in this area.

    3. UPDATE 11/27: Google pushed out an Android 4.2.1 update today which addressed the missing December issue.

    UPDATE 1/15: A Google employee confirms the next Android update will contain a fix for the Bluetooth issue.

  3. Issues rearranging apps and creating folders – Early versions of Android were far superior to iOS when it came to moving apps from screen to screen without rearranging other apps. I’m having problems with this on the Nexus 10 now. A more serious issue is the fact it’s sometimes hard to get an app to go into a folder you drag to. Sometimes the folder moves, other times it won’t work the first time, but if you keep trying you can always get it to go into the folder. This is strange and annoying.

    4. Sometimes magazines can be viewed and other times they cannot

  4. Disappearing magazines – One of my biggest Nexus 10 gripes so far is the problem I’m having not being able to view some of the free magazines that Google provided. I get a ‘Fetching latest…’ message when I try to open a magazine that never goes away. This occurs on magazines I’ve viewed without problems before. This may have to do with the fact I downloaded these to my tablet. The only way I’ve been able to fix this so far is to go to Settings/Apps and swipe to the left until I see the ‘All’ heading and then scroll down to Google Play Magazines and touch the ‘Clear data’ button and redownload the magazine again.

  5. Playback issues with ultra HD video on some apps – I’m having problems trying to watch ultra high-definition (2560*1440) movies using MX Player. The video appears to pause every few seconds now, when it used to work fine on the same software. The same video plays perfectly on the MoboPlayer app so this could be a software-only issue.

  6. Text editing problems in the browser – It’s much more difficult to edit text in a Nexus 10’s browser, than it is to do the same with an iPad 3. There are several reasons for this: The first is the fact it’s harder to insert the cursor precisely in browsers like Chrome. The second is the fact it’s harder to accurately cut and paste text on the Nexus 10 than the iPad. The third, is the fact the Nexus screen sometimes automatically zooms in or repositions itself when you touch the screen or hit the backspace key. It blows my mind that no one at Google has tried to use the Nexus 10 for this purpose because it’s so bad. Editing text in Firefox is even worse than in Chrome. I couldn’t get copy and paste to work reliably in Firefox at all. Two caveats: these are Android-related issues and not Nexus 10 flaws, and furthermore, HTML editing is something I do a lot, but not something a typical consumer does often.

    Update: I’ve figured out what is happening here. Google and browser software makers have implemented logic to try guess when you’re having a hard time touching a button or control. When they detect this, they zoom in around the area to make sure you touch the right thing. This is nice for typical users, but can cause problems when editing HTML. I must have adapted, because I’m now doing almost all of my HTML editing on the Nexus 10 instead of the iPad.

    7. Both the Nexus 10 and iPad 3 have similar back light bleed issues

  7. Screen-related issues – The screen on the Nexus 10 does not have blacks that are as dark as Samsung’s Super Amoled displays. There is also some light leakage in both of the bottom corners. This may only be visible when you are in a dark room and the screen is black, but I wanted to point it out. Some additional leakage is present on each side, but it’s less obvious. As you can see from the photo above, the iPad 3 has backlight leakage that is worse to the Nexus 10. Even with its backlight issues, the iPad 3 and 4 still have a few advantages over the Nexus 10’s display. They have higher contrast, more brightness and better overall color accuracy then the panel in the Nexus 10. That’s not saying the display on the Nexus 10 isn’t great. It will blow your mind when you play a game like “Asphalt 7” or watch an ultra HD movie on it. It’s also noticeably sharper when it viewing small fonts on websites.

    8. The camera on the Nexus 10 isn’t great

  8. Mediocre rear camera – Although the front camera on the Nexus 10 is only 2MB, it looks much better than the camera on the iPad 3. This is probably because the iPad 3 only has a 0.3 MP camera. The rear-facing camera on the Nexus 10 is not great, but neither is the one on the iPad 3.

  9. Plastic back cover – Although I love the lightness of the Nexus 10 and the way it feels when you hold it, occasionally when you hold its case a certain way, you’ll feel the back move a little. I mainly notice this is when I’m polishing the screen using my shirt. Is this a really big deal? Not for me, but it could have been avoided with a better design.

  10. Wi-Fi range issues – Google claims the Nexus 10 has MIMO Wi-Fi — but its antenna is less sensitive than the one in the iPad. You’ll see this on the Wi-Fi signal strength meter, and you’ll notice a difference in performance when you have a low signal. This isn’t a major problem, but it is a little annoying in light of Google’s bold claims in this area.

  11. Google Play screen update problems – This is a minor issue but I once experienced problems with the screen flashing when I was downloading updates in the Google Play store. This also appears to be an Android 4.2 issue and probably has nothing to do with the Nexus 10.

  12. Auto-brightness problems – Android 4.2 has an auto-brightness setting, but it doesn’t work well because it’s possible for your finger to occasionally block the light sensor when you hold the tablet in Portrait mode. To address this issue you can download Lux Auto Brightness. Lux adjusts the brightness of your display based on your environment. When you go into a dark room, Lux will automatically lower the brightness of your display after you unlock your screen. This approach seems to work better than the dynamic approach that Google uses by default.

    13. The Nexus 10 has the 8th best battery life of 474 Android devices

    The Nexus 10 is one of the more batter-friendly Android devices

  13. Slow charging – Slow charging with the stock charger is a problem, but this was only a issue for me on my first day of use. After that, I charged the tablet at night and did not have a problem getting through most days. When I use the Nexus 10 more than normal, I charge it for an hour around lunch and that gets me through the day. Although there has been a lot of talk about battery life on the Nexus 10, you can see from the chart above it is actually one the top battery-friendly Android devices.

    14. If you’re thinking some of these problems are pretty lame, you’re correct. It’s not easy to find too many things wrong with the Nexus 10’s hardware. Things like backlight leakage are also a problem on the iPad 3 and iPad 4. Most of the serious Nexus 10 issues are software-related, and should be fixed at some point.

Observations After 8 Weeks of Use

I order this product on day one and have spent as many hours with it as anyone outside of Google. After eight weeks I am now using my iPad 3 only a few minutes a week. Here is a summary of my observations after eight weeks:

  • The claims about Apple’s superior app ecosystem are overblown. I don’t miss any of the iPad apps I was running before. Not a single one. That doesn’t mean all of the Android apps are at parity, because they are not. But the differences are small enough now that they don’t bother me. Since the Nexus 10 launched the number of good tablet apps has increased dramatically.

  • My problems with the Nexus 10 crashing have sadly increased, but they are not a serious problem yet. Sometimes it will crash twice in a day and then go days without another crash. There is a lot of speculation over the cause of this. Some people think it’s caused by the Chrome browser. Others think the problem goes away when the GPS is disabled. I’ve noticed that many of my crashes occur when I’m using the Chrome browser and Wi-Fi signal strength is low or the tablet is downloading updates. I also suspect that moving wallpapers might be a contributing factor. This hasn’t become a major annoyance for me yet, because I’m confident Google will fix this soon.

    • Update: Since I installed Android 4.2.2, my crash problems seem to have gone away.

  • Most of the display gripes about the Nexus 10 are overblown. The back light bleed is not a problem for me, but I would like darker blacks. That is my number one screen gripe. Color accuracy on the Nexus 10 isn’t great, but that hasn’t been a problem for me. Nor have non-HD desktop icons. I do feel the lack of great HD wallpapers is a problem, but likely one that won’t last long. Screen brightness has also not been a problem for me. Although its not perfect, I love the display on the Nexus 10. To my eyes it’s much crisper than the iPad 3 and that’s what I care about the most.

  • The build quality of the Nexus 10 is fine. I’ll take the lightness over the iPad any day. My only gripe is the fact that the section on the back does not stay in as snugly as I would like.

  • One new problem I’m a little concerned about is the heat from the main chip. This was initially only a problem when gaming, but now I notice it when I’m scrolling on site like Facebook for long periods.

    • What About Build Quality?

    Along with lack of tablet apps, build quality is the most common gripe about the Nexus 10 from Apple fans who have never seen one. I’ll admit the Nexus 10 doesn’t look great in most review photos, but in person, it looks and feels very nice. I’m not the only one who feels this way. Here are a few excerpts about build quality from Nexus 10 reviews:

  • Gizmodo said: “It feels extremely solid and well-built. The back panel is a hard plastic that has been rubberized in a really interesting way. It’s very smooth, but very grippy at the same time.”

  • Ars Technica said: “I do find that I actually prefer the textured plastic back of the Nexus 10 to the aluminum back used by the iPads—the latter gets pretty cold to the touch in November in New Jersey, and the tablet is only too happy to transfer that coldness straight to your hands. The Nexus 10 is a bit more hospitable when pulling it out of a bag that’s been outside.”

  • CNET said: “It is the most comfortable 10-inch tablet to hold in your hand its light weight and smoothly rounded corners the tablet never digs into your palms when held with two hands. The back is a soft, grippy, almost rubbery plastic that not only feels great to hold, but doubles as protection for the tablet. The aforementioned rounded corners have that same rubbery plastic around them. The whole outer shell feels almost like an exoskeleton accessory, specifically designed to protect the delicate tablet organs.”

  • Ubergizmo said: “To put it simply, the design of the Google Nexus 10 is beautiful. The front of the tablet is made of a pristine black glass surface from edge to edge. I really like the soft touch treatment which gives a solid grip when holding the tablet. This is an issue that I have regularly with the iPad. Overall, I find the industrial design to be excellent and high-quality. Unless you are adamant to feel metal when you touch the tablet, I expect most people to be pleased with the quality of this device.”

  • The Guardian said: “The Nexus 10 is a sleek, smooth tablet that feels solid, and sits nicely in the hands with its rounded corners – more rounded than the iPad.”

  • Venture Beat said: “The tablet’s curved design makes it surprisingly comfortable to hold, and the soft back case material feels simply luxurious. The Nexus 10 is so well designed that you’ll be tempted to fondle it even when it’s turned off.”

  • Android Community said: “It’s extremely well made, very durable, feels great and is indeed a polished and beautiful product inside and out.”

  • Android Police said: “Amazing build quality. I tried really hard to find a flaw in the build of this tablet. But I couldn’t. It’s top-notch – everything is super-solid… The back is the real standout feature of the device’s physical design, as it’s coated in a very soft rubbery-plastic that feels almost like leather. It definitely adds a feeling of quality, and is absolutely fantastic in the hands. It’s not cold and slippery like aluminum, nor does it feel cheap and flimsy like typical plastic. It’s slightly grippy, which allows you to hold the unit with less “force,” leading to less wrist fatigue. It also makes it easier to hold the device in your hand palette-style without fear of dropping it.”

  • Tech Radar said: “The rear plastic chassis has a soft-touch feel, with the rubberized effect providing additional grip in the hand, and wrapping round to the front of the tablet for a smooth, seamless finish.”

  • And last, but not least, Wired said: “The back panel is a grippy plastic that makes the Nexus 10 much better than previous Samsung tablets and even the iPad for one-handed use.”

    • Why The Nexus 10 is My New ‘Go to’ Tablet

    You might be wondering why I still favor the Nexus 10, even though I admit the iPad still has some important advantages. Here’s why:

    1. The Nexus 10 absolutely kills the iPad 3 and 4 when it comes to features.

    2. The Nexus 10 is a much better value than the iPad 4. Its hardware beats the iPad 4 in almost every area and costs $100 less.

      3. Apple prevents older hardware from running some features

    3. I want access to all of the newest technologies. The Nexus 10 has features like NFC and multi-user support, which iPad users could be waiting years to get. Not only is Apple behind, they have a history of preventing their users from accessing their new features. Even though the iPad 2 is capable of running Siri and Panorama, Apple forces iPad 2 owners to buy newer hardware in order to run those features. That just isn’t right.

    4. Speed is important to me and the Nexus 10 is faster than the iPad 3. After using my Nexus almost 100% of the time for several months the iPad is noticeably slower on things like scrolling Facebook in the browser.

    5. Lastly, I want the same experience on my phone and tablet. Now that I’ve switched from iPhone to an Android smartphones, it only makes sense that I use an Android tablet.

    Could I replace my iPad 3 with the Nexus 10?

    My transition from an iPad 3 to a Nexus 10 wasn’t as easy as my transition from an iPhone to a Nexus phone. My first few days with the Nexus 10 were not great. I was getting it set up properly and finding good tablet-optimized apps. Most of my issues with the Nexus 10 were software-related, and not directly related to the Nexus 10 hardware. The Nexus 10 is not a perfect product, but it’s good enough that I’ve put my iPad 3 on the shelf and only use it for occasional HTML editing now. The surprising thing is I actually prefer using the Nexus 10 now over the iPad 3. The main reason for this is the fact the Nexus 10 is noticeably lighter than the iPad and feels much better in my hand. Its corners are nicely rounded and don’t dig into my palm the way the iPad 3 does. This is a big deal when you hold your tablet for long periods with one hand like I do. Another reason I prefer the Nexus over the iPad is the display. The crispness of text on the Nexus 10’s display is second to none.

    The bottom line is the Nexus 10 is a great tablet, which holds its own against the best tablets. This says a lot, because the iPad 4 running iOS 6 is a very good product. But for me, the Nexus 10 is even better.

    Final update 2/26: My crash problems seem to have been fixed by Android 4.2.2. I no longer use my iPad for a single thing. It sits on my floor lonely and unused, so I’ve decided to give it to my Dad on Fathers Day. In the past few months there have been a large number of good Android tablet apps which have been released. It’s now at the point where I can’t think of a single iPad app that I still miss — except maybe Zite which runs on my GS3.

    – Rick

    Copyright 2013 Rick Schwartz. All rights reserved. Linking to this article is encouraged.

    Follow me on Twitter @mostlytech1

    It’s true the iPad has more tablet-optimized apps, but some popular apps still appear like this.

    Here is how Instagram looks on the Nexus 10. Which would you rather use?

    Filed under Blog Posts, Mobile Technology Tagged with , , , , , , , ,

    About Rick E. Schwartz
    Rick Schwartz is blogger from San Diego. You can learn more about Rick by clicking on the "About" tab at the top of mostly-tech.com.

    48 Responses to Is the Nexus 10 Good Enough to Replace an iPad 3?

    1. Mark says:
      November 26, 2012 at 8:20 am

      Stumbled across your blog when I was looking at purchasing a Nexus 10. Out of all of the reviews I had read – some of which were like a Don King boxing match. Okay so the Nexus 10 wins, oh wait, what iPad what?? Yours seemed to make the most sense and was instrumental in purchasing it.

      Having received it I am glad to say your impressions were spot on and the tips and tricks section you posted was extremely useful in getting the most out of it.

      Looking forward to being a long time reader!

      Reply
    2. Michael says:
      November 27, 2012 at 8:14 am

      Found your site shortly after receiving the Nexus 10 on November 16th. It has been very informative. We are still an iPad 1 family so the Nexus has been a huge upgrade for us. But it will be more of a supplement than replacement in our case, i.e. Nexus mine, iPad wife’s. I was able to find every app I used except one, easily found adequate substitute.

      I’ve had some issues as well. That I will list as succinctly as possible.
      -Entrepreneur magazine would never open for me. The others did, but not smoothly. No big deal as it was mostly for testing, not reading. Deleted all.
      -You’re right about auto-brightness being useless.
      -Have had a fair amount of freezes while doing basic web surfing and using apps. Not enough as to deem the Nexus 10 junk, but enough realize it is an issue that needs to be addressed. The iPad freezes, as well, but not enough for me to consider it an issue.
      -App issue, nothing to do with the Nexus, but I was unable to input ‘new bill’ information with my bank’s app. Could do so with the iPad app.
      -Agree with you on the cut/copy and paste thing being more difficult. In fact, I have not been able to do it.
      -For me the Wifi connection is weaker than the iPad. I like streaming Pandora while cooking, iPad always has full reception and never drops. Nexus 10 in exact same location has only 1 or 2 bars and frequently drops the connection.
      -Lack of accessories. Have a cover on the way.

      That is about it for issues I’ve encountered, no deal killers for me. I am disappointed to hear about the Bluetooth streaming music problem. I have not tried it yet, but it is one of the features that I plan on using extensively. Maybe, it will not affect me, but from what I have been reading it seems to be universal.

      Build wise, it exudes quality. I will have no shame toting this amongst all my latest iPad having friends.

      I’m way behind most when it comes to electronic gadgets, i.e. still have iPad 1, no smartphone, so it is cool to be on cutting edge, if only for a minute.

      Reply
      • Rick E. Schwartz says:
        November 27, 2012 at 8:54 am

        Great comments. Thanks for sharing.

        I’ve been wondering about Wi-Fi as well. I think it could just be a metering issue because I can still use the Nexus 10 when I’m getting only one bar.

        – Rick

        Reply
    3. Michael says:
      November 27, 2012 at 6:22 pm

      Got the copy thing figured out now. Believe I just did the same thing that was not working before. Guess I was not pressing my finger just right. Now I feel stupid. Well, one issue solved.

      Reply
    4. Rick E. Schwartz says:
      November 27, 2012 at 8:08 pm

      Glad to see you’re making some progress.

      – Rick

      Reply
    5. Maria says:
      December 1, 2012 at 11:15 pm

      Hi Rick, I just stumbled onto your blog, I think yours is one of the most informative, unbiased, and interesting blogs that I have come across. I am not tech savy, I have been researching tablets and was sold on the Samsung Note tablet, or the new Surface until I read your reviews on the Nexus 10. One of the features I really wanted was the SD slot and the Nexus 10 does not have one, I tend to store a large amount of pictures and music on my devices and am nervous about buying a tablet without one, I would like to know your thoughts on this. My son is an apple fan, he has the Mac Book Pro, the first IPad, and the IPhone 4, I have spent a lot of time on his devices and I really prefer Androids. I have the Samsung Galaxy 3 and I love it. He needs a new IPad, I was thinking of the IPad 4 but now again after reading your blog, I think I am going to go with the IPad 3, do you think that is best of the IPads? I apologize for ambushing you, for all your time and trouble, thank you.

      Reply
      • Rick E. Schwartz says:
        December 1, 2012 at 11:29 pm

        Hello Maria,

        First off, thanks for the nice comments about Mostly-Tech. 🙂

        I have an iPad 3 and its screen is beautiful, but it’s really heavy and thicker than the iPad 2. Also its battery life is not near as good as my old iPad 1. I always buy refurbished Apple products because they are like new and you typically save $100 or more. I don’t think you’ll find a refurb iPad 4 yet, so you should look at the 2 or 3.

        Since you’re an Android fan I would strongly recommend the Nexus 10 over everything else – – even though it doesn’t have an SD slot. iPad is missing a slot as well. If you have a lot of media, make sure to get the 32GB model.

        If you really want an SD slot, get a Transformer Prime. My son has that tablet and loves it.

        – Rick

        Reply
        • libertyspatriot says:
          December 1, 2012 at 11:53 pm

          Rick, thank you for your quick reply and now I have added the Asus Transformer Prime to my list of tablets to choose from. Maria

        • Patrick says:
          January 7, 2013 at 10:30 am

          Don’t forget, you can also connect your Nexus to your PC to backup files. I haven’t had a need to do that yet, since I have only had it a few days, but you can move large files you don’t need daily access too, such as large persoal video files, to your PC and then maybe onto an external storage drive. Just a thought.

        • Zoe Guzman says:
          March 28, 2013 at 12:20 pm

          There are services where you can keep your pictures (since nexus 10 lacks SD slot). Dropbox, Google Drive, Evernote, (I believe Ubuntu also has some type of cloud service), etc etc.

    6. Bruce says:
      December 20, 2012 at 1:29 am

      Lol I noticed point no. 9 too: Its plastic back sometimes flexes

      I thought my Nexus 10 was a bad build.. seems like it’s design issue 🙂

      Reply
      • Rick E. Schwartz says:
        December 20, 2012 at 10:34 am

        Based on the comments I’ve read in the forums most, but not all Nexus 10s have a problem with this. Although it’s annoying, the lighter weight is worth it. Every time I pick up my iPad 3, I can’t believe how much it weighs.

        – Rick

        Reply
    7. Barry Saville says:
      January 1, 2013 at 6:32 am

      Great Information Rick!
      I do not have a tablet but I want one.
      I am really interested in getting a tablet for reading and editing PDFs of scientific articles and I like what I have read about the Nexus 10 but it just isn’t available, and the very frustrating thing is that Google is not indicating when it will become available. So what is the best available tablet for reading and editing PDFs, all day reading requires an excellent screen. I am now considering the IPAD 4 because it is available, although my two concerns are weight and saving PDFs on the IPAD. I plan to be use the new tablet for reading and web surfing to find related articles which I would then want to download, save in a folder and read. Oh And I really like the idea of being able to mark up the PDF with a digitizer, highlighting certain sections or making note in the margins.
      If this is not an appropriate request, I apologize in advance since I am new to this form of communication : )
      However, any thoughts or advice would be appreciated.

      Reply
      • Rick E. Schwartz says:
        January 1, 2013 at 1:04 pm

        Good question.

        Either tablet is great for reading PDFs.

        The Nexus 10 is better for editing text when a keyboard and mouse are used because it works with traditional USB keyboards and mice or Bluetooth equivalents.

        The iPad 3 /4 is better for editing text using your finger because it has much better cut and paste support.

        – Rick

        Reply
    8. Rick E. Schwartz says:
      January 1, 2013 at 1:35 pm

      Nope. iPad can’t be used with a wired USB mouse. USB mice and keyboards are faster and more accurate than Bluetooth equivalents.

      – Rick

      Reply
    9. Maria says:
      January 1, 2013 at 7:49 pm

      Rick I have found that your reviews are informative and unbiased. Your review of the Nexus 10 sold me, then on Christmas my son gave me a Samsung Note 2 cell phone, I have a PC desktop, laptop. My son has a Mac laptop, IPhone, and IPad 4th gen. if he adds or changes something on one it automatically updates the other 2. I have tried his Apple products and have found that I do not care for them. Will I be able to sync the Nexus 10 or any other tablet with my cell and laptop? Is there a software program that would sync all my devices? Thank you for your time and trouble, Maria

      Reply
    10. Patrick says:
      January 7, 2013 at 10:24 am

      Very nice review. In my house – wife has an iPad (4th Gen wifi), daughter 1 has a Kindle Fire HD, daughter 2 has a Galaxy Tab 2 10,1, and I just received my Google Nexus 10 (32gb). Other devices include a Galaxy S3, iPhone 5 and two iPhone 4Ses.

      I have to concur with all of the reviews which spoke positively of the Nexus 10 design quality. It is easy to hold or rest on one hand for even long periods of time. The suppleness of the back cover along with the ever so slightly rounded design is ergonomically superior to the much flatter, much slicker, much more expensive iPad. It also feels far superior to the other dnroid tablets I have held in my hands. The Asus TF700, for example, may be statistically an excellent tablet, it is just as difficult to hold onto as the iPad.

      When I use my wife’s iPad, it is uncomfortable to hold in one hand because it is always wanting to slip and slide. You almost have to use a folio of some sort to both feel secure with it in your hand or to reduce fatique. The Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 is a well made tablet as well…a little less up to date with various specs, but nonetheless a good tablet, but it also feel a bit cheaper. We got my daughters for under $300, and it certainly feels like a mid-rage device in your hands. The Kindle Fire HD is an amazing special-function tablet, and I really can’t compare it here. It is simply the best 7″ tablet you can buy right now, imho.

      For me, the perfect tablet right now is the Nexus 10. For my wife it is the iPad. It is all up to what you need I guess. And I appreciate your review being written in an across the board positive manner, instead of being a diss-fest.

      Reply
    11. EM says:
      January 9, 2013 at 10:28 pm

      I purchased the Nexus 10 yesterday after doing a lot of research, including reading this blog. It worked great for a few hours before dropping the Wi-Fi connecting. It hasn’t been able to reconnect since. When Google was contacted, they not only did not have any advice to offer but tried to tell me that is was an Asus product and that I should contact them directly. Have you heard about any other instances of connectivity issues?
      Thanks

      Reply
    12. Miramyn says:
      January 10, 2013 at 11:39 am

      Can anyone confirm if the bluetooth audio issues and random reboots are fixed yet?
      I’m holding off on getting one of these for my wife until its stable or I will never hear the end of it 🙂

      Reply
      • Rick E. Schwartz says:
        January 10, 2013 at 6:12 pm

        Some writers have said that the Android 4.2.1 update fixed the Bluetooth audio issue.

        The random crash issues are not fixed yet, but that hasn’t been a big problem for me, although I know it is a bigger problem for others. The crashes seem to happen often when Chrome is in use, so using another browser should help. Also, I’ve found its best to not do too much when the OS is installing updates.

        – Rick

        Reply
    13. magiatusTerry says:
      February 9, 2013 at 2:15 am

      Hi All, I am dutifully awaiting my Nexus 10. I searched for tablets for a while, have a HTC 3D phone and honestly not a fan of Apple. My wife on the other hand is Apple fan. What sold me is the resolution and the reviews I have read thus far. It will be a while as I have to wait for the device to get to my dad before he can send it to me. I also ordered a case which will hopefully be here before my device. I am trying to find a screen protector but the reviews all start off good but when you read the bad it makes me wonder. It will be approx. 2 weeks before I get my hands on my tablet, but I am really looking forward to it. I will post my initial reviews once I get my device. On a side note, the photo’s I see and video comparisons from the Ipad 4 versus Nexus definitely are better. But since my upgrade on my HTC phone the picture quality is not as good. So I am sure it is a software issue that will hopefully get fixed.

      Reply
    14. Dave K. says:
      February 18, 2013 at 11:34 am

      I made the switch a couple of weeks ago from the iPhone 4S to the Nexus 4 and am very happy. I would love to get on the same tablet system but can’t find a replacement for Zite… That is my goto news app. Since they don’t have a version, can you suggest something? You list it and then later say you have replacements for all. Thanks!

      Reply
      • Rick E. Schwartz says:
        February 18, 2013 at 1:03 pm

        Hi Dave,

        Sadly Zite does not run an Android tablets like the Nexus 10 yet, but Zite IS available for my Galaxy S III and should be available for the Nexus 4 as well. If not, try some of these alternates: Taptu, News360, News Republic, Flipboard, HuffPost, NewsRob, Currents and Pulse. Some of these are RSS feed readers, others are news app. None are as good as Zite IMHO. I’m confident Zite will eventually support the Nexus 10.

        – Rick

        Reply
    15. Amitoj says:
      March 2, 2013 at 9:26 am

      I liked your realistic approach towards Android OS and the Nexus 10. These are ever evolving and cost effective unlike Apples’s so called well built ones which require one to shell out almost every year. My query about this device is weather it can connect to a thumb drive using OTG and how are wired keyboard and mouse connected to this device. Also will I be able to connect it to a regular PC gamepad? Is it worth those $200 on a Nexus 7.Thanks in advance

      Reply
      • Rick E. Schwartz says:
        March 2, 2013 at 11:12 pm

        I haven’t tried it, but I would expect a USB game pad should work fine. I know there are wireless game pads that definitely work. You can read about those in my 50 tips articles.

        – Rick

        Reply
    16. Ric Grupe says:
      March 19, 2013 at 8:15 am

      Thanks for the very helpful articles on the Nexus 10.
      I’m getting one for my birthday…and have all my accessories and apps lined up waiting. 🙂
      I just cannot stomach “Apple’s Way” and am looking forward to a terrific Android tablet experience.

      Reply
    17. Todd says:
      March 26, 2013 at 10:58 pm

      Rick–love this article and GREATLY appreciate the updates!! Added wrinkle–refurbed iPad 4 for $50 more than Nexus 10??? What sayeth you o’ wise and objective one? THANKS!!

      Reply
      • Rick E. Schwartz says:
        March 28, 2013 at 1:20 pm

        If you can buy an iPad 4 for only $50 more than a Nexus 10, then it becomes a harder decision. Truth be told, both tablets are very good and you’ll probably be happy with either. If you already have a Mac, iPhone and lot’s of purchased iOS apps, I’d recommend the iPad 4.

        – Rick

        Reply
    18. jake says:
      March 29, 2013 at 11:16 pm

      I have been using a Nexus 10 since my myopia rehab therapist recommended a high resolution screen to replace my crappy TN laptop monitor.

      Developing software, I didn’t think a tablet could ever work for my needs. I added an Apple bluetooth keyboard, and after getting used to some changed workflows, finding apps, learning some new things (like Photoshop Touch), I find that I never go back to use the laptop.

      The Nexus 10 is simply brilliant. And with 10 hour battery life, vs 1 on the laptop, bluetooth, high res screen, NFC, GPS, pressure sensor, two cameras, etc etc etc, it feels much more modern than my Thinkpad.

      It’s also helping with eye strain, quite a bit. Having improved from a bad -4D glasses prescription to now just -2.25D (friggin amazing), I’m pretty conscious about keeping eye strain as low as I can. Alex has a good eyesight related post on Nexus 10 and eyestrain on his site, too – Google Frauenfeld Clinic to find it (don’t want to spam comments with links here).

      Thanks for the detailed review! I did sort of wonder what I might be missing out on, not using an iPad.

      Reply
    19. Murray says:
      May 27, 2013 at 11:36 pm

      Hi, great blog.

      Had my Nexus 10 for a few months now, generally still consider it good value and Android flexible c/w iPad. Some issues worth noting though, and one quite serious:

      The system clock loses time, though on an inconsistent basis. Do not rely on the clock, one day you will miss your flight/bus/meeting. To be fair it is not a problem unique to the Nexus 10 but it does seem to be particularly affected. This has been well documented in online forums and there are no effective fixes. Google remains mute on the subject. May be an inherent flaw in the Android architecture.

      Skype crashes several times a day (yes I clear the cache). OK that may be a software issue but adds to the feeling I’m beta testing a product!

      I hope future software and firmware updates fix these problems but it’s too unstable for me to rely on as a tool for my profession. So in that sense a disappointment. Ok for media consumption.

      Reply
      • Rick E. Schwartz says:
        June 5, 2013 at 8:57 am

        Thank you for sharing. I have not noticed any problems with the accuracy of my clock, but now I’ll watch for this.

        – Rick

        Reply
        • sfowler says:
          June 5, 2013 at 9:13 am

          While I have no problem with the clock, I experience frequent problems with the Skype picture quality. This would be a serious problem if I were using the device for job related communication. I crash at least once a day and must reboot the entire system, to include the router which is new and located less than ten feet from where I use the tablet.

    20. richard bown (@rich_bown) says:
      August 16, 2013 at 8:15 am

      I would like to just say with regard to the charging issue is to spend the $15 or so and get a pogo charging cable. It’s a much faster method of charging the Nexus over the standard USB method. It also means you can charge the tablet whilst having a USB device connected, handy during a gaiming session using a USB game controller.

      Reply

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