Google Nexus 7 (2012) VS Asus MemoPad 7 HD Specs Comparison

Hi guys, welcome back to this website!

After a few months (actually almost a year) taking a time off from this website, i’m really glad because today, in 2016, I finally have the right time again to crank you up more with my tablet reviews.

(Google Nexus 7 (2012) VS Asus MemoPad 7 HD Specs Comparison)

To be honest, it’s actually been really hard for me to find the right momentum to write new articles last year because when I stopped writing (like 11 months ago in February), the motivation was sort of fading away and it was becoming much harder for me to get back on track.

But the great news is, today, I’ve finally found the right momentum to start creating something again on this website. So in the next few weeks and months, you can expect to see me publish some new reviews on this website.

Anyway, Happy New Year to all of you here! I hope 2016 is gonna be your very successful year.

Today, I’m really interested to compare 2 of the tablets from 2 companies. One of these 2 tablets is actually, or was actually my favorite tablet around 4 years ago.

Yup, that’s right. That is no other than Google Nexus 7 from Asus, which was announced at the same time Google unveiled Android Jelly Bean 4.1, Project Butter and many other stuff at Google I/O conference in 2012.

And as you might know (or not), i’ve been a huge fan of this tablet since it's first announced because it is powered by one of my favorite mobile processors from NVIDIA - Tegra 3. And I know that this processor is extremely powerful especially in handling games.


Coincidentally, the challenger for Google Nexus 7 that I would like to pit side-by-side with this tablet in this review is also made by Asus. And it is Asus MemoPad 7 HD.

This tablet is powered by a quad-core Mediatek MT8125 processor. But when it comes to gaming performance, I think this tablet leaves a lot to be desired, especially compared to Google Nexus 7 with its super-fast Tegra 3 processor.

But hey! I’m still interested to see how these 2 tablets fare against each other in this comparison review.

So if you’re interested to learn more about my review of these 2 tablets, especially their gaming performances as well, then here you go, my comparison review between Google Nexus 7 (2012) and Asus MemoPad 7 HD.

Enjoy!


When it comes to popularity and market recognition, of course Google Nexus 7 is definitely the winner here compared to Asus MemoPad 7 HD.

It’s been discussed in many tech sites across the net, it has been sold a lot in many countries and many users loved it a lot.

However, that doesn’t straightly mean that Asus MemoPad 7 HD is not on the same level with Google Nexus 7.

There are still some great things to be liked from this 7-inch tablet.

I mean, it has a rear-facing camera, microSD card slot and according to some reviews around YouTube, including PhoneArena and CNET, this tablet surprisingly is pretty good, especially in terms of display and camera.

And that already makes this tablet worth to buy, especially given the fact that this tablet costs only around $150, probably much cheaper right now.

But the questions remain. With all of the good things found on each of these 2 Asus tablets, which one between Google Nexus 7 and Asus MemoPad 7 HD that has what it takes to be a great gaming tablet?

Which one is more powerful in gaming performance?

Is Google Nexus 7 a much better tablet in the whole aspect than Asus MemoPad 7HD?

We’ll soon find out the answers of these questions at the end of this review. So if you want to know more about that, be sure to read the entire review.

Google Nexus 7 (2012)

Google Nexus 7 (2012)

Asus MemoPad 7 HD

Given its low price point, it’s not surprising that Asus MemoPad 7 HD uses some cheap glossy plastic materials all over the place.

It feels really cheap, it looks cheap and there’s nothing to write home about on its design.

Not to mention, there are also some weird sharp edges around the side of this tablet, which make it not so comfortable to hold.

The design of Asus MemoPad 7 HD definitely contradicts with the design of Google Nexus 7.

Google Nexus 7 is designed by both Asus and Google. It looks really great, it feels good when held in hands and it also has some unique characteristics compared to other regular 7-inch tablets out there.

On the rear side, Google Nexus 7 has some textured pattern with “Nexus” logo on the center, making it really elegant for an affordable tablet.

So when it comes to design, of course Google Nexus 7 is definitely the one that deserves to be the winner here.

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Google Nexus 7 (2012)

Asus MemoPad 7 HD

Released in July 2012 7.0 inch LED-backlit IPS LCD capacitive touchscreen, 800 x 1280 pixels, (~216 ppi pixel density) 1.2 MP front-facing camera Quad-core Nvidia Tegra 3 1.2 GHz Cortex-A9 CPU ULP GeForce GPU 1GB RAM Android OS 4.1 Jelly Bean, upgradable to 4.4.2 Android KitKat 8/16GB/32GB Internal No microSD card slot NFC Infrared No Java No GPRS No EDGE No Radio Non-removable Li-Ion 4325 mAh battery

No SIM Released July 2013 7.0 inch IPS LCD capacitive touchscreen, 800 x 1280 pixels (~216 ppi pixel density) Quad-core Mediatek MT8125 1.2 GHz Cortex-A7 CPU PowerVR SGX544 GPU 1 GB RAM Android OS, v4.2 (Jelly Bean), upgradable to v4.2.2 (Jelly Bean) microSD card slot for up to 32 GB 16 GB Internal storage 5 MP rear-facing camera with autofocus 1.2 MP front-facing camera No GPRS No EDGE Wi-Fi 802.11 No Radio GPS Java MIDP emulator Bluetooth USB Non-removable Li-Po battery

Back in the days of 2012, Google Nexus 7 was priced at $199 for the 8GB model, while Asus MemoPad 7HD cost only $150 when launched in 2013.

However, when it comes to hardware specs, it’s actually Asus MemoPad 7 HD that has a lot to offer compared to Google Nexus 7.

Okay, Nexus tablet may have the powerful Tegra 3 processor (which is more powerful than the Mediatek MT8125 of Asus MemoPad 7 HD).

However, Asus MemoPad 7 HD has a rear-facing camera (which takes great pictures according to reviews), microSD card slot, Java emulator and newer Android software out of the box.

Not to mention, Asus MemoPad 7 HD also comes with 720p display, just like the one found on Google Nexus 7.

So i think, apart from the processor, Asus MemoPad 7 HD can still be considered as an equal challenger for Nexus 7. Of course, in terms of overall specs, not performance (let alone gaming performance).

But it’s interesting to see how $150 tablet can offer a lot of things that $199 tablet can’t.


In the screen department, both Google Nexus 7 and Asus MemoPad 7 HD are handed with 720p resolution display. And both also come with 7-inch screen.

So as far as the screen sharpness is concerned, it’s no brainer if both devices are on the same level.

However, despite being made by the same company, Asus MemoPad 7 HD surprisingly has a great quality display.

Not only does it look sharp, but it also has great color reproduction and saturation. And according to CNET, the screen of this tablet looks really nice, colorful and sharp.

Meanwhile, Google Nexus 7 is also not too shabby at all with its 720p display. It still looks sharp and delivers an eye-pleasing experience to users, especially readers who love reading books.

The great thing is, this Google Nexus 7 is only tasked with 720p display. So it does give a huge advantage to its great gaming performance overall.

I mean, if this device is packing a higher 1080p display, then its performance especially for gaming probably will be similar to Kobo Arc 7 HD (Tegra 3 processor and full HD display) , which performs really sluggish for gaming.


Asus tablets have been widely known for its fully customized UI from the manufacturer itself.

Meanwhile, Google Nexus tablets always come with stock untouched Android UI. So in memory management, it’s definitely Google Nexus 7 that comes out as a more efficient tablet here than Asus MemoPad 7 HD.

But even so, having a customized UI from Asus is actually not that bad at all. It has more features, wallpapers, better visual presentations and better pre-loaded apps.

It goes the same with Google Nexus 7. Even though this device comes with pure stock Android UI without any added features, it actually makes this tablet perform much even faster and smoother, plus, more efficient with power management (battery life).

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So what do we have here?

Google Nexus 7 with its Tegra 3 processor, 12-core GeForce ULP GPU and 1GB of RAM, plus 720p display, while Asus MemoPad 7 HD has a quad-core MediaTek MT8125 processor, PowerVR SGX 544 GPU, 1GB and also 720p screen.

On paper, both of these tablets look promising, right?

However, in the real-world performance, it’s no-brainer that Google Nexus 7 will blow Asus MemoPad 7 HD out of the water in terms of gaming performance.

First of all, it handles GTA Vice City smoothly in full graphics, while Asus MemoPad 7HD doesn’t perform smooth when thrown with this game in full graphics.

So you cannot expect games like Asphalt 8: Airborne to run smoothly on this Asus MemoPad 7 HD.

It contradicts with Google Nexus 7. Thanks to its powerful Tegra 3 processor and a staggering 12-core GPU, this tablet really flies when handling games like Dead Trigger, GTA Vice City, NOVA 3, Modern Combat 4 or ShadowGun DeadZone.

It’s even capable to run Asphalt 8: Airborne in full highest graphics, although not as smooth as the 2013 edition of Google Nexus 7.

But even so, Asus MemoPad 7 HD is still pretty decent for playing games as it handles Minion Rush, Real Racing 3, ShadowGun Deadzone, GTA III and Dead Trigger in full graphics, while GTA Vice City can still be played smoothly in medium to low graphics.

I know this because I've already seen how they perform from some video reviews on YouTube.

However, despite being a better gaming tablet, Google Nexus 7 is actually not very ideal for gaming because it lacks microSD card slot, especially if you pick the 8GB model (which provides you probably less than 7GB of free storage).

Meanwhile, despite not having a great gaming performance, Asus MemoPad 7 HD comes with microSD card slot for up to 32GB.

So you can fill this device with a lot of media contents especially games without running out of storage.


In terms of camera, too bad Google Nexus 7 (2012) doesn’t have a rear-facing camera, as opposed to Asus MemoPad 7 HD that comes with 5MP rear-facing camera.

But there’s still 1.3MP front-facing camera that enables you to do video calls or selfies on Google Nexus 7.

On the other hand, according to CNET and PhoneArena, the rear-facing camera of Asus MemoPad 7 HD, which is 5MP, impressively is capable to take decent quality shots.

So if you're really into photography, your hobbies will be accommodated very well by this device.


Based on reviews from various sources, Google Nexus 7 was capable to survive in 9 hours and 49 minutes in moderate use.

Meanwhile, Asus MemoPad 7 HD could only last around 362 minutes or 6 hours 2 minutes.

I think this is not so shocking given that Asus MemoPad 7 HD comes with fully customized UI from Asus, filled with many added features, visual presentations and pre-loaded apps out of the box.

So despite using the same 720p display just like Google Nexus 7, the heavy software of Asus MemoPad 7 HD is definitely the culprit why it’s not able to last longer than Google’s tablet.


So in final conclusion, between Google Nexus 7 and Asus MemoPad 7 HD, i think there are some pros and cons found on both devices.

I mean, Asus MemoPad 7 HD only costs around $150 (probably less than that right now), so you cannot complaint anything on its build quality, design, battery life or performance.

Meanwhile, Google Nexus 7 was priced at $199 in 2012 (but probably far less cheaper than that right now), which is worth it for its powerful gaming performance, smooth experience and better build quality.

However, as a more expensive tablet, unfortunately Google Nexus 7 has less to offer compared to Asus MemoPad 7 HD.

It has no microSD card slot and no rear-facing camera, as opposed to Asus MemoPad 7 HD that comes with microSD card slot and 5MP rear-facing camera that takes decent quality shots.

So in the whole aspect, i think both devices are on the same level, apart from the gaming performance of course.

So to sum wrap up this comparison review, I’ll try to answer some of the questions I’ve previously asked above:

Which one between Google Nexus 7 and Asus MemoPad 7 HD that has what it takes to be a great gaming tablet?

It’s definitely Google Nexus 7 that has all the power of a great gaming tablet.

Thanks to its Tegra 3 processor, this device handles many heavy performing games smoothly, even in full graphics.

Which one is more powerful in gaming performance?

It’s no-brainer that Google Nexus 7 is more powerful for gaming than Asus MemoPad 7 HD.

Despite not having microSD card slot, Google Nexus 7 is no competition for Asus MemoPad 7 HD.

Is Google Nexus 7 a much better tablet in the whole aspect than Asus MemoPad 7HD?

No. Google Nexus 7 may have powerful gaming performance.

However, in the whole aspect, i think both tablets are pretty equal.

I mean, Asus MemoPad 7 HD has microSD card slot, a great 5MP rear-facing camera, 720p display and it only costs $150.

Meanwhile, at $199, Google Nexus 7 has no microSD card slot, no rear-facing camera and very limited available internal storage, although its gaming performance is really powerful than Asus MemoPad 7HD.

But if you ask my recommendation, instead of buying Asus MemoPad 7 HD or Google Nexus 7 (2012), you may want to switch to other better options like:
1. HP Slate7 Extreme ($199)
2. HP Slate7 Plus ($150)
3. HP Slate8 Pro
4. Xiaomi Mi Pad ($250)
5. Amazon Fire HDX 7 ($229)
6. Second-gen Google Nexus 7 2013 ($229)

These guys offer a much better gaming performance than either Asus MemoPad 7 HD or Google Nexus 7 (2012).


Google Nexus 7 (2012)

Pros:

• Regular software updates from Google
• Powerful gaming performance
• Super smooth experience with stock Android UI
• Great battery life
• Good build quality

Cons:

• NO microSD card slot
• NO rear-facing camera
• Some users experienced that this Nexus 7 tablet became laggy over the time especially when the internal storage is loaded with many files
• For today’s standards, it’s not so powerful anymore for playing heavy games

Asus MemoPad 7 HD

Pros:

• Sharp and gorgeous display
• Software is filled with many good features from Asus
• Its rear-facing camera takes decent photos and videos
• It’s cheap
• It has microSD card slot and a rear-facing camera (which Google Nexus 7 doesn’t have it)

Cons:

• Low build quality with cheap-looking glossy plastic finish
• It’s not powerful for gaming (with GTA Vice City running laggy)
• Its design is not appealing (considering its cheap price tag)
• Software is pretty heavy, consuming a lot of power from its battery

Have any question? Leave your comment here!