Google Nexus 7 (2012) VS HP Slate8 Pro Specs Comparison

Earlier, I’ve just showed you the comparison review between Google Nexus 7 against one of HP tablets, HP Slate7 Plus.

(Google Nexus 7 (2012) VS HP Slate8 Pro Specs Comparison)

Given their identical spec sheets, i think both devices are equal when it comes to performance, especially for gaming.

Today, I’m still in a great mood to compare Google Nexus 7 with another tablet from HP.

However, unlike the HP tablet in my previous comparison review, this time, I’m going to pit Google Nexus 7 side-by-side with HP Slate8 Pro, which is equipped with Tegra 4 processor, as opposed to the Tegra 3 found inside HP Slate7 Plus.

The thing that makes this comparison review interesting is definitely their gaming performances.

I mean, even though HP Slate8 Pro is obviously a more powerful tablet than Google Nexus 7, I still want to see exactly how these 2 guys fare against each other in terms of gaming performance.


So if you’re also interested as I am to learn more about their performances for gaming, as well as the entire aspect of these 2 devices, then here you go, my comparison review between Google Nexus 7 and HP Slate8 Pro.


When pitted against other Tegra 4 tablet from HP in my previous comparison review – which was HP Slate7 Extreme –, we’ve already seen exactly what made HP Slate7 Extreme a far better tablet than Google Nexus 7, either for gaming or as a media-consumption tablet.

It has a way more impressive gaming performance, it has a great 5MP rear-facing camera that takes decent quality shots, it has an amazing digital pen (stylus) with amazing note-taking experience, it has more powerful Tegra 4 processor, it has a good sound quality, it has microSD card slot and many more.

Now we’ve got another Tegra 4 tablet from HP to compete again with Google Nexus 7.

On paper, it’s really obvious that Google Nexus 7 is not in the same league as HP Slate8 Pro.

It has lower resolution screen, it has an older-gen processor, it doesn’t have a rear-facing camera, it doesn’t have microSD card slot and its screen is smaller than the one found on HP Slate8 Pro.

So I think it's really easy to make a quick guess that HP Slate8 Pro is a better tablet than Google Nexus 7.

But the questions still remain. With all of the great things found on HP Slate8 Pro compared to Google Nexus 7: is HP Slate8 Pro tablet a better gaming tablet than Google Nexus 7?

Which one between these 2 devices that is a better tablet in the whole aspect?

Is it worth it to buy HP Slate8 Pro over Google Nexus 7?

Well, hopefully we will find out more about the answers of these questions at the end of this review. So be sure to stay tuned until you get to the final conclusion of this review.


On almost every Nexus device, Google always takes a big role in designing the tablet, despite being made by its partners (manufacturers).

So every Nexus device has the similar characteristic and design.

And that can be clearly seen on this Google Nexus 7. This device kind of looks similar with Samsung GALAXY Nexus or LG Nexus 4, with rounded corners and the flat-shaped trimming around the bezels, although Nexus smartphones usually have curved design on top and bottom sides.

But that’s actually the thing that makes this device look cool and even sexy, especially compared to other regular 7-inch tablets out there on the market, which mostly look generic and similar.

On the other hand, I think HP Slate8 Pro kind of looks like the iPad mini especially because it uses the same 4:3 aspect ratio just like Apple's mini tablet, which makes it look wider horizontally.

But of course, the design of this 8-inch tablet is on the other side of the road with iPad mini.

Unfortunately, there’s no digital pen found on HP Slate8 Pro, just like the one provided on HP Slate7 Extreme.

I mean, it would be awesome if HP also provided that stylus along with its technology on this 8-inch tablet (which is developed by N-Trig), especially when knowing that this tablet is also powered by the same Tegra 4 processor just like HP Slate7 Extreme.

Between the 2, i think both tablets are good in terms of design. They have their own characteristics compared to other devices out there and their build qualities are good, if not great.

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Google Nexus 7 (2012)

HP Slate8 Pro

Released in July 2012 7.0 inch 800 x 1280 pixels LED-backlit IPS LCD capacitive touchscreen (~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 Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n Bluetooth NFC USB Infrared GPS No GPRS No EDGE No Radio No Java Non-removable Li-Ion 4325 mAh battery

Released December 2013 No SIM 8.0 inch 1200 x 1600 pixels Capacitive touchscreen (~250 ppi pixel density) Nvidia Tegra 4 T40 S Quad-core 1.8 GHz Cortex-A15 CPU 1 GB RAM Android OS, v4.2.2 (Jelly Bean) 8 MP Camera, autofocus, LED flash microSD card slot for up to 32 GB 16 GB Internal storage Bluetooth USB Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n Java No Radio Beats Audio sound enhancement GPS Non-removable Li-Po 5680 mAh battery

Specs-to-specs, of course Google Nexus 7 has to give the crown to HP Slate8 Pro because this HP device comes with much better and more powerful hardware.

Not to mention, there are many things on HP Slate8 Pro – which are really vital for a great tablet – sadly cannot be found on Google Nexus tablet, from microSD card slot, a rear-facing camera and LED flash.

But that’s still acceptable given that Google Nexus 7 was released a year before HP Slate8 Pro came out. So no wonder if this HP's tablet came with newer-gen hardware and software.

Anyway, Google Nexus 7 is equipped with a 7-inch display sporting the 720p resolution (1280x800 pixels), a quad-core Tegra 3 processor, 1Gb of RAM, 12-core GeForce ULP GPU, 8GB/16GB/32GB of internal storage, 4325mAh battery and some other standard features like NFC, USB, Infrared, GPS and other important things.

But as mentioned above, there is no microSD card slot, rear-facing camera and cellular connectivity found on this device (although you can get the 3G model if you want).

Meanwhile, HP Slate8 Pro looks superior with an 8-inch display sporting the 1200x1600 pixels, a quad-core Tegra 4 processor, 1GB of RAM, a staggering 72-core GeForce ULP GPU, an 8MP rear-facing camera with LED flash, microSD card slot for up to 32GB, 5680mAh battery and Beats Audio sound enhancement.

Not to mention, this device comes pre-installed with slightly newer Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean, as opposed to the Android 4.1 Jelly Bean on Google Nexus 7.

So from the spec department, we can totally see how HP Slate8 Pro is a much better more prepared tablet than Google Nexus 7.


In terms of display, HP Slate8 Pro actually kind of reminds me with Apple’s mini tablet. And that’s because both devices are using 4:3 aspect ratio on their displays.

However, in terms of sharpness, of course iPad mini is more superior than HP Slate8 Pro with its Retina display (2048x1536 pixels VS 1600x1200 pixels).

On the other hand, Google Nexus 7 looks really humble with its 7-inch display sporting the 720p resolution.

So you can make a quick conclusion which one between Google Nexus 7and HP Slate8 Pro that comes out as the winner here when it comes to screen sharpness.

But even so, having the 720p resolution on a small 7-inch display actually still delivers an eye-pleasing experience to most users, especially for watching movies or playing games.

Of course, having 1600x1200 pixel resolution on an 8-inch display of HP Slate8 Pro definitely brings a much better experience to users.

Text looks clear and more crisp, images look vivid and everything on the screen can be read easily even without doing the pinch-to-zoom gesture.

The amazing thing about HP Slate8 Pro is actually its performance.

Even with a higher-resolution display, this device with its Tegra 4 processor still delivers a fast and powerful performance for gaming.

But then again, that’s not so shocking given that Tegra 4 processor is still more than adequate to handle higher than 720p display.

So playing games on this device is definitely a blast experience to users. But we’ll get more on that later.


One of the things I really like and even a big fan of from Google Nexus devices is definitely their stock pure Android UIs.

And that’s exactly the one thing found on Google Nexus 7.

Right out of the box, you can straightly enjoy the smooth and fast experience of stock Android Jelly Bean without any added customizations from the manufacturer, or in this case, Asus.

It actually goes the same with HP. Unlike Samsung, Asus, Sony and other Android devices manufacturers, HP is not a big fan of fully-customized Android OS.

So no wonder if most of its tablets come with stock Android UIs right from the start.

HP Slate8 Pro is no exception.

Even though HP adds some pre-loaded apps related to its company like printer app and some other HP-related apps, this manufacturer doesn’t do a complete overhaul to the UI of this tablet, either from the layout or the pre-loaded Google apps.

And this means great because by using a stock pure Android UI, not only does this device perform much faster and smoother, but it’s also more efficient with the use of memory (RAM) and battery life.

But of course, given its power-hungry Tegra 4 processor, not to mention its higher-resolution display, you cannot expect this 8-inch tablet to have the same long battery life as Google Nexus 7.

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Talking about the gaming performances of both devices is actually the thing that I really like the most in this comparison review.

And that’s because both of Google Nexus 7 and HP Slate8 Pro are powered by NVIDIA Tegra processors, which are known to have great performances for gaming.

And that’s true because Google Nexus 7 and HP Slate8 Pro have great gaming performances.

According to GL Benchmark 2.1.2, Google Nexus 7 scored higher (53 fps) than Kindle Fire HD (25 fps), while on Geekbench v2, this device blew Kindle Fire HD out of the water.

The same thing happened to HP Slate 8 Pro.

When pitted against Google Nexus 7 (2013 edition with Snapdragon S4 Pro), this 8-inch tablet scored far better in GFXBench (Egypt 2.5 HD on screen) benchmark with 48.6 fps, as opposed to Nexus 7 (2013) that scored only 11 fps, which is significantly lower.

So from right here, we can straightly see how powerful HP Slate8 Pro really is even when compared with the second-gen Google Nexus 7.

And that means, this device is obviously a way more powerful than the 2012 edition of Google Nexus 7 in this review.

In the real-world performance, HP Slate8 Pro looks far more superior than Google Nexus 7 as this 8-inch tablet is capable to swallow Asphalt 8: Airborne, Modern Combat 5, NFS Most Wanted, Dead Trigger 2, GTA San Andreas and NOVA 3 all smoothly in full highest graphics.

On the other hand, Google Nexus 7 is really struggling to play GTA San Andreas in full graphics, while Asphalt 8: Airborne – even though playable -, it doesn’t run quite smoothly compared to HP Slate8 Pro.

The other things that make HP Slate 8 Pro a better gaming tablet than Google Nexus 7 are its higher-resolution display and the support of microSD card slot.

And the latter is really vital because if you’re running out of space in internal storage, you have to move or delete some of the files or favorite games on this tablet before installing the new ones.

And that can be quite annoying for users, especially die hard gamers.


In terms of camera, HP Slate8 Pro is definitely a much better offering than Google Nexus 7.

It has an 8MP rear-facing camera along with LED flash, as opposed to Google Nexus 7 that has no rear-facing camera at all.

So if you’re really into photography, then HP Slate8 Pro will accommodate your hobby very well.

Its quality may not be as great as other flagship tablets on the market like iPad mini Retina or Samsung GALAXY devices, but at least, it still gets the job done and I believe the photos taken by this tablet are still worth sharing to your Instagram or Twitter followers.


HP Slate8 Pro comes with a bigger 5680mAh battery inside, compared to Google Nexus 7 that is equipped only with 4320mAh battery.

So on paper, HP Slate8 Pro seems like a long lasting performer than Nexus 7.

Well, that’s actually true because according to battery benchmark test based on various sources, HP Slate8 Pro is capable to survive in 11 hours and 30 minutes in video playback.

Okay, this may not explain a lot regarding its battery life, but I think this already shows us that this device is still powerful – despite using a much higher-resolution display and a more power-hungry processor.

Meanwhile, as for Google Nexus 7, according to many sources, this device also has an impressively battery life, probably thanks to its medium-resolution display and less power-hungry processor.

But i think their stock Android UIs are also the other one that takes an integral part to make both of these devices long lasting in battery life.


So in my final conclusion, I think it’s really easy for me to recommend HP Slate8 Pro to you, rather than Google Nexus 7.

And it’s obviously because this 8-inch tablet from HP has a lot more to offer to users, especially gamers, than Google Nexus 7.

First of all, it comes with a Tegra 4 processor, which means, it’s gonna be a beast for gaming.

So all heavy 3D games, any Android games that you see today on Google Play Store - YES - you can throw them all on this device and it will still perform smoothly even in full graphics.

And then, there are microSD card slot, a great 8MP rear-facing camera with LED flash, a much higher resolution display, a better 4:3 aspect ratio, bigger battery with long lasting battery life and everything about it is just so much even better than Google Nexus 7.

Not to mention, there’s one also issue that has been plaguing Google Nexus 7, which probably could scare you away from getting this device in the first place.

So according to what I’ve heard from its users, this tablet suddenly became laggy and buggy after a few months of use.

Many people believed that its low-quality flash storage was the one to blame over this problem.

So if you’re planning to get this Nexus 7 tablet in the near future, you must be well aware of this issue.

So to sum this up, let me answer some of the questions I’ve already asked previously above:

Is HP Slate8 Pro tablet a better gaming tablet than Google Nexus 7?

Yes of course. It has a more powerful Tegra 4 processor and 72-core GeForce ULP GPU (as opposed to the Tegra 3 and 12-core GPU on Google Nexus 7).

And in real-world performance, it’s already shown perfectly how powerful HP Slate8 Pro really is than Google Nexus 7.

Which one between these 2 devices that is a better tablet in the whole aspect?

HP Slate8 Pro is definitely the better tablet in the whole aspect than Google Nexus 7.

It has a much higher-resolution display, a more powerful processor and GPU, it has microSD card slot, a rear-facing camera and everything about it is just better than Google Nexus 7.

Is it worth it to buy HP Slate8 Pro over Google Nexus 7?

Yes, definitely. If you’re planning to buy HP Slate8 Pro, don’t hesitate because it’s a great tablet either for gaming, watching movies and many other things.

It’s just far better than Google Nexus 7.


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

HP Slate8 Pro

Pros:

• It's extremely cheap now ($125)
• Great gaming performance thanks to Tegra 4
• Pure stock Android OS
• a decent 8MP rear-facing camera
• a higher-resolution display (almost full HD)
• It has microSD card slot and a rear-facing camera (which Google Nexus 7 doesn't have them)

Cons:

• It's probably plagued with overheating issue just like on any other Tegra 4 tablets
• There's no digital pen/stylus just like the one found on its sibling, HP Slate7 Extreme

Have any question? Leave your comment here!