Google Nexus 7 gets Android 4.1.1 update; performance tweaks, Wallet added

Google seems to be quite proactive when it comes to their first ever seven-inch tablet, as updates have already started rolling out, even before the tablet hits retail. Those who walked away from Google I/O with a brand new Nexus 7 are reporting a new 4.1.1 update that’s being pushed to these devices over-the-air (OTA). Other than a light bump in the version number, the update (about 12.6MB in size) brings a noticeable performance boost to Jelly Bean across the system. If you haven’t installed Google Wallet already, the update will install it for you. The tablet should start shipping in the US and other countries in the next couple of days, so if you can’t wait to get your hands on one then you will have to ask someone to get it from these countries or hit the grey markets. It’s still not known whether Google - by which we mean Asus - will officially launch the tablet here in India, but one can still hope.

Now updated to 4.1.1

The Google Nexus 7 tablet comes with storage capacities of 8GB and 16GB, and the brand has priced it extremely competitively at $199 and $249, respectively. For those not in the know, this model comes equipped with a seven-inch IPS display that boasts a resolution of 1280 x 800 pixels and is powered by a 1.3 GHz quad-core Tegra 3 chip. As for the memory, Google has added 1GB of RAM, which should enable the tablet to match up with the best in the business. This tablet should be a gamer’s delight  and Google has touted it as a serious gaming device with its two-core NVIDIA GeForce GPU.

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As far as connectivity is concerned, there had been rumours that the Google Nexus 7 tablet would not come equipped with 3G connectivity in order to keep the price to a minimum and the brand has done just that. The connectivity options found on the  Nexus 7 include Wi-Fi a/b/g/n, Bluetooth and NFC capabilities. This tablet also comes with Google Wallet pre-installed. As for the camera featured here, it comes as no surprise that Google has added only a front-facing camera that can be used for video calls, but what is interesting is that this camera can shoot HD 720p videos. When it comes to the size, this seven-inch tablet measures 198.5 x 120 x 10.5 mm and weighs 340 g. These dimensions allow it to go head-to-head with the Amazon Kindle Fire. The Google Nexus 7 will be the first device running on Google’s latest operating software, which is Android 4.1 Jelly Bean. As far as availability is concerned, we’re expecting it to be launched sometime in September.