Is there still a market for a new Nexus 7?

One of the more disappointing aspects of Google's lineup of devices of late has been the lack of seven inch representation. The Nexus 7 was, at the time, one of the best devices that Google introduced, from screen size to price point to specifications. The Nexus 7 has since grown old, with nary a replacement to be seen. The Nexus 9 came around, which in my experience was just fine until Marshmallow came along and hit it in the face with a frying pan. I suppose individual results will vary, but my Nexus 9 continually disappoints me, and I find myself longing for a replacement. But I don't necessarily want another nine-inch tablet. Seven-inch tablets are becoming more and more attractive to me.

Not long ago, I reviewed the LG Rolly Keyboard and came away pretty impressed with it. The Rolly Keyboard is an ultra compact, ultra portable keyboard that is incredibly comfortable to type on, to the point where it can actually supplant my laptop when I have writing to do. The Rolly allows me to grab a tablet and keyboard, as opposed to a full when productivity calls. More than that, a seven-inch tablet is preferable to a nine or ten inch tablet because it's that much more compact.

But Google has conspicuously left that form factor out of its lineup for the past two years, which is a shame. Apple's iPad Mini has shown that a smaller form factor is marketable. Other OEMs are still selling seven-inch tablets, so what gives, Google?

Already got that

Part of the problem may stem from the fact that some Android phones are coming in that size already. Devices like the Blu Studio 7.0 and the Ascend Mate 7 are cutting into the market for seven-inch tablets. If your phone is already seven inches, there isn't much of a demand for a tablet of the same dimensions. But seven-inch phones aren't all that common. More common is the 5.5-inch phone. But the difference between 5.5 inches and seven inches is actually pretty significant, especially at the screen resolutions we're seeing today.

So again we have to wonder what's up with the lack of seven-inch tablets. One could argue that a tablet's primary function is media consumption – Netflix, et al. That's not an unfair assumption, but a lot of media consumption happens on the go, and in some environments, a ten-inch tablet isn't necessarily the best form factor. When reading, A ten-inch tablet is damn near unwieldy. I know I don't love that, but maybe I'm in the minority.

Portability

To me a tablet is mostly about the portability that a laptop doesn't necessarily give you. A ten-inch tablet is more portable than a laptop to be sure, but a seven-inch tablet is even more portable, which in my world meets a tablet's goal the best. But we've spent a lot of time harping on why a seven-inch tablet is a good thing, but we haven't really addressed why we need a seven-inch Nexus tablet yet.

As I mentioned before, the Android tablet space is not without seven-inch offerings. If the purpose of the Nexus program is to provide a test bed for new operating systems in different form factors, there is a form factor that is woefully under represented right now. But if rumors are true and Google is contemplating bringing split screen functionality to stock Android, I'm not sure seven inches is the greatest test bed for that kind of function. Then again, the galaxy S6 edge, which is decidedly smaller than seven inches, works for split screen, so don't let that stop you google.

Back to basics

It's time for Google to get back to its roots. It's time for Google to bring a smaller form factor back to the Nexus line. It's also time for the Nexus tablet to fall back into the inexpensive category, something not seen since 2013, outside of Black Friday deals or purchases from Cliff Thomas. The Nexus tablets used to be small, cheap and decent. Now, to be perfectly frank, they are none of those. So lets make small big again Google. Bring back the seven-inch love.

Get your minds out of the gutter.

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