Last month Google announced an incredibly affordable 7 inch tablet called the Nexus 7. It’s going to hit the market later this month for just $199. Not only that, but it’s also going to come with a $25 for you to spend on whatever you can find in Google’s Play Store. If you’re an American, that means apps, movies, music, magazines, television shows, and books. If you’re in the UK however, then it’s pretty much just apps. Is Google being a dick here? No, it’s the content companies who are. Similar to how the unlimited music streaming service Spotify took three centuries to cross the Atlantic ocean and land in the colonies, it’s the same story when you try and go in the opposite direction. To give you some perspective, Netflix launched their streaming service in FreedomLand in 2008. Said service hit the UK in 2012. We can’t make this stuff up folks. And people honestly wonder why piracy exists. Sigh.
So how much is the Nexus 7 going to cost in the UK and when will it actually hit the market? It’s coming in July, just like it is in America, and the price is set to be 159 British Pounds. That’s roughly $250. Thank taxes for that. And as for free content, the UK Nexus 7 will include a voucher for 15 British Pounds worth of bits, roughly $23.40. Are there any Android tablet apps worth buying? That’s a difficult question to answer. We can think of a few Android smartphone apps worthy of a quid or two, but tablet apps? Nothing springs to mind.
Anyway, even without the magazines, or the books, or the movies, we still think the Nexus 7 is an incredible device. It’s stupid cheap, incredibly snappy, and it’s perfect for using around the house. We wish Google would introduce a model with cellular connectivity, and we have a gut feeling they will in due time.