Google Nexus 7 is big in Japan – bigger than iPad

Japan is said to be one of the most technology savvy countries in the world, so when the Nexus 7 does better than Apple’s iPad in a survey about tablets, it’s definitely worth taking a look at. According to the survey of 2,400 electronics stores in Japan, the Nexus 7 had 44.4 percent of the market as opposed to the iPad’s 40.1 percent, as per a report by Japanese newspaper Nikkei. The survey was conducted by research firm BCN in December.

One of the biggest reasons for this is undoubtedly the prices of both the device. According to Nikkei, the price of the Nexus 7 is roughly $100 less than that of Apple’s least expensive tablet – the iPad mini. The report also noted, however, that the popularity of the Nexus 7 could also be attributed to the shortage of the iPad mini in Japan. But Nikkei points out that the price of the Nexus 7 is still a bigger factor.

Preferred over the iPad mini in Japan

Google had officially unveiled the Nexus 7 back in June 2012 during the Google I/O event. The pricing has been the biggest factor of the tablet all over the world, as it packed powerful hardware with a $200 price tag. The tablet comes equipped with a 7-inch IPS display that boasts a resolution of 1280 x 800 pixels and is powered by a 1.3GHz quad-core Tegra 3 chip. As for the memory, Google has given it 1GB of RAM, which is able to match up with the best in the business.

A newer refreshed version of the tablet was unveiled in October. The most important feature of the revised model of the Asus-manufactured Nexus 7 is its HSPA+ connectivity. The new Nexus 7 is available in 16GB and 32GB capacities. The 16GB version costs $199, which converts to roughly Rs 10,761. The 32GB version costs $249 (approximately Rs 13,465). The HSPA+ enabled Nexus 7 is able to operate on more than 200 GSM providers around the world.

A new challenger to the Nexus 7 is set to step into the ring in the form of the Acer Iconia B1. According to an earlier report, the tablet will be priced at $99, which is a full $100 less expensive than the Nexus 7. As of now, there is no confirmation of the final pricing, according to the report and pricing of this tablet will vary from country to country. The tablet is designed for developing markets and may not be available for purchase the world over.

This is not the first time details about the Acer Iconia B1 have surfaced. A leak on GLBenchmark has revealed some of the specifications of a tablet known as Acer Iconia B1-A71. This tablet will compete directly with the rumoured budget offering from Asus, which is codenamed ME172V and tipped to be a Nexus tablet.