The Google Nexus 7 tablet is landing later this month. It represents the best in Android for an insanely low price, but will a serious lack of content affect its success on these shores?
Before we go any further, let us say this: the Nexus 7 is a fine looking machine. On paper it’s got it all where it counts, plus a bit more when you consider that it’s all squished in to a 7-inch frame. The 1.3GHZ Tegra 3 processor, 10 hour battery life and HD display are all premium product specs, but it’s selling for just £159.
But there’s a problem. Google’s launch event made it clear that the Nexus 7 is about devouring content from the Play Store, and to that end Google’s done deals with movie studios, TV networks, record labels and magazine publishers to stuff it full of boredom-sappers… In the US, at least.
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Over here it’s a different story. Speaking to the Inquirer, a Google spokesperson has revealed that “The UK version will feature all of the options currently available in the UK Play store,” but nothing new. That means that The Nexus 7 won’t be able to access any of Google’s music, TV shows or magazines.
That’s a bit of a kick in the nuts, especially given the fact that the storage options on board are just 8 and 16GB; Google wants the Nexus 7 to be a cloud-based device that feeds you content only when you need it. If those options are limited, it’s going to fill up pretty quickly when you try to get your content from elsewhere.
Suddenly that £159 seems a bit less value-tastic. The worst thing? The fact that Google’s had a while to get Google Music to the UK and hasn’t yet managed, says to us that it’s in no hurry.
