Google Nexus 10 first impressions

Following the success of the 7-inch Nexus 7, Google released its first entry into the 10-inch tablet space – the Samsung-made Nexus 10. We finally got our hands on one so check out our first impressions of this tablet after the break.

Let’s start with the obvious, the Nexus 10 is without a doubt a sleek looking device. It’s all black, thin with curved edges, yet creates an impression that it means business. On the front is a 10-inch True RGB Real Stripe PLS display with a resolution of 2560 x 1600 (300 ppi) topped with Gorilla Glass 2. Placed right above it is the 1.9 megapixel front-facing camera while on the sides are the speakers. The Nexus 10’s display is crisp, icons and texts are sharp with amazing viewing angles. However, it suffers a bit under direct sunlight but still viewable.

On landscape mode, right on top on the left are the power/lock button and volume rocker, on the right is the micro HDMI port, the microUSB port and headset jack on the left, while at the bottom is the magnetic pogo pin charger. Flip it on its back and you’ll see the 5 megapixel main camera and LED flash. The rest of the body is made of durable plastic with a non-glossy finish while the upper part where the main camera is placed is made of rubber with a dimpled design similar to the Nexus 7.

Google and Samsung skipped on the microSD card so you’re limited to the 16GB or 32GB variants being offered. The Nexus 10 runs Android 4.2 Jellybean out of the box but quickly prompted for the 4.2.1 update which we immediately downloaded. Preliminary benchmark tests shows AnTuTu giving it a score of 12,718, 3,806 on Quadrant Standard, while NenaMark gauged the GPU at 52.9 fps.

Google Nexus 10 specs:
10.1″ True RGB Real Stripe PLS, 2560×1600 @ 300ppi
Gorilla Glass 2
1.7GHz Exynos 5 Dual 5250
2GB RAM
Quad-core Mali T604 GPU
16/32GB non-expandable internal storage
5MP autofocus camera w/ LED flash
1080p video recording @30fps
1.9MP front-facing camera
WiFi 802.11 b/g/n
Bluetooth 4.0
NFC
9000mAh battery
Android 4.2 Jelly bean
Dimension: 8.9mm
Weight: 603g
Android 4.2.1 Jellybean

The purchased unit was the 16GB model which is available at Widget City for Php20,990USD 358INR 30,322EUR 341CNY 2,605. See listing here. We are still playing around with the Nexus 10 and so far we are impressed. Check back for a full review in the coming weeks.