By 
Looks like the troubles for the 16 GB Nexus 7 continues for Google, who have decided to stop offering it from their own Play store after the shambolic pre-order situation. The 8 GB is still available, and shipping is in 3-5 days. The tablet clearly has a huge demand, with the majority preferring the 16 GB version primarily because of the lack of expandable storage.
Some have stated that the 16 GB variant is still available at some brick-and-mortar stores, like Best Buy, so if you should probably look to head over to check it up. Additionally, an interesting theory I read these stores still have stock is that Google’s sending them pretty large shipments on their demands. The stores apparently have a very tight margin on the 8 GB version, and would much rather simply offer the 16 GB.
Honestly, though, I don’t think this is the end of the 16 GB from Google Play. How much ever they would want to maintain relationships with the stores, the entire purpose of the Nexus 7 was to promote Google Play. My guess is that the stores just overstocked expecting the rush, and/or Google sent them larger shipments to make sure the device is available while they solve chinks in their own deliveries.
I saw it yesterday on Walmart.com
I picked one up from staples yesterday and am loving it!
Really glad I didn’t pre order
I’m feeling very fortunate that I both got mine and that it doesn’t have any apparent flaws in workmanship.
you and me both! Mine is flawless in every way I can tell. (16GB). I literally pre-ordered one in the first 5 minutes it went up on the Google play store. I had been waiting too long for a Nexus tablet to let it pass me by! =P This tablet just works wonderfully, I’m not suprised it is in such high demand. Even if you ignore the price its still extremely high quality, then on top of that, add in the dirt cheap price. Its a winner in my book.
I am glad I pre ordered. Because I absolutely love the N7 and had I not pre-ordered I would be reading about it and not have one in my hands. I certainly wasn’t about to drive store to store to find one. I’m a busy guy with a lot to do. I don’t have that kind of time nor do I want to spend free time doing that. Saved me the hassle. While I feel bad for some who are still waiting on theirs, but more than likely they will get it before the next batch goes out and that is a much better feeling than wondering when you can buy one while sitting at home reading more articles on it.
Same here. The store that I stopped in at had about a half-dozen it appeared. I think that they’d just gotten a shipment since the tech guys were a bit surprised that they had any.
I snatched the last one at my local Sam’s yesterday.
Not trying to be a jerk, but you guys really need to proofread a little more thoroughly before hitting the “publish” button.
Uncharacteristically sloppy for Raveesh.
Not only do they need to proofread, they might want to think about their editorializing a little bit as well. Do they really expect us to believe that “the entire purpose of the Nexus 7 was to promote Google Play”?
16gb was always going to be the bigger seller & proved Google made the mistake of not offering expandable storage. They need a 32gb model in the form factor I would bet that would outsell the 8gb model too
The lower memory configurations are just one more aspect of the relative crippling to make sure Samsung, acer, etc. still have a reason to produce competing, unsubsidized, full-featured 7″ tablets. The Nexus 7 is not well suited at all to being a video device. You need to use a separate DLNA renderer; you can’t connect USB storage (without hacking it); and it has little available memory for large video files.
This was not a mistake; it was by design.
I’m waiting for a $250 7″ tablet with good video flexibility from acer or another ASUS tablet . . . And I am sure acer is glad I’m waiting, and I hope lots more people, especially established android users, are seeing the wisdom in waiting too.
Had google not done this, they would have bought the whole 7″ market.
This is what is killing me. I want a high-spec pure Google tablet/phone, and I’ve now realised that it will just NEVER happen. As it is, I have to pick between the best hardware OR the best software. Honestly tempted to jump ship to the Walled Garden now I know I’ve been waiting for nothing.
ASUS is already promising an upgrade to Jelly Bean for its other tablets in the coming months, and it did upgrade to ICS quickly. Acer similarly has been getting out updates quickly. So, with these two companies, especially ASUS, you can get both, you just won’t get it subsidized.
Seems to me like some people want to have their cake and eat it too – for next to nothing. It’s not going to happen anytime soon. Eventually yes, but not right now. At the price point the Nexus 7 is selling at, it’s a bargain and will be more than adequate for the majority of users.
For those that want more storage, it can be hacked to provide that via USB – after all it’s a Nexus and hacking it will be a breeze. If none of that is good enough, then jump ship but you’ll have to pay for the privilege and in the end still may end up disappointed.
No, I just want to eat a sandwich. Having my cake and eating it too would be having a subsidized tablet that is also full-featured. The Nexus 7 is clearly not that.
I do want to impress on the other android fans the limitations of the Nexus 7. This tablet was made to bring Kindle Fire users into the Google Play fold — and to bring iOS users and those who have no tablet into android land. It is cheap enough that if they find they like android, they’ll be willing to shed out more dough to get a full-featured tablet.
The Nexus 7 was not designed for current android tablet users unless you just want to add an eBook reader to your collection. More power to the hackers who have enough money to own several, several devices and try to make the N7 more free, but for those who can only afford one 7″ tablet, when the other low-priced, full-featured 7″ tablets start coming out this month and next, they will regret being an early adopter. No wired video-out permanently cripples the N7. They’ll wish they had waited for a full sandwich too.
“The Nexus 7 was not designed for current Android users unless you want to add and ebook reader to your collection”
Wrong. It totally depends on what current Android tablet you have. Original TAB users like myself who prefer the smaller form factor will find the N7 a huge improvement in terms of screen res / speed / features like NFC and the micro-usb port and access to the wealth of hacks available (and that are going to be available) for it. Users of the Nook and Kindle (even the fire) who wanted more from a tablet but liked the size will see the N7 as a viable unit to jump to. It does everything the typical user will want from a tablet and then some.
Of course it can’t be expected to satiate everyone’s needs. You pointed out external video. Ok I haven’t looked into whether that’s possible with a hack, but I’m going to give you the benefit of the doubt here. In that case, the N7 isn’t for you but you are the exception not the norm.
The upcoming 7″ tablets will be very similar, except that the screen resolution may very well be lower (give this obstacle a bit more time to be overcome as well), and they may not have NFC. I like NFC too, especially in a phone, but it does have limited usefulness for most people still . . . The high resolution screen is great for reading text.
So, what I said basically stands. I guess if you already have an android device with wired video-out that you always carry (or DLNA screens wherever you go), then the N7 can make a fully capable Digital Media Controller. Still, I’d much rather the 7-inch tablet I carry be capable of actually holding videos itself and being the renderer instead of being limited to the controller. Sometimes I want to use my phone while watching a movie/video. That is hard to do if your phone is the renderer.
So, for those who are sure they will never want to use their tablet for video (which just sounds weird to me), or those who fit into one of the rather narrow situations above, the N7 is fine. It will be great for gaming and it will make a great eBook reader. An all-around device it is not. Google’s removal of the hdmi-out and micro-USB from the ASUS MeMO 370T in making the N7 just verifies what I am saying. They were not removed so much for cost savings or form factor control as they were to preserve the general 7″ market for the other manufacturers. Why is this so hard to see?
I get that you seem to want certain features the N7 doesn’t have or can’t easily provide, I get that. But remember, this isn’t a subsidized tablet – it’s the price they’re selling at outright. An Ipad 3 wifi (16gb) on Amazon is around $500 (490 in some places). That’s the cost of 2 16gb N7s. The original tab was $500-600 and it can’t compare to the N7 so it’s very likely Google is losing on this. Nobody right now is going to offer a high-end tablet for the kind of money Google is asking for the N7. It’s going to be a while like I mentioned before.
If you need video out and max storage on board then like I said before you’ll have to pay for it. I still maintain that the majority of tablet users will be just fine with the N7.
Haha, still don’t get this ridiculous “wired” out video theory at all? If I am near a TV, what do you I need a tablet for? Most TV’s have USB options as well as some set top boxes so if I want to watch a movie I just plug in the USB, why do I need my tablet. Also, are you telling me you want to play games on your tablet, but on a bigger screen? Uh, get a video game console then, lol. Tablets are made to be portable. I’m not saying some people won’t be hoping for this but you are in the minority. I’m so glad they kept frilly crap out of this and not drive up the price like you are asking for.
Fewer than 10-20% of the big screens and projectors I’m around have USB connectors, and when they do, the codecs they support are limited. I do not need to transcode all my videos to suit SONY, Epson, Microsoft, etc. With an android tablet or phone, I can play just about any video I have or will likely encounter. I can do this at home, but mostly it would be for class presentations and meetings and such where there are often only legacy devices available. They need wires.
And I never said I wanted to play games on a big screen. That is one case where using DLNA as a Digital Media Controller would actually be sufficient. Playing a game on a tablet with a cable coming out is just too awkward. Try actually reading the comment next time, Joshua.
An 8gig $199 model benefits the entire line for its marketing ability. My observation is that if you spread the line out too much and offer a lot of configurations it tends to turn the masses off to the point they don’t even want to make the effort to figure out what they want. This is how the mainstream generally buy products.
That observation is called The Paradox of Choice, but in this case, there’s only TWO, so it shouldn’t hurt people with Apple-like-brains to make a choice greater than ONE. :)
Yet another Google / Android launched with a compete screw up. It’s crap like this that will steer people towards other platforms and devices.
It shipped right when they said it would. So what the retail stores got it a few days earlier. Big whoop. It’s out there. It rocks. And so do Google and Asus.
People not getting pre-orders first is reason to switch to an iPhone or Black Berry or Windows 7? Wow. I bet you wear your phone as a fashion accessory on your hip.
Grammar Nazi alert. I everyone lock away your computers!
I everyone? :D LOL
Preordered mine, and arrived last night luckily.
I ordered my 7. Shipped the same day. Got it yesterday.
My local Staples is showing in stock, and next closest is showing low stock. Just may run down and grab one today, against my better judgment. My son is flying direct to Rome.. 9 hrs. Needs some more entertainment.
…. EDITED.