Nexus 10 Reviews Hit the Web as Fourth-Generation iPad Sales Begin

Just as Apple begins sales of the fourth-generation iPad and the iPad mini today, the embargo has lifted on reviews of Google's Nexus 10 tablet announced earlier this week. The device, which is manufactured by Samsung, builds on the relative success of the Nexus 7 to go head-to-head with the full-size iPad with a screen packing even more pixels than Apple's iPad Retina display.

nexus 10 front
While tablet manufacturers have been able to make inroads on the market by targeting smaller 7-inch screen sizes, they have had less success competing directly against the full-size iPad. But as each new device packs in the latest features and specs, it is interesting to see how they compare to the iPad, which Apple has tried to keep at the head of the pack with its latest update offering double the performance compared to its predecessor.

Engadget

We'll type it again just because it's kind of neat: 2,560 x 1,600. That's an awful, awful lot of pixels in just a 10.1-inch PLS LCD panel -- way more than a 1080p HDTV contains. That it's in something that comfortably can be carried around, and that can be acquired for under $400, is quite a marvelous feat. It's good to live in the future.

And, indeed, things look fantastically sharp here. Text is rendered incredibly crisply and the UI looks better than ever. The first-party icons are all crisp and clean, though many third-party app icons do look like they could use a new, higher-resolution rendering. Thankfully, the apps themselves overwhelmingly look fine.

The Verge

The Nexus 10 feels like Google's open letter to developers. "Look how great Android tablets can be," the company seems to be saying, "if only you'd make great apps!" The Nexus 10's display is every bit the Retina's equal, the build quality is excellent, and it even has a half-decent set of speakers. Android 4.2 is more stable than ever, and Android does a lot of great things iOS simply doesn't. But you take it out of the box, say it's beautiful and fast... then what? Apple's tablet has 250,000-plus other apps that look and work great on a huge, high-res screen, and Android's ecosystem is leagues behind. The Nexus 10 is a great way to watch movies, but there's absolutely no way it's going to replace your laptop the way the iPad could.

nexus 10 back
ReadWrite

The Nexus 10, built by go-to Google partner Samsung, feels like it’s built for working and playing. It’s grippy and rubbery, and the edges have this gentle slope that fits in hands in a variety of ways. You can hold it with one hand. I found my favorite way to use it was resting on the palm of one hand, like a painter’s palette, using it with the other hand. I’d never do that with an iPad.

TechCrunch

It’s time for Google to step up to the plate and control the entire experience of Android and hardware. Does that mean that other hardware manufacturers should get the shaft? Maybe not, but I think Apple’s #1 genius move is that it controls the hardware and software.

Apple has an advantage, but Google is right there on the cusp of something amazing. Maybe you don’t agree with my statement that Android has a leg up for the tablet experience, but it’s worth thinking about.

Overall, reviewers seem to feel that the Nexus 10 is a quality tablet that is still being held back by issues with Android and content, although TechCrunch remains impressed by the tablet experience on Android. With pricing starting at $399 for a 16 GB model, those looking for an iPad alternative are hoping that momentum at the 7-inch size will help drive developers to better optimize the Android tablet experience and provide a viable competitor for the full-size iPad.

Popular Stories

iPhone 17 Pro Blue Feature Tighter Crop

iPhone 17 Pro Launching in Three Months With These 12 New Features

Saturday June 14, 2025 5:45 pm PDT by
The iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are three months away, and there are plenty of rumors about the devices. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models as of June 2025:Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an aluminum frame, whereas the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro models have a titanium frame, and the iPhone X through iPhone 14 Pro have a...
apple watch ultra 2 new black

Apple Watch Ultra 3 Finally Coming After Two-Year Hiatus

Monday June 16, 2025 8:45 am PDT by
Apple will finally deliver the Apple Watch Ultra 3 sometime this year, according to analyst Jeff Pu of GF Securities Hong Kong (via @jukanlosreve). The analyst expects both the Apple Watch Series 11 and Apple Watch Ultra 3 to arrive this year (likely alongside the new iPhone 17 lineup, if previous launches are anything to go by), according to his latest product roadmap shared with...
apple watch ultra snow

6 Features Coming to the Apple Watch Ultra 3

Tuesday February 25, 2025 9:00 am PST by
The Apple Watch Ultra 3 is expected to launch later this year, arriving two years after the previous model with a series of improvements. While no noticeable design changes are expected for the third generation since the company tends to stick with the same Apple Watch design through three generations before changing it, there are a series of internal upgrades on the way. By the time the ...
terminal macos tahoe

Apple's Terminal App Gets Colorful Redesign in macOS Tahoe

Monday June 16, 2025 4:12 am PDT by
Apple's Terminal app is getting a visual refresh in macOS Tahoe, and it's the first notable design update since the command-line tool debuted. The updated Terminal will support 24-bit color and Powerline fonts, according to Apple's State of the Platforms presentation at WWDC25. The app will also adopt the new Liquid Glass aesthetic with redesigned themes that align with macOS 26's broader...
Logitech Logo Feature

Logitech Announces Two New Accessories for WWDC

Friday June 13, 2025 7:22 am PDT by
Alongside WWDC this week, Logitech announced notable new accessories for the iPad and Apple Vision Pro. The Logitech Muse is a spatially-tracked stylus developed for use with the Apple Vision Pro. Introduced during the WWDC 2025 keynote address, Muse is intended to support the next generation of spatial computing workflows enabled by visionOS 26. The device incorporates six degrees of...
iPadOS 26 App Windowing

Apple Explains Why iPads Don't Just Run macOS

Friday June 13, 2025 7:46 am PDT by
iPadOS 26 allows iPads to function much more like Macs, with a new app windowing system, a swipe-down menu bar at the top of the screen, and more. However, Apple has stopped short of allowing iPads to run macOS, and it has now explained why. In an interview this week with Swiss tech journalist Rafael Zeier, Apple's software engineering chief Craig Federighi said that iPadOS 26's new Mac-like ...
iphone 16 pro models 1

17 Reasons to Wait for the iPhone 17

Thursday June 12, 2025 8:58 am PDT by
Apple's iPhone development roadmap runs several years into the future and the company is continually working with suppliers on several successive iPhone models simultaneously, which is why we often get rumored features months ahead of launch. The iPhone 17 series is no different, and we already have a good idea of what to expect from Apple's 2025 smartphone lineup. If you skipped the iPhone...

Top Rated Comments

MonkeySee.... Avatar
165 months ago
Those phone apps stretched on the 7" tabs will look awesome on a 10" tab :p
Score: 47 Votes (Like | Disagree)
KylePowers Avatar
165 months ago
The Nexus 10 feels like Google's open letter to developers. "Look how great Android tablets can be," the company seems to be saying, "if only you'd make great apps!" The Nexus 10's display is every bit the Retina's equal, the build quality is excellent, and it even has a half-decent set of speakers. Android 4.2 is more stable than ever, and Android does a lot of great things iOS simply doesn't. But you take it out of the box, say it's beautiful and fast... then what? Apple's tablet has 250,000-plus other apps that look and work great on a huge, high-res screen, and Android's ecosystem is leagues behind. The Nexus 10 is a great way to watch movies, but there's absolutely no way it's going to replace your laptop the way the iPad could.
Wait, what?

Okay, so I didn't read the full article, so maybe that's why I'm confused, but I'd imagine an Android tablet being a lot more capable of replacing a laptop than an iPad :confused:
Score: 25 Votes (Like | Disagree)
NIKKG Avatar
165 months ago
Apple stock dropped today under $590. It was over $700 a month ago, seems like the bubble is deflating.
Score: 24 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Yvan256 Avatar
165 months ago
The Nexus 10, built by go-to Google partner Samsung, feels like it's built for working and playing. It's grippy and rubbery, and the edges have this gentle slope that fits in hands in a variety of ways.
That's one thing I hate about Apple's product. The shiny shell is next to useless for a regular human being. I prefer holding my e-ink Kindle (rubbery back) than my iPod touch (stainless steel back).

Yes we can buy a shell for the Apple products, but it's still a flaw. Once again functionality loses over looks. These products are made to be used, not to be looked at on a display.
Score: 20 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Peppa Avatar
165 months ago
Trading in my iPad for a Nexus...after being able to customize the hell out of my galaxy s3 and in turn use it more efficiently...the iPad just feels frustratingly locked down.

I also like grippy rubber like that on the kindle over the cold metal on the iPad.

Apps will follow.

Google wins for my uses.

IMO Apple needs to do something new before consumers begin to shift...perhaps recent management shake-up is indicative of this.
Score: 19 Votes (Like | Disagree)
bushido Avatar
165 months ago
i cant wait to get my Nexus 4! time to try something new :) still love the apple ecosystem but i fell in love with Google Now and they got some great innovative features coming up
Score: 19 Votes (Like | Disagree)