Published on 20 Oct 2013 | The Nexus 10 has a beautifully sharp screen. It's light, durable, and has the fastest processor of any Android tablet. Photo Sphere is an incredibly cool concept. Google's content ecosystem is only getting better.
The included charger isn't fast enough to power the battery while playing a game; even while idle, it charges painfully slowly. There's no storage expansion option, and apps that take full advantage of the screen are currently few and far between. Navigating isn't quite as seamless as on the Nexus 7.
The Nexus 10's superior design and swift performance make it one of the best Android tablets to date.
The Nexus 10 was of a prerelease version. On March 14, 2013, we took another look at the device, focusing on software support for its high-resolution screen, the now nearly mythical Pogo charger Google announced at release, and checking in on Miracast support; another feature mentioned at release but yet to actually be delivered. We also followed up to see if any performance issues or bugs we experienced at release have been addressed.
It's the first question anyone asks when they're interested in a tablet: "Is it as good as the current iPad? For the Google Nexus 10, the overall answer is "no." The iPad is still the best tablet experience one can have, thanks to its still unmatched performance and robust app and media ecosystem.
That said, if you have no interest in owning an Apple product anyway, but are still in the market for a premium tablet, the Nexus 10 should be at or near the top of your list. The choice isn't as cut and dry as it should be, unfortunately. Your other go-to Android option -- the Transformer Infinity -- still has a better back camera, a brighter screen, expandable storage, and comes with a power adapter that's actually proficient at charging the tablet.
The Nexus 10's stock charger uses its Micro-USB port to charge and -- as it turns out -- that's not the most efficient way to charge a high-end tablet. Overnight charging will be fine, but if you ever need to charge in a hurry, there are currently no other options. Google mentioned a Pogo charger option at release, but has been mum on the subject ever since.
So why is the Nexus 10 potentially the best Android tablet? Its screen is gorgeous and the sharpest around compared with any tablet, and it is the most comfortable 10-inch tablet to hold in your hand with a durability that ensures you won't immediate blow a gasket if your kids drop it. Furthermore, it's the first tablet to run Android 4.2, which brings with it great new features -- Photo Sphere, which lets you capture a three-dimensional model of a real-world space, is one of the coolest I've ever experienced on a tablet.
For most, the iPad is still the tablet of choice, but for those looking for an alternative to Apple's much more constrained OS, Google has delivered one of the best yet. Like the Nexus 7 before it, the Nexus 10 marks a significant step toward a much more competitive tablet market, and its design heralds a new paradigm from which all other tablets should consider cribbing ASAP.
Just for the record, in the 7-inch tablet space, it's the Nexus 7, not the iPad Mini, that currently reigns as the best small tablet
The Google Nexus 10 is one of the best designed tablets yet. At 1.33 pounds, it's fairly light and has a slightly concave shape, with a subtly beveled back design. Thanks to its light weight and smoothly rounded corners the tablet never digs into your palms when held with two hands. The back is a soft, grippy, almost rubbery plastic that not only feels great to hold, but doubles as protection for the tablet. The aforementioned rounded corners have that same rubbery plastic around them. The whole outer shell feels almost like an exoskeleton accessory, specifically designed to protect the delicate tablet organs inside.
