2012 Android Tablet Awards

To borrow the catchphrase from Google's arch nemesis, the Nexus 7 changed everything. Until the summer, Android had been proving as unpopular in tablets as it had been popular in phones. It wasn't for the lack of trying, but no matter what combination of specs, price, design or manufacturer, it was looking for all the world like Apple had the tablet market sewn up.

Then came the Nexus 7. Google took matters into its own hands, teamed up with Asus, a company with an already prestigious track record and produced a tablet that tore up the rule book. Tablets so far had either been powerful but expensive, or cheap and mediocre. The Nexus 7 combined the best of both - a fast quad-core processor, a near Retina resolution display, and premium design and build quality, and then priced it at a level that was affordable to just about everyone, and peilously close to the kind of impulse buy point that had caused the eReader market to rapidly explode before it. The result was the best-ever Android tablet - the best value, the best design, the best Android experience and the best for operating system updates. No surprise then that it became the best-selling Android tablet in the world.

There can be no doubt that the Nexus 7 is a game changing tablet. It stands alone as the best Android tablet, and arguably the best tablet of any kind.

Superior design

The Nexus 7 showed seven-inch tablets in a different light. With excellent design and build quality it was an altogether friendlier form factor.

Pure Jelly Bean Android

The Nexus 7 was the first device to run Jelly Bean and will be the first to get subsequent OS updates too. It shows off the power and leanness of Android without any clutter.

Incredible value

Nexus 7 tablets were no longer expensive toys. The incredibly aggressive pricing put it within reach of everyone without needing to justify the purchase.

Also Recommended:

Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 Combining the best bits of Samsung's pen-based Note devices, with the company's clever software tweaks and great hardware, the Note 10.1 ranked among the best of the larger screened tablets

Asus Transformer Pad Infinity. The Transformer Pad Infinity was nothing more than a major spec splurge from Asus. The highest res screen this side of an iPad 3 (and now, a Nexus 10), outstanding design and a battery that lasted the best part of a week, it was an amazing device.

Top five trends in tablets, in 2012 (source):

1.       Less money, more power. The combination of high quality at affordable prices revolutionised the tablet market. Whether it starts a race to the bottom in 2013 remains to be seen.

2.       Two devices in one. Adding extra functions gave tablets a real purpose. Asus Transformer range replaced the netbook, while the Galaxy Note 10.1 made pen and paper obsolete.

3.       To Retina and beyond. Pixel density is now one of the hottest topics for spec  hounds. Devices like the Nexus 10 and the Nook HD have taken tablets to Retina display levels and further.

4.       The new eReader. With the eReader market saturated, content was king. Budget tabs from Google, Amazon and Barnes & Noble were built for selling music, video and books.

5.       Great for gaming. The arrival of quad-core processors turned tablets into a viable gaming platform, and the number of A list titles increased massively as a result.