The Combatants ~ The forthcoming Google Nexus 7, the first tablet with Android 4.1 Jelly Bean, takes on another solid, inexpensive tablet in Samsung's Galaxy Tab 2.

Their Physical Dimensions ~ The Galaxy Tab 2 is powered by a 1GHz processor, while the Nexus 7 runs at 1.2-1.3 GHz, depending on the number of cores being used. Picture quality is solid on both devices.

The Tab 2's screen is a 1,024-by-600-pixel TFT LCD display, while the Nexus 7 boasts a 1280-by-800, 7-inch IPS LCD screen.

On the camera front, the Nexus 7 eschews a rear facing camera, instead coming equipped solely with a 1.2 megapixel front facing camera. The Tab 2 has a 3.0 megapixel rear facing camera.

Lastly is storage, which the Nexus 7 lacks a bit of capacity in, with just 8 or 16 GB of storage (non-expandable). The Tab 2 has the same 8 or 16 GB of internal storage, but can also accept 32 GB microSD cards.

Advantage ~ Nexus 7

Their Inner Strength ~ As mentioned, the Nexus 7 is the first tablet running Android 4.1 Jelly Bean, while the Tab 2 has Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich. Performance across many apps is greatly improved with 4.1, and that's despite many of them not yet being optimized for the OS.

The Nexus 7 is also the first tablet to come with the Chrome browser, which provides greatly improved browsing speed compared to the stock Android browser, which Tab 2 users must rely on.

On the app front, the Nexus 7 will come preloaded with several apps and other premium content, as well as a $25 credit for the Google Play store. The Tab 2...doesn't.

Advantage ~ Nexus 7

The victor is...Google Nexus 7!

The Nexus 7 is a clear step up in performance without the same step up in price. The affordable tablet is a great introduction to the market for anyone looking to jump in, or an affordable upgrade for anyone who already has one sticking out of their pocket (possibly a Galaxy Tab 2 itself).

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