Advantages of Android with a Nexus

[Revisore61790]

I'm looking to buy either an Asus Tranformer Infinity or a Google Nexus 10, and the only data I haven't been able to gather is in relation to the OS benefits of Nexus. Every review puts it as a plus of how Nexus 10 runs Android, but doesn't explain. The only things I know definitively are (1) devices other than Nexus don't update easily to new Android updates, and (2) features can be blocked/hidden on other Android devices, such as Kindle Fires and Nook HDs. Do these differences even play out with the Transformer Infinity? Also, what other differences are there in the OS between the two? By the way, I'm curious about the differences between how the devices would each run the same update, even though one ships with 4.0 and the other with 4.2.
Any input is greatly appreciated.

 

[Frederuco]

Welcome to the forum!

The Nexus devices run a version of Android that comes directly from Google. When Google announces a new OS, it is almost immediately ready for download to the devices.

A tablet like the Infinity runs a pretty "normal" version of Android, but it is still tweaked and customized by the OEM of the device. Asus tends to lag about 1-2 months behind the Google updates for their latest devices (currently the Infinity).

Tablets like the Kindle Fire line and the Nook run an heavily modified version of Android, and it lags quite a bit further behind the official updates. The Kindle Fire HD is based on ICS, but it is set up so you cannot download apps from the Google Play store, only through Amazon Appstore.

 

[Revisore61790]

Are there easy ways to undo the tweaks and customizations placed by the OEM for devices like the Infinity? Meaning, is it something as simple as installing a ROM? It seems right now that the battery life of the Nexus 10 far outweighs the benefits of the device when compared with the Infinity. I say that because I myself can't notice much of a difference with the screen resolution, the main advantage of the device.

 

[Frederuco]

Most of the tweaks that Asus does to their ROMs are drivers to make sure the cameras, WiFi and such work, and adding a few apps. They can be disabled if you do not want them. Asus also adds some custom quick settings in the notification panel which are pretty nice. I think Asus also has a button on the status bar at the bottom to lock it from accidental touches.

From what I can gather, the Nexus 10 advertises about 9 hours compared to the infinity 9.5 hours. Also, the Infinity display is an IPS+ and it can actually be used in direct sunlight (and pretty much watch your battery drain).

Other than that, the Infinity has larger storage option (32 GB and 64 GB) plus the Infinity can use a microSD card (up to 64 GB because that is the largest made at the moment). The Nexus 10 does not have a microSD slot.

As far as installing a custom ROM, the Infinity has a locked bootloader. You can unlock it, but you must register with Asus that you are doing this and it officially voids your warranty. The Nexus tablets have unlocked bootloaders so you should be able to load custom ROMs quite easily.