Key Difference: The Slate supports a 7-inch 1,024 x 600 display and is powered by a dual-core A9 processor. It also includes 16GB internal storage and 1GB RAM. The tablet offers a primary camera of 3MP and a VGA (basic) secondary camera. According to engadget, the stainless steel frame offers some rigidity and the matte finish of the back is pleasing to the hands. It offers vibrant colors and also equips Beats Audio enhancement. The Nexus 7 is a tablet computer running Android 4.1 (also named Jelly Bean) operating system. It was developed in collaboration with Asus. It was the first tablet in the Google Nexus series and features a 7-inch (180 mm) display, an Nvidia Tegra 3 quad-core chip, 1 GB of RAM, and 8, 16 or 32 GB of internal storage.

Tablets have become a big deal in the market because of their mini-computer status. It is similar to a computer that has become easier to carry. Then came the ‘phablet’, a hybrid of phones and tablets. The constant change in technology allows users to pick phones, tablets and computers depending on their needs, choices and preference. Smartphones and tablets have become a way of life for many people, allowing them to do anything and everything on the go. This includes typing up a document, chatting with friends, video conferencing, writing up reports, checking e-mails, etc.

One of the most popular operating systems for smartphones and tablets is Android. Android is a Linux-based operating system owned and operated by the Open Handset Alliance, a consortium of 84 leading firms, which includes mobile handset makers, application developers, some mobile carriers and chip makers. The consortium is lead in part by Google, as well as HTC, Sony, Dell, Intel, Motorola, Qualcomm, Texas Instruments, Samsung Electronics, LG Electronics, T-Mobile, Sprint Nextel, Nvidia, and Wind River Systems.

A number of these companies’ smartphones and tablets run on Android. Android is an open source software, which means that the code is freely available for modification and distribution by device manufacturers, wireless carriers and enthusiast developers. Among the number of various companies, Google has also launched its own line of smartphones based on Android, called the Google Nexus. Each device in the Nexus line is produced via collaboration between Google and a leading original equipment manufacturer (OEM) partner. Both, HP Slate 7 and Nexus 7 devices use Pure Android to power their tablets. One of the main difference is that the Slate 7 has yet to be launched, while Nexus 7 has already been released in June 2012. Also, Nexus 7 supports SIM cards and allows users to also connect via GPRS, while Slate 7 is a pure tablet and does not support SIM services.

The Nexus 7 is a tablet computer running Android 4.1 (also named Jelly Bean) operating system. It was developed in collaboration with Asus. It was the first tablet in the Google Nexus series and features a 7-inch (180 mm) display, an Nvidia Tegra 3 quad-core chip, 1 GB of RAM, and 8, 16 or 32 GB of internal storage. The 8 and 16 GB models were Wi-Fi only, and the 8 GB was eventually discontinued. The 32 GB models are both Wi-Fi and 3G compatible. The Nexus 7 was marketed effectively as an entertainment device.

After discontinuing the production of TouchPad and the rest of its mobile services, Engadget reports that HP announced at the Mobile World Congress that it will release a new tablet Slate 7 and will start shipping in the US in April 2013. The Slate supports a 7-inch 1,024 x 600 display and is powered by a dual-core A9 processor. It also includes 16GB internal storage and 1GB RAM. The tablet offers a primary camera of 3MP and a VGA secondary camera. According to engadget, the stainless steel frame offers some rigidity and the matte finish of the back is pleasing to the hands. It offers vibrant colors and also equips Beats Audio sound enhancement. The tablet is offered with Android v4.1 (Jelly Bean). It is also a pure tablet and does not support SIM operations. The best feature? Slate 7 will be available for only US$169.

The information for the detailed table about the two phones has been taken from the Nexus website, HP website, Engadget and GSMArena.com.

	HP Slate 7	Nexus 7
Launch Date	April 2013	June 2012
Company	Hewlett-Packard	Google; designed in collaboration with and manufactured by Asus.
Size	197.1 x 116.1 x 10.7 mm	198.5 x 120 x 10.5 mm (7.81 x 4.72 x 0.41 in)
Display	FFS+LCD capacitive touchscreen, 16M colors	LED-backlit IPS LCD capacitive touchscreen, 16M colors
Screen	7.0 inches, 600 x 1024 pixels (~170 ppi pixel density)	800 x 1280 pixels, 7.0 inches (~216 ppi pixel density)
Protection	N/A	Corning Glass
Weight	372 g (13.12 oz)	340g (11.99 oz)
2G Network	N/A	GSM : 850/900/1800/1900
3G Network	N/A	WCDMA : 850/900/2100
GUI	Pure Android	Pure Android
CPU speed	Dual-core 1.6 GHz Cortex-A9	Quad-core 1.2 GHz Cortex-A9
GPU	N/A	ULP GeForce
OS	Android OS, v4.1 (Jelly Bean)	Android OS, v4.1 (Jelly Bean), upgradable to v4.2.1 (Jelly Bean)
Chipset	N/A	Nvidia Tegra 3
RAM	1 GB RAM	1 GB RAM
SIM Size	N/A	Micro-SIM
Internal Memory	8 GB	16/32 GB storage
Expandable Memory	up to 32 GB	None
Sensors	Accelerometer	G-Sensor, Light Sensor, Gyroscope, E-compass, GPS, NFC, Hall Sensor
Connectivity	Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, DLNA, Bluetooth v2.1 with A2DP, EDR and microUSB v2.0	Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth, NFC (Android Beam), 32GB + Mobile data version only: Unlocked  ·         GSM/UMTS/HSPA+ 32GB + Mobile data version only ·         GSM/EDGE/GPRS (850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz) ·         32GB + Mobile data version only: 3G (850, 900, 1700, 1900, 2100 MHz) ·         32GB + Mobile data version only: HSPA+ 21 Mbps
Data	WLAN, Bluetooth and USB.	WiFi, NFC, USB GPRS, EDGE for 32GB + Mobile data version only
Speed	N/A	HSPA+ 21 Mbps
WLAN	Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, DLNA	Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n
Bluetooth	Bluetooth v2.1 with A2DP, EDR	Bluetooth V3.0
USB	micro-USB	micro-USB
Primary Camera	3.15 MP, 2048x1536 pixels	1.2 MP
Secondary Camera	VGA	None
Video	720p@30fps	720p
Camera Features	N/A	Video-calling
Sound Enhancement	Beats Audio	No
Audio supported formats	MP3/WAV/eAAC+/WMA/AC3/Flac player	MP3/WAV/eAAC+/WMA player
Video supported formats	MP4/DivX/Xvid/H.264/H.263/WMV player	MP4/H.264 player
Battery Capacity	Non-removable battery. Size not released yet.	Non-removable Li-Ion 4325 mAh battery
Available Colors	Black/Red, Black/Grey	Black
Messaging	Email, Push Email, IM, RSS	Email, Push Email, IM, RSS
Browser	HTML	HTML5
Radio	No	No
GPS	TBD	Yes
Java	Yes, via Java MIDP emulator	None
Additional Features	Google Now, Google Search, Gmail, YouTube, Google Drive and Google+ Hangouts, SNS integration, Organizer,  Image/video editor, Document viewer, Google Search, Maps, Gmail, YouTube, Calendar, Google Talk, Picasa, Predictive text input	Android 4.2 (Jelly Bean), 4,325 mAh battery, Accelerometer, GPS, Gyroscope, Microphone, Magnetometer, Google Wallet, SNS integration, Organizer, Image/video editor, Document viewer, Google Search, Maps, Gmail, YouTube, Calendar, Google Talk, Picasa, Voice memo, Predictive text input (Swype)

Image Courtesy: gadgetreview.com, allthingsd.com