Ultralinx published a very good review of the 2013 Nexus 7. And I agree with them: great specs for the price, even if it is around $60 more expensive in the Philippines compared to buying from the US (roughly around $330 compared to $270). But Oliur Rahman echoed exactly the reason why the 2013 Nexus 7 still isn’t good enough:

Android is still a very capable OS and is arguably the most powerful mobile OS available right now. There is so much you can do with it compared to its competitors – it’s just much more versatile.

However one major problem I still have is the quality of apps. Sure Android now has an app for basically everything and anything, but quality in terms of UI and UX just doesn’t seem to be on par with iOS.

I hound Google Play every week waiting for something: I don’t know, maybe some exciting Android tablet app. Maybe a new addition to their featured android app list that I’m actually interested in.

In terms of games, Android isn’t very far behind (it catches up a few months after the popular games are released on iOS, such as Plants vs. Zombies 2). However, when it comes to the apps that differentiate themselves (maybe something like Figure or Day One), the Android ecosystem is pretty lacking. There are some alternatives, but they don’t particularly impress me with the design of the UI and experience. This is old news. It can be argued that the Android apps have the same features as iOS apps (or maybe even more), but it does not equate to the similar experience I’m looking for that only excellent design can bring. Android’s app ecosystem doesn’t make me feel as excited or happy as the iOS app ecosystem, which makes me want to go app-window-shopping as regularly as possible. I even searched for music-making apps once, just to see if there’s anything my boyfriend could use, and I found one that seemed really good except the design wasn’t all too visually appealing. They don’t seem to have an ultimately amazing app that you will die to get an Android for (unlike, say, how I feel about Paper. Because it’s only on iOS, if you want exactly that kind of drawing experience, you absolutely must have an iPad).

It’s no surprise that more iOS apps are featured in BeautifulPixels (which is my go-to site for app recommendations) compared to Android apps. I’m not saying there aren’t a few gems out there (JotterPad X for Android is a very lovely alternative to iAWriter on the iOS); the really well-designed ones are just too few, and for  tablet-optimized apps the options are fewer. I’m sure more beautiful apps will come to Android (though for some maybe never). I just wish they would come sooner. For now, my Nexus 7 tablet is mostly a device for consuming rather than creating.