[10] The second iteration of the 7.0 in (180 mm) tablet, code named "Razor",[11] has various upgrades from the previous generation, including a 1.5 GHz quad-core Snapdragon S4 Pro processor, 2 GB of RAM, a 1920 × 1200 pixel display (323 pixels per inch; 127 px/cm), dual cameras (1.2 MP front, 5 MP rear), stereo speakers, built-in inductive Qi wireless charging, and a SlimPort (via micro USB connector) capable of full high-definition video output to an external display.

It is manufactured by Asus, and comes with a Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro APQ8064–1AA SoC, (1.5 GHz quad-core Krait 300 and an Adreno 320 GPU, clocked at 400 MHz).

The new Nexus 7's SoC is believed to be a variation of Qualcomm's Snapdragon 600 processor (branded as "S4 Pro") underclocked to 1.5 GHz.

Like all other current-generation Google Nexus devices, there is no option for additional storage via micro SD expansion card.

Despite this reduction, battery life typically exceeds that of the original due to hardware and software optimizations.

Additionally, the panel's contrast ratio and color gamut are reportedly superior to the previous model.

[29] Reviewers praised the device for its size, design, display, price, inclusion of a rear-facing camera, contemporary user interface and the growing number of tablet-optimized Android applications.