Nexus 7 Vs iPad Fight Gets Wet

SquareTrade has taken Google's new Nexus 7 tablet and put it up against the new iPad in drop and dunk tests, and it might surprise you to learn that the Nexus 7 has been named the winner. In all, SquareTrade performed three tests: both tablets were dunked in water, dropped from a standing position, and pushed off the edge of a table. Though the iPad put up a good fight in some situations, it was ultimately the Nexus 7 that was crowned the most resilient of the two.

With the dropping test, the Nexus 7 came out barely damaged, with the touchscreen still fully intact and only showing a few scuffs on its backside. The drop wasn't so easy on the iPad, which ended up with fewer scratches on the backside but cracked glass on the front. In the second drop test – in which both tablets were pushed off the side of a concrete bench to simulate falling off a table – the results were pretty similar. Once again, the Nexus 7 made it out with only a few scratches on the back, while the iPad suffered a cracked front for the second time.

After those tests were done, SquareTrade took the experiment into the bathroom, where the team of testers dropped both tablets into a bathtub full of water while both were running. When they were pulled from what should have been a watery grave, the Nexus 7 was still working properly, with the display, audio, and the touchscreen all functioning the way they should. The touchscreen on the iPad still worked, as did the display, but audio was a different story as the team couldn't get any audio playback from the iPad after it took its afternoon dip.

So, there you have it folks, the Nexus 7 holds up better against drop and water damage than the new iPad does. To see the full test, check out the video posted above, and be sure to take a look at our reviews for both the Nexus 7 and the new iPad!