The new Nexus 7 ended up arriving for sale a bit earlier than was originally planned. As those first user reports have been coming in we have been seeing details about a few software updates. These updates will leave your Nexus 7 with Android 4.3, however they are showing two jumps in the version number.
That being said, the first of the two seems to be happening the first time the tablet gets connected to WiFi. For most this is likely at first boot. This update brings the Nexus 7 up to version JWR66N and will have the tablet shutting down and rebooting during the process. Once the update has been completed you will have to sign back into your Google account.
The other update comes with a bit more of an expected pattern in that it alerts you by way of a notification. This basically means you can update immediately or when it is convenient for you. After this second update is complete the Nexus 7 should be siting with version JSS15J. Google has yet to offer a changelog for either of these updates, however given the quick nature it would look like they are nothing more than some fixes for last minute bug discoveries.
Officially though, while we have seen the new Nexus 7 come available from several third party retailers including Amazon, Best Buy and Staples, Google is not expected to begin shipping the Play Store orders until July 30th. Regardless of where you make the purchase though, you can expect to pay $239.99 for the 16GB model or $269.99 for the 32GB model.
Also, for those who pay attention to the versions and factory images, that JWR66V number may sound familiar as it is the same across all Android 4.3 factory build images files. We saw these image files appear shortly after Google announced Android 4.3, but we have still yet to see anything listed for this new model Nexus 7.
Bought my 32gb at local BestBuy on 7/25. got the 2 updates as mentioned above. Runs great, super quick, great display. Something I did not expect is it has bluetooth tethering and can run as wifi hotspot.
how do you use it as a wifi hotspot?
I bought mine on 26JUL2013. Mine has constantly rebooted. Can anyone help?
B&H took pre-orders and then puts me on backorder (on-order). Why would you continue taking preorders without telling anyone they would be on a waiting list once your inventory ran out??? Thinking about canceling the damn thing and just waiting for a good tablet with a micro SD card slot…