Google's latest and greatest Android tablet — called the Nexus 7 — is a slick, lightweight and easy to use device according to early Mashable tests. It's lightning fast, a great video player and costs much less than the new iPad. Then again, the iPad which is widely seen as the tablet world's gold standard, comes with super-sharp retina display and has that cool Apple cache.

But which device is more durable?

To find out, SquareTrade, an independent warranty provider, just put the Nexus 7 and new iPad through a series of three destructive tests. All three scenarios were modeled after easily encountered real-life foibles. First, the devices were dropped from chest height, then from tabletop height and finally they were dunked in a bathtub.

All three tests are captured in the freshly uploaded YouTube video above. The Nexus 7 proved to be the more hearty tablets in all three instances.

When dropped from chest height, the Nexus 7's screen appeared fine although it suffered some minor scuffs to its black backing. The iPad's backing didn't come out much worse for wear but its screen cracked big-time. Dropped from table height, the Nexus emerged with small dings but remained largely intact. One corner of the iPad sustained major damage (in both drops, it seemed to fall onto one corner) but this time its screen was unscathed.

But the most surprising result came from SquareTrade's underwater test. The iPad's visual display and touch screen continued to work after submersion, but all audio functionality disappeared. The Nexus 7, however, came back to dry land working totally fine.

How much abuse to think a tablet should reasonably be expected to withstand? Do the results of this video surprise you? Share with us in the comments.