Specs at a glance: Nvidia Shield Tablet K1 Screen 1920×1200 8-inch (283 PPI) IPS LCD OS Android 5.1.1 Lollipop (Marshmallow update coming by the end of the year) CPU Tegra K1 quad-core 2.2GHz Cortex-A15 RAM 2GB GPU Nvidia 192-core Kepler Storage 16GB or 32GB (plus up to 128GB micro-SD card) Networking 802.11n 2x2 Mimo 2.4GHz and 5GHz Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0 Ports Micro-USB, headphone, mini-HDMI Camera 5MP rear camera, 5MP front camera Size 8.8" × 5" × 0.36" (221 x 126 x 9.2 mm) Weight 13.7oz (390g) Battery 5200mAh (non-removable) Starting price £149.99 (€199/$199)

Ah, the 7-inch Android tablet: once the darling of Google's Nexus lineup, now a largely neglected form factor relegated to low-end devices with flaky screens and creaky plastics. That's not to say there aren't any good small Android tablets out there—the Amazon Fire HD 6 and Lenovo Yoga 8 spring to mind—but they tend make sacrifices in screen quality or speed in order to reach their wallet-friendly price points.

With a successor to Google's aging Nexus 7 2013 unlikely to emerge any time soon, just where can you find a small, no compromises Android tablet that doesn't cost the Earth? Surprisingly, the answer is at Nvidia. Its new Shield Tablet K1—a slightly tweaked version of the original Shield Tablet released in July of 2014—retains its speedy specs, excellent full HD screen, and largely stock version of Android while simultaneously dropping the price to an extremely competitive £149.99 (€199/$199).

If you want the best small Android tablet around, the Shield K1 is it.

So, what's new?

At first glance, you'd be hard pressed to tell the new Shield K1 tablet from the old one. They both sport the same no-nonsense soft-touch black plastic exterior that's pleasingly understated, along with same dimensions. The only branding is on the back of the tablet, which features a new silver-coloured Shield logo rather than the shiny black one on the old model.

Round the front, the shiny bevelled edges of the old model have been replaced with plain old matte ones, while the speaker grilles at the top and bottom of the device have been given a new rubberised coating that's slightly raised. Presumably, this is to protect the tablet's screen if you leave it face down on a table, which is fine, but the rubber material is a magnet for dust and other household grime.















Owners of the old Shield Tablet will notice one thing missing from the new version: the passive DirectStylus. This was designed to work with Nvidia's Dabbler drawing app and handwriting-recognition system, and while it worked fine for the odd drawing or note-taking on-the-go, it was hardly a replacement for a more sophisticated active stylus. Perhaps I'm not the target audience, but I can count on one hand the number of times I've used the Shield's stylus. Most of that was during testing. That said, if you were a fan, you can buy the stylus separately for £14.99 (€19.99 / $19.99)—you just won't have anywhere convenient to stash it.

You also won't find a power adaptor or even a USB cable in the box, presumably to keep the cost down. The Shield charges via a standard micro USB cable, which I imagine most people have a drawer full of these days. This is a sensible trade off given how much has been shaved off the Shield's price. And if you want an official adaptor and cable, Nvidia will sell you both for £17.99 (€24.99 / $29.99).

And what's the same?

If you were hoping Nvidia would cram its latest 64-bit X1 chip into the new tablet—as used in the Shield Android TV and upcoming Google Pixel C—prepare to be disappointed. The new Shield sports the exact same chipset as the old one, Nvidia's Tegra K1. Despite its age, the K1 is still a potent SoC, particularly when it comes to graphics. The 192-core Kepler-based GPU is miles better than anything you can find in similarly priced Android tablets, while the quad-core 2.2GHz Cortex-A15 CPU still holds up well in daily use.

Elsewhere, you get the same so-so 5MP front and rear cameras, 802.11a/b/g/n 2x2 MIMO (2.4GHz and 5GHz) Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0 LE, 16GB of storage, 2GB of RAM, an extremely useful mini-HDMI 1.4a 4K output, 5200mAh battery, microSD card slot for storage expansion, and 8-inch 1920×1200 IPS display. The latter remains one of the best things about the Shield. The display is sharp enough at 283 PPI, has great viewing angles, and competitive colour reproduction and black levels. Considering that cheaper Android tablets tend to have terrible screens on them, it's great that Nvidia hasn't compromised to hit a lower price.

Given the Shield specs are identical to the older models, its performance remains exactly the same. Those interested in the full suite of benchmarks and tests can check out our review of the original Shield Tablet or glance at the graphs above, but I will say that in day-to-day use the Shield remains plenty speedy. I've been using one on-and-off for the best part of a year and never thought "OMG, this thing is slow, I could sure go for an upgrade right now!"

When it comes to graphics performance, the Shield is one of the fastest devices around, almost touching the likes of the Apple iPad Air 2 in benchmarks. Considering the price difference between the two, that's an impressive feat.

Unfortunately, there still aren't many Android games out there that take advantage of all that GPU horsepower. A similar problem afflicts the Shield Android TV, and while Nvidia has done its best to bring some impressive games to Android—including Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number, Trine 2, and Half-Life 2—the selection is tiny. Given that none of the many gaming-centric Android devices released over the past few years have inspired developers to make more complex games, don't expect that to change any time soon either.



















Buying into Shield also gives you access to Nvidia's streaming services GeForce Now and GameStream. The former costs £7.49 per month in the UK, $7.99 in the US, and €9.99 in Europe. It gives you unlimited access to 50 games that you can stream from Nvidia's servers to your home. It works surprisingly well (you can find a more detailed look at GeForce Now in our Shield Android TV review), but again the selection of games isn't great and is mostly limited to older titles. More recent games like the Witcher 3 cost extra (currently £49.99), but you do at least get a GoG or Steam key in addition to streaming access.

GameStream is far more compelling and lets you stream games from your PC, provided it's equipped with a GeForce GTX 650 graphics card or newer. Again, there's a more in-depth look at the tech in our Shield Android TV review, but suffice it to say, it works very well and is a great alternative to Valve's Steam Link or to putting a dedicated gaming PC in your living room. The Shield supports any standard Bluetooth controller (or wired Xbox 360 controller via a USB adaptor), but Nvidia will sell you one of its specially designed controllers with Android buttons on it for £49.99 (€59.99).

If you need a small Android tablet, buy this one

Even if you're not into your gaming, the Shield Tablet K1 is still a great tablet and a steal at £150. The only other tablet that really comes close is the Xiaomi Mi Pad, which is priced similarly and comes with a higher-res screen. The Mi Pad even has the same Tegra K1 SoC—but it ships with an older version of Android (4.4).

With the Shield, you also get the benefit of a largely stock Android experience. Nvidia's tweaks add features like handy Twitch streaming functionality rather than jarring UI overhauls. Nvidia's pretty speedy with updates too: the original Shield Tablet was one of the first devices outside of Google to receive the 5.0 Lollipop update. It's promising a Marshmallow update for Shield before the end of the year.

If there's one thing I really wish Nvidia had worked on for the updated Shield Tablet, though, it's the battery. It remains identical, and as such it will only just get you through a day of use. If you're gaming, you're definitely going to want to keep it plugged in, particularly if you're hammering the GPU with a native Android game. Hopefully this new Shield Tablet won't have the "hot batteries" issue that affected some of the last-gen tablets.

Other small Android tabs don't fare much better, though, and it's a small sacrifice to make for what is a great tablet. Look at this way: for £149 you not only get one of the best small Android tablets around, you get one with a bunch of killer gaming features that no other tablet offers. Move over Nexus 7, Android just got a new budget tablet champ.