I sold my Nexus 7 and I don't miss it

Over the weekend, I sold my beloved Nexus 7. As BetaNews readers may be aware, the tablet has given me some trouble over the last year. I had complaints with the pre-order process and the tablet's performance. However, despite these complaints, I enjoyed the tablet very much. I definitely got my use out of it -- I used it to watch TV, read magazines and access social media like Twitter and Google+.

However, while I loved the Nexus 7, I heard rumors that a next-generation Nexus 7 was soon to be announced. And so, I sold my cherished tablet on Craigslist while it still had value -- there will likely be a fire sale once the successor is announced. I expected to take the money from the sale and put it towards a new tablet. I really wanted a Galaxy Note 8.0 but decided to wait for Google’s next Nexus tablet announcement. Waiting proved to be the right choice.

Something strange happened when I got home from selling the Nexus 7. I didn’t really miss it; even on an emotional level. My smartphone, a Motorola RAZR Maxx HD, has a big enough screen to look at comfortably while lounging on the couch or laying in bed. My Chromebook is enough for casual web surfing and writing while my desktop handles all the other heavy lifting. I even own a Kindle Paperwhite which is far preferable for late-night reading than an LCD-based tablet like the Nexus 7. There is no room or need for a tablet in my life.

While my RAZR Maxx HD doesn’t have a screen as large as the Samsung Note 2, it is still quite large at 4.7-inches. If my smartphone was smaller, I might still still see value in a tablet. This makes me wonder -- are large screen smartphones (particularly phablets) actually cannibalizing tablets? This is not my idea nor a new one, many journalists have proposed the question. However, it took the loss of my Nexus 7 to truly consider that tablets may just be a passing fad.

So now, I’m tabletless and at a cross-roads in my digital life. Where do I go from here? Should I buy another tablet? If yes, which one and why? Tell me in the comments.

Photo Credit: Javier Brosch/Shutterstock