Archive for October 2012
Small Tablet Showdown: Apple iPad mini vs Nexus 7
iPad Mini vs Nexus 7: The Ultimate showdown of small tablet, it's Apple vs Android and for once outside the court rooms. So let the 7-inch tablet battle begin...
The 7-inch tablets- once branded as "tweeners" by Jobs, he considered them as useless unless they included a sandpaper so users could sand their fingers down to a quarter of their size.
Despite Jobs, being so publicly against the smaller slate, Apple decided to take the fight to Amazon and Google by announcing the iPad Mini. This was a clear response to the success of the Nexus 7, while the Cupertino company did not name the tablet when comparing it's 7.9-inch device to Google-powered tablet's, but it was a clear cut indication to every one else.
So lets take a look at how the specs shape up
iPad Mini vs Nexus 7: Build
iPad Mini: Continuing the legacy of creating stunning designs with high build quality, the iPad mini is nothing less as compared, made from aluminium and glass design the iPad mini just weighs 308g which according to the company is lighter than a pod of paper . At 7.2mm thick it's as slender as a pencil and a 23% slimmer than the iPad 2.
Nexus 7: Supporting the Android black bezel display, the Nexus 7 features a rubberised dimple like removable back that makes it comfortable to grip for longer periods. Weighing in at 340g and measuring in at 10.5mm thick, the Nexus 7 is lighter than the Kindle Fire, but clearly not quite reedy as the iPad mini.
iPad Mini vs Nexus 7: Screen
iPad Mini: Putting a end to the 7.85-inch screen Apple went a little bit bigger with its 7.9-inch LED Multi-Touch display. Packing IPS display tech to deliver stunningly wide viewing angles, the Retina display is disappointingly missing in action but the 1024x768 resolution with 163 ppi is the same screen quality as the iPad 2. The extra screen estate should mean 67% more room than the 7-inch tablet devices to browse and watch videos creamily.
Nexus 7: One thing that Asus has managed to nail on the tablet front is making a beautiful iPad-rivalling tablet screen like the one on the Transformer Prime. So, prospective wise Nexus 7 owners can expect a 1280x800 HD display with 216 ppi which might not be as good as the 9.7-inch iPad in terms of clarity and vibrancy, but does outrival the iPad Mini. The Corning glass coating should also ensure it can withstand the odd knock or two.
iPad Mini vs Nexus 7: Camera
iPad Mini: Bringing it line with the iPhone 4S in the snapping department, the iPad Mini has a 5-megapixel rear-facing camera, with backside illumination for low lit photography. It also packs a front-facing FaceTime HD camera for high resolution video chats and can also shoot 1080p HD video with image stabilization to keep things steady.
Nexus 7: Finding it hard to accept the fact that people would prefer to take a snap with one over a smartphone, and clearly Google also thinks the same, opting only to include a 1.2-megapixel front-facing camera which should suitably cover all your Skype and Google+ chatting needs.
iPad Mini vs Nexus 7: O/S
iPad Mini: Set to get the iOS 6 treatment, the latest Apple OS promises a slightly tweaked user interface with a new look App Store and iCloud support, a smarter Siri that will launch apps, FaceTime over 3G and TomTom-powered Apple Maps. It's still one of the best mobile operating systems and we expect it be as slick on the smaller Apple tablet as it is on current iOS devices.
Nexus 7: Shipping with Android 4.1 Jelly Bean out of the box, the most features most notably brings a speedier performance thanks to the Project Butter, a smarter keyboard, a more sophisticated voice search and the new Google Now service. Android 4.1.2 has also just been released which now enables users to view home screens in landscape which some early Nexus 7 owners did have an issue with.
iPad Mini vs Nexus 7: Power
iPad Mini: The iPad Mini houses a powerful dual core A5 processor for fast, powerful and power-efficient performance. Although the dualcore architecture should make it still suitably zippy, but the quadcore that Nexus 7 packs is a powerhouse.
Nexus 7: The one thing that Nexus 7 has over others is the serious power under the hood. Packing a Tegra 3 quadcore processor to tackle multitasking and deliver smooth streaming video, the 12-core GPU should give it enough grunt to handle most graphically demanding mobile games.
iPad Mini vs Nexus 7: Connectivity
iPad Mini: With dual band 802.11n Wi-Fi on board, the performance is twice as good as previous iPad models, while LTE compatibility is an added bonus on cellular networks . the new Bluetooth 4.0 also provides a decent transfer medium.
Nexus 7: With no support of LTE as well as 3G, browsing web on the go is a little pain in the ass unless some tethering action is available as the device only supports Wi-Fi. If you can make a do with that, there is also Bluetooth support, GPS and NFC capability courtesy of Android Beam to instantly send pictures and video. A 3G model has however been tipped to land Google's press event later this month.
iPad Mini vs Nexus 7: Battery
iPad Mini: With Apple promising 10 hours of battery life, sufficiently enough to make it through the day, before you have to hook that Lightning connector up again. Which is kind of good news considering the fact that it houses a comprehensive tech.
Nexus 7: Google claims that the Nexus 7 will deliver a decent 9 hours of battery backup, if you are consuming content like HD video, but if you are simply reading or browsing the web, expect a backup of around 10 hours of Nexus 7 playtime.
iPad Mini vs Nexus 7: Price
iPad Mini: Kicking off with the 16GB Wi-Fi only model, those looking to snap up the smaller iPad will need to part with 329$ with those requiring 32GB or 64GB of internal storage will have to splurge out 429$ and 529$ respectively. On the WiFi + 3G front, owners looking to access the web will have to part with 459$, 559$ or 659$ depending on their choice of 16GB, 32 GB or 64GB storage options.
Nexus 7: One of the main factors of big selling of Nexus 7 was pricing with the 8GB version, which is available for $199 and 249$ for the 16GB model. Recent rumours suggest that Google is planing to unveil its 32GB model before the end of the year.
Verdict
The Nexus 7 was awarded Gadget of the year by many magazines for having delivered a truly impressive tablet device that didn't cost an arm of kidney to buy one. Although iPad mini looks set to build on the runway success of the current iPad and if it performs as well as the current Apple tablets, the Cupertino company could be onto a winner. The Difference in price could prove decisive, but we will have to wait to see what iPad Mini is truly capable of before passing a judgement.
| Name | Apple iPad mini | Google Nexus 7 | |
 |  | ||
| Editor Rating | |||
| Screen Size | 7.9 inches | 7 inches | |
| Screen Resolution | 1024 x 768 pixels | 1280 x 800 pixels | |
| Dimensions | 0.28 inches | 7.8 x 4.7 x 0.4 inches | |
| Weight | 10.88 oz | 12 oz | |
| Operating System | Apple iOS | Google Android 3.0 or higher | |
| Processor Speed | 1.2 GHz | ||
| Wi-Fi (802.11x) Compatibility | 2.4GHZ/5GHz | 2.4GHz | |
| Bluetooth | Yes | Yes | |
| Cellular Technology | LTE | No | |
| GPS | Yes | Yes | |
| Ports | Apple Lightning | micro USB | |
| Front Camera Resolution | 1.2 MP | 1.2 MP | |
| Rear Camera Resolution | 5 MP | 0 MP | |
| Battery Life | 10 hours (est.) | 10 hours 37 minutes |
Apple Unveils iPad mini
"You knew there'd be something called Mini in this presentation" Schiller joked and putting an end to all the speculations, apple dropped a mini from their iPad series. Addressing at the Apple's Special Event today, CEO Tim Cook and vice president of marketing Phil Schiller finally unveiled the company's long awaited iPad-mini-something Jobs once declared the company would never do.
Coming down to the hardware section iPad mini packs a dual core A5 chip, with a front-facing FaceTime 720p camera and a 5-megapixel camera in back. It also includes Apple's new lightning connector, which debuted on the iPhone 5. At 10.9 ounces, the iPad mini is less than the full sized iPad and is just 0.28 inch thick.
"You can hold it in one hand," he said. It's not just shrunken down iPad, it's an entirely new design." Yet the new mini will run all of the software designed for the full size siblings. iPad mini starts at $329 for the Wi-Fi only version with 16GB capacity. Higher capacities and the 4G LTE options are available. Prices for the Wi-Fi only version are $429 for 32GB, and $529 for 60GB. For the cellular version, prices are $459, $559 and $659 for 16, 32 and 64GB respectively.
Pre-orders begin Oct 26. Wi-Fi devices hip Nov.2, and the cellular models will come about two weeks he later. The popular smart cover is getting shrunk as well for the new iPad, with multiple colours offered including blue, green, pink and black
Here's The Official Trailer
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Apple