Now that the iPad mini is official,
the inevitable comparison between itself and its arch-rival, Google Nexus 7,
will definitely pop in different parts of the blogosphere. It has been months that
we have been holding our money for the Nexus 7 just to give way for what Apple
could possibly offer with its junior iPad. And now the big question boils down to
which outperforms which. Check out what I have to say after I pit the two
7-inchers against each other.
Specs
|
iPad mini
|
Google Nexus 7
|
|
Screen
|
7.9-inch
|
7-inch
|
|
LED-backlit IPS
|
IPS display
|
||
163 PPI
|
216 PPI
|
||
Processor
|
Dual Core Apple A5
|
1.2GHz quad-core, NVIDIA Tegra 3
|
|
Connectivity
|
LTE, WiFi @ 2.4GHz and 5GHz
|
WiFi, Rumored Cellular Connectivity
|
|
No NFC
|
NFC-enabled
|
||
Camera
|
Back
|
Back: None
|
|
5-megapixel
|
|||
1080p video
|
|||
Front
|
Front
|
||
FaceTime HD
|
1.2 MP
|
||
Video
|
1080p HD video recording
|
None
|
|
Ports
|
Lightning connector, 3.5mm audio
|
micro USB,
|
|
3.5mm audio
|
|||
Storage
|
16GB/32GB/64GB flash
storage
|
8GB, 16GB, 32GB (rumored)
|
|
non-expandable
|
non-expandable
|
||
Memory
|
512MB RAM
|
1GB RAM
|
|
Virtual Assistant
|
Siri
|
Google Now
|
|
Weight
|
308g
|
340g
|
|
Dimensions
|
7.2mm thick
|
10.45mm thick
|
|
Operating System
|
iOS 6
|
Android 4.1 (Jelly Bean)
|
|
Battery
|
10 hours
|
4,325mAh (up to 8 hours)
|
|
Pricing
|
$329 (16GB WiFi)
|
$199 (8GB)
|
|
$459 (16GB LTE)
|
$249 (16GB)
|
||
$429 (32GB)
|
|||
$559 (32GB LTE)
|
|||
$519 (64GB)
|
|||
$659 (64GB LTE)
|
Hardware
Personally, the first thing that
I would consider in choosing a tablet is the hardware itself. And even being an
Apple user, I would definitely agree that the Nexus 7 is the unanimous winner.
The latest iPad mini only uses the old 1GHz dual-core Apple A5 chip from iPad 2
and iPhone 4S. Nexus 7 is the faster worker with 1.3 GHz quad-core Cortex A9 paired
with the NVIDIA ULP GPU.
Another vital point is the RAM itself.
The miniature iPad only has 512MB of RAM compared to the 1GB RAM of Google’s
tablet. Nexus 7 also grabs positive reviews with its textured rubber-ish back design.
And iPad mini took its design with the iPhone 5 – sleek and classy with aluminum
finish.
Display
When we talk about the display,
the iPad mini has a 35% more real estate compared to the Nexus 7. But when we
talk about sharpness, the latter outperforms the miniature iPad’s 163PPI with
its 216PPI. And to dig in deeper, the iPad mini’s bigger screen only offers
1024 x 768 resolution while the Nexus 7 has 1280 x 800 display resolution.
Camera
Talking about the camera, Google
designed the Nexus 7 without a rear snapper because they believe that it is not
ideal to take pictures using a tablet so they just affixed a 1.2MP front-facing
camera on the device. Apple believes otherwise, they treated the iPad mini with
the same iSight camera that they’ve used with its bigger breathren. Yes, that’s
5MP rear shooter and 1.2MP Facetime camera. So if you oppose in the ideas of
Google, then for sure you have the heart for iPad mini.
Price and Availability
As for the price, Nexus 7 is the
runaway winner. The base unit starts with $199 for 8GB and $249 for 16GB. iPad
mini, on the otherhand, starts with $249 for 16GB. A rumored 32GB of Nexus 7
will sell for $249 once released so I think you’re holding your money for that.
iOS vs Android
And then there goes the platform,
Apple’s iOS ecosystem offers a wide-range of compatible apps for tablet
compared to Android. So when we are talking about platform optimization, iPad
mini will surely have better support from iOS.
Summary
To sum up, hardware, clearer display
and value-for-money goes to Google Nexus 7. Camera, app optimization and
bigger display goes to iPad mini. Basing on my preferences, I would go for the
Google Nexus 7. And as for you my dear readers, the cards are open. It’s up for
you to choose the device that will fit in your needs and preferences.
