Apple launched the iPad Mini series for users who need medium sized screens. The iPad Mini 2 is synonymous with the relatively bigger sized iPads in more or less every aspect. But the iPad Mini 2 sports the now popular Retina display which takes the user experience to the next level.

Readers who are planning on buying one of the Apple iPad Mini 2 or the Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 10.1, here is the specification and price comparison for the aforementioned devices in Australia. Both the tablets were launched in 2013.

Display & Size

The Apple iPad Mini 2 is equipped with a much smaller 7.9 inches screen, while the Galaxy Tab 3 sports a 10.1 inches screen. The Mini 2 packs a much better resolution of 2048 x 1536 pixels when compared to Galaxy Tab 3 10.1 which has a 800 x 1,280 pixel resolution.

The dimensions of the Mini 2 are (7.87 x 5.30 x 0.30) inches and it weighs much lesser than Tab 3 at 341 g, whereas the Galaxy Tab 3 10.1 has the dimensions of (9.57 x 6.93 x 0.31) inches and it weighs 512 g.

Hardware & Software

The iPad Mini 2 runs on the iOS 7 but it is upgradable to iOS 7.1. On the other hand, Galaxy Tab 3 runs on Android v4.2.2 (Jelly Bean).

Mini 2 is powered by a dual-core 1.3 GHz Cyclone (ARM v8-based) processor with Apple's A7 chipset which houses a 1 GB of RAM, whereas Tab 3 is powered by dual-core 1.6 GHz processor with Intel Atom Z2560 chipset & it houses the same 1 GB of RAM.

Memory

The Mini 2 comes with a built-in storage of 16/32/64/128 GB, whereas the Galaxy Tab 3 10.1 comes with a 16/32 GB of internal storage which is expandable up to 64 GB with microSD card support.

Camera

The Mini 2 houses a 5 MP rear facing camera and a 1.2 MP front facing camera, whereas the Tab 3 10.1 houses a 3.15 MP rear facing camera and a 1.3 MP front facing camera. In addition, iPad Mini 2 camera supports HDR, autofocus, touch to focus, digital image stabilization, face detection, and digital zoom. The peculiar feature about Tab 3 10.1 is its video calling capability. Overall, the iPad Mini 2 wins in this regard.

Battery

The Apple iPad Mini 2 has a non-removable Li-Po 23.8 Wh battery, while the Tab 3 10.1 houses a power packed non-removable Li-Ion 6800 mAh battery. It is worth noting that, no advancements have been made in the area of battery life when compared to its predecessor, hence the iPad Mini 2 still gives the same 10 hours of battery life. When it comes to battery life, Samsung wins hands down.

Connectivity

Both the tablets support Bluetooth 4.0, Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n 5GHz and USB charging.

Color

The Mini 2 comes in gray and silver colors, whereas Tab 3 comes in white, brown, red, and black shades.

Price

The Apple iPad Mini with Retina Display 4G 16GB is priced at AU $599.95 while the Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 (10.1) 4G LTE 16GB is priced at AU $499.95 in Australia.