iPad Mini vs. Google Nexus 7 vs. Kindle Fire HD: Which Mini Tablet Should you Buy?
pple dominated the full-size tablet market with its popular iPad. Now that it released a miniature version of its tablet, will it be able to expand its market dominance?
Apple unveiled the long-rumored iPad mini, a smaller, lighter model with a 7.9-inch screen, instead of the 9.7-inch Retina display on the regular iPad. The screen resolution is 1024 by 768 pixels, the same as the iPad 2 and a quarter of the resolution of the flagship iPad.
The iPad Mini will battle against Google Nexus 7 and Amazon's Kindle Fire HD, which were released early this year. Nexus 7 and Kindle Fire HD already target slightly different audiences from the beginning. The former lures gamers, multimedia enthusiasts, and Android fans looking for the "pure" Jelly Bean experience. The Fire HD is a steal for Amazon Prime members looking to maximize their Amazon membership while keeping tablet costs low, memory high, and the screen mighty.
iPad Mini may stand a chance against the other tablets by offering a powerful device, especially being equipped with 4G/LTE capability.
Below is the comparison of the top three mini tablets in the market.
Screen Display - iPad Mini will have 7.9 inch screen display with 1024 x 768 pixels resolution. Google Nexus 7 and Kindle Fire HD both have 1280 x 800 pixels resolution but have 7.8 and 7.4 inch screen displays.
Operating System - iPad Mini will run with Apple's latest mobile software, iOS 6. Google Nexus 7 sports Android's latest OS Jelly Bean. Kindle Fire HD has a Custom Android OS.
Storage - iPad Mini will have 16GB, 32GB, and 64GB storage options. Users can choose 8GB or 16GB version of Google Nexus 7. Kindle Fire HD is available in 16GB or 32GB variants.
Camera - iPad Mini will be equipped with 5MP rear camera and 1.2MP front-facing camera. Google Nexus 7 sports a 1.2-megapixel front-facing. Lastly, Kindle Fire HD has 720p "Web chat" front-facing
Ports - iPad Mini will have an 8-pin lightning connector; Google Nexus 7 will sport a micro-USB; Kindle Fire HD has micro-HDMI and micro-USB.
Battery - The iPad Mini boasts 10 hours of WiFi and nine hours of 4G. Google Nexus 7 has a battery of 4,325 mAh, which is 10.1 hours video battery life. While Kindle Fire HD has 4,400 mAh, which is worth 5.1 hours video battery life.
Color - The iPad Mini will be available in black and white. Google Nexus 7 is available in black while Kindle Fire HD is available in dark gray case.
Price - iPad Mini Wi-Fi only version costs $329 (16GB), $429 (32GB), $529 (64GB). The WiFi + 4G version costs $459 (16GB), $559 (32GB), $659 (64GB). Google Nexus 7 costs $199 (8GB) and $249 (16GB). Kindle Fire HD has a price tag of $199 (16BG), $249 (32GB).
Pre-orders for the iPad mini will start on Friday, October 26, with the Wi-Fi-only version hitting the Apple Stores on November 2.