The long wait for the Nexus 10 2013 release date will be over by Nov 21, if reports were to be believed, likely paving the way for the vanilla Android tablet to tussle with the full-sized tablet king iPad Air.

While the looming battles royale seems interesting this time around as the two devices will be taking on fresher forms - slimmer and lighter from the previous builds, which is especially true for the iPad Air - plus becoming faster and more powerful, analysts seem to favour the Apple tablet.

The iPad's dominance, they argue, remains firm and should further solidify with a sexier iPad Air finish, to be beefed up by the expected performance boost of the iPhone 5S-class 64-bit A7 chip that the tablet is equipped with.

And the iOS ecosystem is still miles ahead of Google's Android, with experts saying it would require more efforts from the search giant before it can equal the collection of tablet-optimised applications that Apple's App Store is teeming with.

So what will it take for tablet shoppers to give the Nexus 10 2013 edition, rumoured to be built by Nexus 7-maker Asus, more than a second glance?

There are three reasons why the pure Android slate could prove as the better buy and they are listed below:

Impressive specs and features bumps

Looking at the iPad Air, one cannot help but to be amazed with its sheer beauty and power. For some, it is hard to imagine how the second build of the Nexus 10 could even compete when the first make didn't even make a dent against the heftier iPad 4.

But the Nexus 10 is no pushover at all. Reports suggest that it will be certified powerhouse, likely reflecting the mix of quad-core Snapdragon 800 chip, Adreno 330 GPU and 2GB of RAM that Google has delivered with the Nexus 5.

The outer look is also anticipated to gain a major makeover. The build should be trimmed down and packs less weight from the last version. On front, thinner bezels will surround the 10.1-inch screen display, which beams out a stunning 2560 x 1600 resolution, exceeding the Retina rendering capabilities of the iPad Air display panel.

Best Android tablet experience ever in KitKat 4.4

Visually, the candy bar seems inferior to Apple's iOS 7 but Android watchers believe the jump from Jelly Bean 4.3 will deliver key changes that are skin-deep. KitKat is seen to address the nagging Android defragmentation but for its tablet implementation, the operative world would be optimisation.

In fact, the delayed Nexus 10 2 release date is now attributed to adjustments ordered by Google so app developers can reconfigure their products to optimally behave not only for smartphones but also for tablets - from the small to the full size.

With KitKat skirmishing with iOS 7, the global tablet war is gradually heading to a level playing field, and therefore becoming more interesting and exciting.

Top-notch package at solid price point

The first Nexus 10 sells for only $400 in basic configuration - 16GB and likely Wi-Fi radio signal. In the new Nexus 10 2, the servings will definitely move up. Estimates offered by experts indicate that a 32GB model with Wi-Fi and LTE connectivity will be priced between $500 and $550, which is still cheaper when compared to the $500 iPad Air that comes only with 16GB and Wi-Fi network access.

And should rumours prove true that the big Nexus tab is with a microSD memory card slot that supports up to 64GB of more storage space, then Nexus 10 owners can enjoy a digital locker capacity of around 80GB to 90GB max while Air users are stuck with less than 16GB.

Release date of the Nexus 10 2 is still a puzzle for Android fans to solve but a safe bet would be late November or just before the onset of 2013 Black Friday.