Release date for the Google Nexus 7 with LTE connectivity is reportedly set for September 2013 with Japan and Italy likely getting the vanilla Android tablet first, giving more teeth on Google's efforts to upend the iPad Mini dominance.

The 7-inch Nexus assumes the task that the first version had largely failed to accomplish - neutralising the Mini challenge from Apple. The record shows that the 7.9-inch iPad is winning the battle with more than 20 million of unit sales holding up its badge of honour.

This happened despite the fact that the Google is the more powerful and cheaper tablet, fitted with high-end components while retailing at a starting price of $200. But the iPad Mini, as far as global consumers are concerned, emerged as the better tablet.

Google is hopeful that the 2013 Nexus story will be far different and below are the three reasons why the battle winds will blow in favour of the Jelly Bean 4.3 slate this time around.

More powerful specs and features

From the onset, it is the iPad Mini that was seen as the underdog, having an underwhelming hardware features. But critics have been proven wrong, the iOS tablet annihilated the competition, banking solely on its Apple pedigree and its vaunted ecosystem.

Google, clearly, learned its lesson as it provided the second Nexus 7 build with all the possible specs to lure away buyers from the Mini. New additions are cellular signals via the superfast LTE connectivity, Retina-like display panel and a modest rear-cam, all of which were absent during the first Nexus try.

This year's Nexus 7 is fired up by a quad-core Snapdragon CPU that hums away at 2.3GHz, easily outmuscling the Mini's dual-core chip with top-speed of 1.0GHz.

Issues from Nexus 7 2 Wi-Fi resolved

Early buyers of the Nexus 7 Wi-Fi versions complaint of funky touchscreen functions and GPS problems, which Google had acknowledged and vowed to fix immediately with a firmware update.

It appears that the fix is generally successful as Gotta Be Mobile reported that Google's update patch "has seemingly taken care of both touch screen and GPS issues that were afflicting the tablet for weeks."

Some hiccups remain following the update but they are too minor to dissuade buyers from picking up the gorgeous device that is the Nexus 7, the same GBM report said.

The one feature that really matters - price

The Nexus 7 LTE is set to hit the Google Play Store at $350 with 32GB of built-in storage. Its direct rival, the iPad Mini with cellular connectivity and similar 32GB of on-board memory is listed by Apple's U.S. online store at $560, a price point that can snap up two Nexus 7s on Wi-Fi radio signals.

For a buyer set to snatch the best tablet deal around with emphasis on budget and usability, the choice is easy. And for paying a solid amount of money, he or she gains access into a system that has been gaining traction on top-notch tablet computer environment. Another bonus is a solid platform support that delivers quick access to Android updates as the Nexus 7 is operated by native Google mobile OS plus Superuser privileges.