iPad Mini vs Nexus 7 vs Kindle Fire HD vs Nook HD: Mini Tablets’ Competition

Apple has announced the long-rumored 7.9 inch iPad Mini and iPad 4 yesterday, and the new models of iPad will be pre ordered on October 26.I have mentioned the 7 inch rivals of iPad Mini in my blog a few days ago, so how does it stack up against them when Apple is obvious late to this game? Of course, Apple has done its best to make a big splash into the smaller size market to make up for lost ground. The lighter and thinner design, the bigger staring storage, and 4G LTE capabilities are certainly the selling points. The iPad Mini starts at $329, which is highest in the small tablets market and is it really worth the price tag ?Just have a look at the comparison of iPad, Nexus 7,Kindle Fire HD and Nook HD.

Specs
 

Specs	iPad Mini	Nexus 7	Kindle Fire HD	Nook HD
Size	7.9 inch	7 inch	7 inch	7 inch
Resolution	1024x768 163ppi	1280x800 216ppi	1280 x800 261ppi	1440 x 900 243ppi
Weight	308 grams	395 grams	340 grams	315 grams
Processor	Dual-core A5	1.3GHz quad-core Tegra 3	Dual-core 1.2GHz OMAP4460	1.3 GHz Dual-Core OMAP 4470
Camera	5-megapixel rear-facing 1.2-megapixel front-facing	1.2MP front-facing camera	1.3 megapixels front-facing	None
battery life	10 hours continuous use	9 hours video  10 hours web browsing or reading	11 hours continuous use	10.5 hours reading,9 hours video
Connectivity	Wi-Fi Bluetooth 3G/4G	Wi-Fi Bluetooth NFC	Wi-Fi Bluetooth HDMI-out	Wi-Fi Bluetooth HDMI-out
Speakers	Mono	Dual stereo	Dual stereo with Dobly audio	Dual stereo
Price	$329(16GB)	$199(8GB)	$199(16GB) with Dobly audio	$199(8GB)

Software

The small tablets all runs android system except for iPad Mini, which runs the latest Apple OS iOS.(Interested in operating system, compare them here.)

Beyond the basic software loaded on other three android tablets, Apple also give a big deal that offering the third-party content and software ecosystem. That’s a huge app ecosystem right out of the gate; over 275,000 apps are designed for iPad including iPad Mini. And Apple has all the video and music you could want. The advance Wi-Fi technology will take you into an faster internet world.

The Nexus 7 runs stock, unmodified Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean bringing the best Android experience to you with no clayware apps, no foolish UI changes, and no waiting on updates. There are approximately 600,000 apps at Google Play, but most of them are not optimized for tablets.

Amazon’s Kindle Fire HD, on the other hand, is running the most modified version of Android based on Android 4.0 ICS. Amazon has transplanted in a combination of Bing and Amazon services in the system. The Kindle Fire HD presents itself with ads, suggested items, and the prevalent Kindle branding. There are only 51,000 apps available at Amazon.

Nook HD comes with the Android 4.0 ICS. It offers some special service of Nook magazine, Nook Video, Nook Catalog for shopping and the others to let you get a better experience of Nook. , Over 2.5 million books and about 10,000 apps are offered at Barnes & Noble store. The highest resolution of the small tablets at present on Nook HD can give you an incredible video and text experience.

Verdict

From the comparison of software and specs, we can found that iPad Mini is the same, or kind of a little higher, level as Nexus 7 and Kindle Fire HD. Overall, Nook HD is the lowest one , but it still has its competitive compared to iPad Mini’s high price. We now just don’t know whether iPad Mini can performs better or something special are neglected, but you need to think twice if you want to buy a iPad Mini considering the specs and price and the iPad 4.



Related articles:

• Amazon 8.9-inch Kindle Fire HD VS Apple New iPad
• Google Nexus 7 vs Windows RT Surface: the New battle
• The Comparison between Kindle Fire HD and Nexus 7