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

3G-based Google Nexus 7 Unveiled, the Same Price, More Powerful

Google Nexus 7 tablet has become the highest selling Android tablet in its history since going on sale on 27 July, Carphone Warehouse, the UK’s largest independent mobile retailer, said. Although new tablets, including the Kindle Fire HD, Nook HD, the upcoming iPad Mini and Microsoft Surface, are aroused with some attractive features, Nexus 7 still keeps its popularity. However, the lack of 3G function also alienates some people.

Luckily, thing has changed. Rumor that there will be a 3G-capable Nexus 7 tablet has confirmed by Taiwan's NCC, a certification agency, with the model of ME370TG.

Details
 
The present model of Nexus 7 is ME370T, only supports Wi - Fi, providing two choices of 8 GB and 16 GB, but a 32 GB version has been leaked on the web just recently. There are two certain reasons that the ME370TG appeared in Taiwan NCC will be the 3G version of Google Nexus 7.First, the model has been added a “G”,and the other is this version will support the GSM/DCS/WCDMA/WLAN/bluetooth/NFC and so on.

However, the 3G version has only the choice of 32 GB, which may mean that the price will not attractive. In addition, although the 3G version has been verified by the NCC, the releasing data is not sure, there is even the possibility that Google will set the price after the launching of Apple iPad Mini.

Released on October 24?

According to the blog BGR, Google will replace 16 gb version by 32 gb version with the same price of 249 dollars to enhance Nexus 7’s competitiveness for the upcoming iPad mini.As for the specific launching time, Rumor said the 3G-based Nexus 7 comes on October 24,the next day of   iPad mini apple releasing day. The 3G version appeared with 32GB storage this time may also mean that Google will debut the 3G version next week.

It is absolutely the good news for customers especially for Nexus fans that Google will release the 3G-based Nexus 7 .If the 3G version is the same price as the present 16GB version, offering the bigger 32 GB storage, the core competitiveness of Nexus 7 will without doubt been strengthened and it will be the selling point, too.

The Most likely 7 inch Competitors for Unveiled iPad Mini

It is said that Apple’s iPad Mini will be released on this October 23, which is probably is the most anticipated one in tablet market after so much surprise both in price and specs in 2012.Certyaily you can see that the majority of the new stunning tablets come 7 inch, which is smaller than before. So which of they are most likely be iPad mini’s strong competitors? The following list can give you the advice.

Google Nexus 7
There is no need to explain why Nexus 7 is a member. Actually, it is Nexus 7 that takes people into a 7 inch tablet world completely. Its most advanced android system Jelly Bean, Tegra 3-induced performance and NFC communication can quickly attract your attention and the low price of $199 may beat your heart.

Amazon Kindle Fire HD
Amazon Kindle Fire HD is another new attractive 7 inch tablet. Maybe you will think of Kindle Fire, but I just think its spec is not that good as this one. The same price $199 as Nexus 7, Amazon Kindle Fire HD sports a higher resolution, a 720p front camera, Bluetooth, and the best speakers. Also, you can enjoy a penchant for watching books, movies, TV shows, and music.

Barnes & Noble Nook HD
The latest released 7 inch tablet is Barnes & Noble Nook HD which is still on order now. Nook HD features the unimaginable light weight, the highest resolution 1,140x900 of the tablet at present, microSD storage expansion, and the inclusion of the fastest processor yet in a 7-inch tablet. Besides, there is some special entertainment like Nook Magazine. The most important thing is that it is very suitable for family and kids. Nook HD also comes with a price of $199.

Undoubtedly, if iPad Mini want to succeed in the 7 inch tablet, it should offer more amazing performance and the low price for win people’s hearts.

Nexus 7,A Nightmare for Other Android Tablets Maker?

The Google Nexus 7 is right now one of the most popular 7-inch tablets out there, and considering it’s a Nexus-branded device ready to offer buyers a pure Android experience, it will probably become one of the best sold tablets of the year.

Google is yet to mention sales numbers for the device that started shipping last week and which is currently sold out with certain third-party retailers, but Digitimes reports that according to “industry sources” the Search giant may ship as many as 2.5-3 million units this year.

That may not seem like an impressive number, as the tablet is only available in a limited number of markets right now, but will Google hurt its partners when it comes to overall tablet sales and profits? The Nexus 7 doesn’t, and can’t, target the iPad – Apple is expected to sell tens of millions of iPads each quarter – but instead it’s meant to compete against the Kindle Fire, a product Google can’t afford to ignore.

Amazon’s tablet became popular with the crowds because it’s an affordable device, ready to offer a good enough experience for that price, not to mention access to the company’s digital content stores.

Google has adopted the same model, selling the device at cost, hoping to prevent users from jumping ship to Amazon and have them immersed in an improved Google Play environment instead. But while Google can sell the Nexus 7 without making any profits because users would then spend more money in its digital stores, other Android makers won’t be able to enjoy the same perks.

And they won’t be able to come up with similarly priced devices ready to offer a similar experience. Google did say that’s plenty of room left for innovation in the tablet environment, implying that its product will not hurt tablet sales from its Android partners, but the fact is that each Nexus 7 buyer is a customer that may have chosen an Android tablet from a different OEM. At the same time, that customer may have chosen the iPad too, so having him or her purchase a Nexus 7 instead is a better alternative for Google.

But, and I’ll say this again, Apple may sell as many as 30 million iPads by the end of the year (that’s a guesstimate from my part), that’s not counting what it has already sold in the first two quarters. And Apple did not cut the price of its tablets once the Nexus 7 launched. And Apple also has its digital stores in place that can be accessed almost in full in more markets that Google Play is available in, which means Apple too can make plenty of money off of its digital offerings.

Meanwhile, other Android device makers will have to suck it up, and fight even harder for a piece of the (Android) tablet ecosystem. The same Digitimes reports that various OEMs including Samsung, Asus and Acer, have started to cut the prices of their tablet offerings in order to better adapt to the new competition from Google’s tablet:

Samsung, which enjoys a high level of brand recognition, cut slightly the prices of its tablets in order to cope with increasing competition and to pave the way for the launch of its own new models.

But for Acer and Asustek Computer, they seem to have adopted the same strategy of lowering the prices of their 10.1-inch models to the levels close to those quoted for 7-inch models by Google or other rivals in order to attract consumers.

So is the Nexus 7 a wolf in sheep’s clothing for the Android tablet ecosystem? We’ll be able to better asses that in the following months when we’ll find out more details about tablet sales from the most important players in the business.

Finally, there’s also one more negative effect of the Nexus 7 that we can’t overlook – the iPad mini. Apple was rumored since last year to be working on a 7.85-inch iOS tablet, but the company didn’t make it public. Then the Kindle Fire appeared and the Google Nexus 7 rolled out seven months later revealing that there’s a certain share of the population that’s interested in purchasing cheaper tablets – but not the very cheapest, as there are various cheap Android tablets from unrecognized brands that don’t enjoy the popularity of the Kindle Fire or Nexus 7. And that could be a good enough reason for Apple to launch its smaller iPad this fall/winter. Android tablet makers will then have to fight against the smaller tablet as well.

What tablet are you buying this year?

from androidauthority

The New Kindle Fire Tablets

Come November, Amazon’s Kindle Fire Android tablet will be a year old, which means that its successor is shortly on the way.

Sources “familiar with Amazon’s plans” have told AllThingsD that the next-generation Kindle Fire will be thinner and lighter, and feature a built-in camera. It will also have a display resolution of 1,280 x 800 pixels — about the same as the iPad 2, and a substantial upgrade from the current Kindle Fire’s 1,024 x 600-pixel screen. (The iPad 3′s “retina” display is 2,048 x 1,536 pixels, for comparison.)

The Kindle Fire 2′s screen won’t only be sharper, it will also be slightly more square, AllThingsD‘s sources said. The screen of the next Kindle Fire will have an aspect ratio of 1.60, compared to the current Kindle Fire’s more elongated 1.71 aspect ratio.

The device is expected to ship before September.

AllThingsD made no mention of a second forthcoming tablet. Last week, tech blog BGR reported that Amazon is planning to announce two new Kindle Fires as soon as next month: a 7-inch version called “Coyote” and a 10-inch “Hollywood” tablet. The Coyote, BGR says, has a dual-core processor just like the current Kindle Fire, while the Hollywood is said to pack a more powerful quad-core processor.

Whether it launches one tablet or two, Amazon is going to face some tough competition leading into the holidays. According to multiple credible outlets, Apple is planning to launch a 7-inch “iPad Mini” that could come within the price range of the $199 Kindle Fire. Google’s 7-inch, $199 Nexus 7 has also already received rave reviews from the press — our own Christina Warren called it “the Android media tablet the Kindle Fire was supposed to be.”

Of the one actual and two rumored tablets — that is, the Kindle Fire 2, the iPad Mini and the Nexus 7 — which do you expect will lead the pack through the holidays?

from mashable