The latest product from Google’s stable is out – the all new Nexus 7. Google has started the small tablet war last year with the launch of the Nexus 7, and then Apple came out with the iPad Mini in an attempt to capture the 7-inch tablet market. But little did Apple know that the company is going to receive tough competition from Google – at least that’s what it looks like right now with the release of the sparkling new Nexus 7 (also referred to as the second generation Nexus 7).
So let’s stack up the new Nexus 7 with the iPad Mini and see who leads the 7-inch or small tablet war – is it Google or Apple? Well, you decide.
Processor and RAM
The new 2013 Nexus 7 has a Quad-core 1.5Ghz Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 processor and Adreno 320 graphics, coupled with a 2GB of RAM. The Nexus 7 supports OpenGL ES 3.0, which means superior gaming graphics, and also it’s worth pointing out that these graphics match to the Samsung Galaxy S4’s.
The iPad Mini on the other hand comes with an A5 processor which offers performance similar to the iPad 2 and the fourth gen iPod touch. It sports only 512MB of RAM.
Display
The new Nexus 7 comes with a full HD display with a resolution of 1920 x 1200 pixels, and a screen size of 7.02-inch, whereas the iPad Mini comes with a resolution of only 1024 x 768 pixels, although it does offer a large 7.9-inch screen. However, what remains to be seen is that how the new Nexus 7 scores in terms of color quality and viewing angles.
Camera
Both the iPad Mini and Nexus 7 sport a 1.2-megapixel front camera and 5-megapixel rear camera. However, whose camera remains superior needs to be seen.
Available colors
The Nexus 7 is available only in black while the iPad Mini is available in black as well as white.
Storage and Pricing
In the small tablet segment, pricing is an important factor. Amazon’s Kindle Fire HD 16GB costs $199, the 16GB 2013 Nexus 7 costs $229, while iPad Mini 16GB costs $329.
The 32GB Nexus 7 is $269 – only $40 more but the 32GB iPad Mini costs $429 which means you’ll need to pay $100 more for extra storage space.
The Nexus 7 also has a 32GB LTE version which costs $329. This model is unlocked which means it can be used with a variety of carriers like Sprint, Verizon and AT&T. Apple’s iPad Mini 16GB LTE model costs $459 while the 32GB model costs $559. However, iPad Mini’s are carrier specific, while Nexus 7 is not.
Wireless connectivity
Both the Nexus 7 and iPad Mini support Bluetooth 4.0 for file transfer and 802.11 a/b/g/n (2.4GHz and 5GHz) Wi-Fi. However, the Nexus 7 comes with NFC (Near Field Communication), while iPad Mini doesn’t.
Operating system
The new Nexus 7 will come pre-installed with Android 4.3 Jelly Bean which is the latest version of Android. In fact, this would be the first device that would sport Google’s latest mobile operating system. The new OS offers multi-user settings, Bluetooth Smart and some other features.
On the other hand, the iPad Mini currently runs on iOS 6 but it will soon get iOS 7 this fall. The device can run the same apps that the larger Retina display iPad runs, minus the Retina display. On the whole, Apple has lot more apps that are optimized for tablets compared to Google, but Google is also making progress in gaming with the new Play Games app.
Conclusion
The new Nexus 7 is indeed a powerful tablet with 1.5Ghz Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 processor, Adreno 320 graphics, 2GB RAM and best of all – the 1920 x 1200 pixels display. Comparing these specs with the iPad mini then it offers a larger screen, same camera, and its overall a less powerful device. For now, the 2013 Nexus 7 is a clear winner, at least on paper because of its specs, but the specs not always tell the full story as there are always other things to consider such as the app ecosystem. Will users consider Android or iOS is a big question. Also according to several rumors, Apple is already planning to come out with a new iPad Mini (second gen). We’ll let you know everything about it from rumors to official announcement. Stay tuned to ValueWalk!
