iPad Mini or Nexus 7? Which one is right for You?

iPad Mini or Nexus 7? The answer to this question is slightly more complicated than it may seem. The answer is dependent on what you want and need in a 7-inch tablet. Both are very good 7-inch tablets in my opinion, and there are pluses and minuses to both of them.The first factor you need to consider, is pricing. How much are you willing to pay?

The iPad mini's pricing goes as follows:

16GB: $329 (WiFi only)

$459 (WiFi+cellular)

32GB: $429 (WiFi only)

$559 (WiFi+cellular)

64GB: $529 (WiFi only)

$659 (WiFi+cellular)

As you can see, the starting price of an iPad mini is $329, which is a fair bit higher than the price of other tablets of the same form factor. So, if you want an iPad mini, you'll have to be willing to spend at least $329, and then taxes on top of that.

But, wait, we still have to take a look at the pricing of the Nexus 7. The pricing for the Nexus 7 goes like this:

16GB: $209 (WiFi only)

*There isn't a 16GB cellular model.

32GB: $259 (WiFi only)

$309 (WiFi+cellular)

*Note that these are Canadian prices. Prices may vary in your country.

As you can see, the Nexus 7 is a fair bit cheaper than the iPad mini. If you plan on purchasing a Nexus 7, you'll have to be willing to spend at least $209, which is $120 dollars cheaper than the base price of the iPad mini.

The next thing you need to take a look at are the specs of each device, and then from there, you need to decide what you need. Does the Nexus 7 fit the bill in terms of specs? Or does the iPad mini?

First, we'll take a look at the specs of the iPad mini:

Colours: Black and white

Models: WiFi only

WiFi+cellular

Weight: 0.68 pound (308g) WiFi only model

0.69 pound (312g) WiFi+cellular model

Storage options: 16GB, 32GB, 64GB

Display: 7.9 inch display

1024x768 resolution (non-retina)

A5 chip

Battery life: 10 hours

Cameras: rear facing 5 megapixel camera

Front facing 1.2 MP megapixel camera

OS: iOS 6+

As you can see, the iPad has decent specs for a 7 inch tablet. Personally I think they could be better, but they're not downright bad either. It very much resembles the iPad 2 in many ways, although its a lot smaller than the iPad 2 was.

The biggest drawback of the iPad mini is it's display. When Apple designed this device, they didn't innovate, as they almost always seem to say at almost every Apple keynote, but instead, they took a step back in time. Since the third generation iPad, Apple has had retina display's in the iPad. The iPad mini doesn't. It doesn't make much sense to take a step back with a "new" device. Yes, I get that this is supposed to be a cheaper tablet, and a cheaper iPad, but for the price of $329, I expect to see a better screen.

Now, let's take a look at the specs of the Nexus 7:

Display: 7 inch display

1280x800 resolution

HD IPS

Weight: 340g/0.75 pound (WiFi only)

347g/0.76 pound (WiFi+cellular)

Camera: 1.2 Megapixel front facing camera

Storage options: 16GB, 32GB

Other information: 1GB of RAM

NIVIDIA Tegra 3 Quad core processor

Android 4.2

As you can see, the Nexus 7 also has some pretty decent specs, including a quad core processor. The quad core processor is a huge plus to the tablet, one that the iPad mini doesn’t have. Although the Nexus 7 doesn't have a rear-facing camera as the iPad mini does, I really don't believe that this is really that big of an issue, because think about this: Who really uses their tablet to take photos? They're big and awkward to hold when taking photos.

One drawback with the Nexus 7, is the fact that it doesn't come in a 64GB version. For most of us, this really shouldn't be much of an issue, but for some it could be. If you really need that 64GB of storage, I would suggest taking a look at the iPad mini, as it does offer this storage option.

Okay, we've taken a look at the two biggest factors that will help answer this question. Pricing, and specs. Although specs on their own really don't answer a question, they are part of one. What do you need in terms of specs?

The iPad mini starts at $329. If your willing to pay that price, then great! This may be the option for you. To further seal the deal, consider this: Have you used an iOS device in the past? If so, then this will most likely help you get up and running faster as you won't have to learn too many new things.

Do the specs of the iPad mini look good to you? If they don't impress you, maybe your looking at the wrong device.

One thing I would like to point out, is the iPad mini doesn't have a retina display. If you've used a device with a retina display in the past (or anything similar,) then this may be something that's going to bother you. If it does bother you, I would suggest taking a look at the Nexus 7. It has a higher quality screen, for a lower price. If the screen doesn't bother you, and you like everything else about the iPad mini, then you may have the ideal device for you.

If the iPad mini isn't your cup of tea, then maybe consider taking a look at the Nexus 7. It's still a very good device in my opinion, and its cheaper than the iPad mini. It also has a sharper display, which is a plus, along with a powerful processor and 1GB of RAM. The Nexus 7 comes with Android 4.2, which has made major performance improvements to Android. Although that Android stutter is still apparent, its been improved upon.

If you like the price, and have decided the specs are good enough for you, then you've probably picked your ideal device. Another thing you should keep in mind, is the Nexus 7 is easier to hold in one hand since its not as wide as the iPad mini, and although the Nexus 7 is heavier than the iPad mini, its still very lightweight.

And lastly, if none of these devices interest you, then I would suggest looking around at other tablets, and the full sized iPad. Your bound to find the tablet that fits you.

One last suggestion I would like to make is, before committing and purchasing that tablet, make sure to try it out first in-store. This will really tell you one or another if you really like it or not.

That's really about it. Hopefully this article helped you decide whether you should get the iPad Mini, or the Nexus 7. That's about it.

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