iPad Mini |

iPad Mini with Retina Display review: more of the best

December 26, 2013 By David Leave a Comment

Apple is arguably not the best smartphone manufacturer anymore, Samsung’s Galaxy S sales are almost exceeding that of the iPhone and the HTC One and Moto X are both being crowned as better smartphones in 2013 than the iPhone 5S.

One market may be stronger in competition, but when it comes to tablets it still feels like Apple has a significant edge over their biggest rivals. Amazon may have done some good in the low-end market, but reports say the original iPad Mini made big holes in the Kindle Fire sales.

The iPad Mini with Retina Display shows Apple has made a decision against the previous formula and decided not to marginalise the performance on the mini version of the iPad this year, stacking in the best performance into the iPad Mini with Retina Display for a more expensive price-tag.

iPad Mini with Retina Display

The iPad Mini with Retina Display is Apple’s idea of the best tablet experience on an 8-inch display. The iPad Air is Apple’s crowning jewel, but the iPad Mini is probably the one that will be grabbing most the sales and almost all the attention, with the slightly cheaper price tag.

On the specs side this years iPad Mini is exactly the same as the iPad Air, with the only change being on the screen size. This makes it almost a preference choice whether you enjoy the 8-inch form factor or the 10-inch, we believe most prefer the former.

We picked up the 16GB iPad Mini with Retina Display in silver and picked the blue Smart Cover alongside and have stocked it full of games and applications.

Design

Following up from the original, the second generation iPad Mini looks exactly the same as last year. Apple has decided not to change anything, from the back aluminium to the front glass cover, everything is the same in terms of design.

That doesn’t make a difference to us, Apple still has the winning formula when it comes to designing tablets. There is no wacky edges like on the Kindle Fire HDX and the premium aluminium beats the rubber plastic on the Nexus 7 (2013) in our opinion.

Personal preference will come into play when it comes to design, but from a usability perspective the iPad Mini with Retina Display is just big enough to not be considered one of those huge Android phablet phones and offers a nice build to hold for more than five minutes.

Display

Moving onto the display, the previous generation was packed with the same display as the iPad 2. It wasn’t that great and against the 1080p competition it did not look like a high-end tablet, it looked more like a half-baked solution, where other Android tablets were pushing the limits.

Apple decided this year they would not make the half-baked solution, but add a full-throttle retina display onto the iPad Mini. This gives it a resolution of 2056 x 1536, better than the 1920 x 1200 on the Kindle Fire HDX and Nexus 7 in terms of raw pixels on the screen.

In day to day use the display on the iPad Mini is incredible – in every case the display just makes everything come alive. Text on the iPad Mini looks crisp and there is no blur or pixelation, when it comes to gaming and video every color is vivid and there is no bad color saturation.

Performance

Apple has not just slapped a retina display on the iPad Mini and said “see you next year” they have also packed in the latest A7 chipset. This is only currently available on the iPhone 5S and iPad Air, showing the high-end bridge the iPad Mini has crossed this year.

The A7 chipset offers a lot more performance than the previous iPad Mini, games run smooth and the tablet can run multiple applications without freezing up. There is still minor lag on some applications, but we cannot figure out if this is because lack of juice or something on the developer end.

Battery Life

The iPad Mini with Retina Display has had a big bump in performance and we didn’t have any expectations when it came to battery life. Surprisingly it isn’t that bad, the tablet can run solidly for around 6 to 10 hours, depending on usage.

This is on par with most tablets out there and while it is not great, it holds up and never seems to be too problematic, even when having dozens of applications open and watching a full HD movie.

Software

iOS7 is the latest mobile OS update from Apple and completely redesigns the OS, from the skeuomorphism we previously found on iOS devices, Apple has redesigned iOS to make it flat, removing weight on buttons and making everything one layer upon another.

The update has been criticised in certain places and the iPad version, for a time, was buggy and did not work. Gladly, Apple has fixed the problems on the iPad Mini with iOS7 and it is a joyful experience, especially with some of the redesigned applications.

Apps

Talking about applications, this is where the iPad is really still ahead. Apple made it their issue to push developers to make applications just for iPad in 2011 and have made a great field of apps built for the larger screen, where Android still holds thousands of blown up apps that look awful.

In our first day of use, we found enough apps, including video games and productivity applications, to last us a good few months. Things like Flipboard, Paper 53, iAlien, The Walking Dead, Sorcery, Deus Ex alongside all of Apple’s free iWork apps for iPad.

The experience when finding apps on an iPad is so much easier than on an Android tablet, we feel. The prominence of great, iPad built apps makes it easy for us to enjoy content and find games and applications that really make us want to use our iPad Mini with Retina Display for hours on end.

Still the best?

We would still say the iPad Mini with Retina Display is the best small tablet on the market today, beating the likes of the Amazon Kindle Fire HDX and Google Nexus 7. It is obviously personal preference which you like better, but if the reason for picking up a Google device is for using their services, they are all on the iPad Mini and work remarkably well.

Apple announces new MacBook Pro, Mac Pro, iPad Air and iPad Mini

October 23, 2013 By Nicholas Anderton Leave a Comment

Apple’s event yesterday introduced four new products to the market and a whole new range of free software applications and Mavericks OS for Mac. The event featured lots of announcements, but also showed a roadmap of where Apple is taking their software and iPads in the coming years.

They kicked off the show with the MacBook Pro, announcing the retina display with Haswell processor. There are two different models, the 13-inch that comes with a 2.4GHz dual-core Intel i5 processor, 4GB of RAM, 128GB of SSD, 802.11ac WiFi and nine hours of solid battery life, prices start at $1299.

On the other side, the 15-inch MacBook Pro comes with a 2.0GHz Crystalwell Intel Core i7 quad-core processor, 8GB of RAM, 256GB of SDD, GeForce GT 750 M for improved graphics and 8 hours of battery life, prices start at $1999.

Then came the new redesigned Mac Pro and Phil Schiller ran down a list of really impressive specs, including a Intel Xeon E5 chip with 4,6,8 or 12 cores available, 30MB L3 cache, 1866MHz DDR3 memory available up to 64GB, 60GB of bandwidth, AMD FirePro graphics, 12GB of GDDR5 RAM, 1TB of flash storage, ports for three 4K monitors, the new Mac Pro starts at $2999.

On the subject of software, Apple turned a corner in their pricing, by making almost everything free with a new Mac OS device. Mavericks will be free to all users from 2008 and above using a Mac or MacBook. iLife and iWork come free on any new Mac OS device, really pushing up against Google and Microsoft.

Tim Cook got back on stage to announce some impressive feats for the iPad, over 170 million units sold since its inception, 475,000 apps designed specifically with the iPad in mind and still the number one in customer satisfaction, still controlling 81% of the tablet marketshare.

Instead of going for the iPad 5, Apple has removed the number name and made the iPad Air, a new lighter design of the tablet. The new iPad Air is still a 10-inch model and comes with the same design as the iPad Mini, it is also thinner and lighter than the previous generation, with less bezel.

The iPad Air also comes with an A7 chip, 5MP iSight camera, 1080p front facing FaceTime camera, dual microphone, 10 hours battery life and will be available in silver and white or space grey and black. Prices start at $499 for the 16GB WiFi version and $629 for the cellular version. Apple is also still hanging on to the iPad 2, available for the ridiculous price of $399.

Last, the iPad Mini, Apple finally announced a retina display for the smaller iPad, adding a 2048 x 1536 resolution, the highest on a tablet that size. This blows the Nexus 7 (2013) and Kindle Fire HDX out of the water in terms of display and the iPad Mini also comes with an A7 chip, 10 hours of battery life and is available in silver and black.

In a rather crushing move for the cheaper tablet market, Apple bumped up the price of the iPad Mini to $399 and $499 for the cellular option. The iPad Mini will be available in November with colorful smart cases and leather wrap cases, priced at $39 and $79 respectively.

Apple’s second generation iPad Mini will come with retina display

October 21, 2013 By Micheal Baptiste Leave a Comment

There has been a constant back and forth when it comes to the iPad Mini retina display, some leakers say yes, others say no. We now have a rather valid source claiming Apple will add the higher-resolution retina display to the second generation iPad Mini, the news comes from The Wall Street Journal.

Apple has hung onto the retina display feature for quite a while now, it has been added onto the iPhone for the past three years and has since been available on the iPad 3 and above, the MacBook Pro, MacBook Air and the fifth generation iPod Touch.

The original iPad Mini comes with the iPad 2 1024×768 resolution, rather shoddy in comparison to the Nexus 7 (2013) and Kindle Fire HDX, both coming with high-resolution 1080p screens at a cheaper price.

With the retina display, Apple could bump the iPad Mini above and beyond what Google and Amazon are shipping, with the iPad 4 resolution at 2048×1536. There is downscaling done on smaller screens, but perhaps Apple could go the extra mile and add a huge resolution to the smaller iPad.

Apple will not just add a nicer display, the iPad Mini is set for a full upgrade in terms of internal specs, most looking exactly the same as the iPhone 5 specs. We believe Apple will add the A6 processor and a slightly larger battery, alongside a new thinner and lighter build.

Price should stay the same, there is no reason why Apple would drop the price any lower and they may even push it up $20/30. It is not unlike Apple to bump up prices on their products, they may drop $100 off the iPad Mini price.

We are just one day from finding out all about the new iPad Mini, it would be a shame if Apple decides the retina display can wait until next year, especially with all the new competition.

Apple announces October 22 iPad event

October 16, 2013 By Brandi McCants Leave a Comment

Apple has announced their second fall event on October 22, where they are set to announce the iPad and iPad Mini. The event will be held at Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in San Francisco, California.

This event will be all about the iPads and a few other revamped products from Apple’s line. The company has been surprisingly quiet on the iPads ever since WWDC, after developers and users found bugs on the iPads running iOS7.

We are expecting to see the fifth generation iPad and the second generation iPad Mini. The iPad 5 will have a new design similar to the iPad Mini and come with the new A7 processor. Apple will also fit TouchID into the iPad 5, making it the second device to come with the fingerprint technology.

As for the iPad Mini, we may see the retina display added onto the smaller tablet, alongside the A6 processor. We doubt they will add TouchID or any of the iPhone 5S features, simply to dumb down the iPad Mini experience, keeping buyers on the more expensive iPad.

Other than the two iPads, Apple is expected to announce a refreshed MacBook Pro with retina display and Haswell processor. This may be the first twenty four hour MacBook, if Apple is able to add a huge battery to the more powerful MacBook.

Apple may also announce or preview release dates for the Mac Pro. Phil Schiller revealed the new design at WWDC a few months ago, but news on a release date has been silent since, pointing at a possible release next year.

We doubt Apple will mention the iWatch, considering CEO Tim Cook has already said new products will be coming next year. The company may hint or tease at the new iWatch, but we cannot see them rolling through the specs.

Apple preparing iPad event for October 22

October 9, 2013 By Micheal Baptiste Leave a Comment

Apple may be preparing its second fall event on October 22, where the company will launch the remaining products for the year, including the iPads, iPods, MacBooks, Mac Pro and any other products that need revamped from last year.

The event will be a little longer and larger than the iPhone event according to multiple sources, who say the Infinite Loop event was a little small by Apple and the company is looking at having a grander stage and more time to detail products.

Apple is likely going to announce the new line of iPads, including the iPad 5 with the new 64bit A7 processor, iPad Mini design aesthetic and sport some new colors to match the new iPhone 5S. The second generation iPad Mini will hopefully come with retina display, although reports are mixed on this subject – Apple will add the iPhone 5’s A6 processor, we believe.

Other features at the event could be a new iPod Nano, Touch and Shuffle. Apple likes to change things up with the Nano and this year we may see more a smartwatch feel, unless Apple takes a different route to keep away from the iWatch.

Apple should also be announcing the new MacBook Pro with retina display and Haswell processor. This will not be the most exciting news on the PC homefront, with Apple expected to announce a release date for the Mac Pro and Mavericks OS.

On top of all this, we may get our first look at the iWatch, a short teaser, like Phil Schiller showed at WWDC for the Mac Pro. This would really get investors excited about the future for Apple, even if every human says the product stinks before launch.

There is nothing worse than another company ruining your big event and Apple has stumbled on Nokia’s World 2013 date, making it a hard choice for fans on both fields.

Apple set to host iPad event on October 15

September 17, 2013 By David Leave a Comment

Apple second fall event is set to reveal the iPad, iPod, MacBook Pro and there are rumors of a Mac Pro release date and a first look at the iWatch or at least Jony Ive in the white background saying some words about how Apple is amazing at wearables.

Multiple sources have commented on the official date for Apple’s iPad event, although nothing is certain, the ring seems to be around October 15 or somewhere in the middle of October.

This date would make sense for Apple, the company has been pushing all new products out before the end of November and pre-orders normally end at the start of November. This gives a good holiday season for Apple to reap in customers.

iPad

Apple is set to launch two new iPads this year, the iPad 5 and the iPad Mini with retina display. We do not believe Apple will want to start numbering the iPad Mini and the retina display upgrade can keep them safe from improving the tablet this year.

We will also see the iPad 5 coming this year, set to have a new design similar to the iPad Mini. The iPad will also be thinner and lighter than the previous version, with a slight ramp up on performance.

Apple has been testing out a 12-inch tablet but we are unsure if this will come this year, considering there is already cannibalisation in the iPad market, perhaps the larger tablet will be held off for a year, to see what happens to the PC market.

iPod & MacBook Pro

iPods are still a product Apple likes to revamp every year, with the iPod Nano, Touch and Shuffle still getting different changes in design and format. We are uncertain if they will make an appearance this year, as reports say Apple is selling half as many every year.

The MacBook Pro will definitely be revamped by Apple, with the newest Haswell processor inside. The Haswell processor should give the MacBook Pro full day battery life and better graphical performance, on top of the release of OS X Mavericks.

Other Possibilities

Apple may also announce the Mac Pro release date, with the huge redesign making it 10% the size of the previous edition, it may take time before the company is capable of mass-producing this, especially with the Mac Pro being built in the US.

Lastly Apple may tease the new iWatch, set to be the first smartwatch from Apple.

Apple iPad Mini vs Google Nexus 7 Price, Specs, Design, Camera, Features, Carriers Comparison

July 31, 2013 By David Crozier 1 Comment

There is a new Nexus 7 tablet in the fray and is out to renew the rivalry with the Apple iPad Mini. While there is still a lot of confusion as to whether Apple will come up with a new iPad Mini this fall, as things stand right now, it is the first gen iPad Mini that the new Nexus 7 will be up against. So with the parameters getting altered, there are some important comparisons that the consumers need to look into before zeroing in on any one product.

The rivalry in the 7 inch tablet space took on a whole new dimension when Google had launched the Nexus 7 back in July 2012. Soon thereafter, the Google tablet went on to emerge as the largest selling Android tablet. Amazon and Apple responded with their own version of a small tablet in the form of the Kindle Fire HD and the iPad mini respectively as rivals to the Google Nexus 7. However, while both the Kindle Fire and the iPad Mini proved to be a strong contender of the Google Nexus 7, the real battle in the small tablet segment proved to be between the Google and Apple products.

However, with all of the tablets already almost a year old, it’s time for the companies to refresh their tablet line-ups with new devices. Google is the first off the block to launch the new Nexus 7 and Apple is expected to follow suit with a new iPad Mini device. Till that happens, let’s find out how the two compare with each other and which one consumers should consider worth buying.

We look at certain aspects and would come out with facts that would benefit the end user in deciding which of the two will suit them best.

Price

Nexus 7 definitely has the advantage here, priced as it is a whole $100 less than the iPad Mini. Even though Google has departed from the $199 price tag and has priced the new gen Nexus 7 $30 more, it still is cheaper than the corresponding iPad Mini version. Mentioned below is the pricing structure of the new Nexus 7 device.

Nexus 7 Wi-Fi 16 GB – $230

Nexus 7 Wi-Fi 32 GB – $270

Nexus 7 4G LTE 32 GB – $350

Compare the above with the price of the Apple iPad Mini as is prevalent now.

iPad mini Wi-Fi 16 GB – $330 only [$100 more than the new Nexus 7]

iPad mini Wi-Fi 32 GB – $430 only [$160 more than the new Nexus 7]

iPad mini 4G LTE 32GB – $560 [$210 more than Nexus 7]

The price comparison clearly shows the base model of the new Nexus 7 is $100 cheaper than the iPad mini at the cheapest point while the 4G LTE version of the same with 32 GB of storage is just $20 more than the Wi-Fi enabled iPad mini having 16 GB of storage.

Display

This is another area where the Apple iPad Mini fares poorly against the new Nexus 7 tablet. While the Nexus 7 boasts of a full HD display having a resolution of 1920 x 1020 pixels, the iPad Mini makes do with a 1024 x 768 pixel display. Coming to pixels per inch, the above figures translates to a pixel density of 323ppi for the new Nexus 7 compared to just 162ppi for the iPad Mini. No wonder Google is claiming the Nexus 7 to have the best display in the small tablet segment. Also, the pixel count apart, the new Nexus tablet also display 30 percent more colors.

While a retina display could tilt the balance in favor of the iPad Mini, the same continues to be a hot topic of debate as the rumor mills would like us to believe a retina enabled iPad Mini is due only in 2014. Till then, it is the first gen device that will have to keep the new Nexus 7 engaged.

Design

The new Nexus 7 continues with more or less the same design theme though Google is claiming the bezels along the side are even thinner this time. However, the overall looks is marred by the thicker bezels along the top and bottom which together with the rectangular shape makes the Nexus 7 look much like a big phone. For those who prefer numbers, the new Nexus 7 measures 10.45mm x 198mm x 120mm. Also, the new Nexus tablet is also a tad heavier than its predecessor at 330g compared to 317g for the original Nexus 7.

In comparison, the iPad Mini is more squarish which makes the device look more like a small tablet. Also, with thinner bezels all round compared to the new Nexus tablet, the iPad Mini can be considered the better looker of the two. Sporting overall dimensions of 200 x 134.7 x 7.2 mm, the iPad Mini is both thinner and lighter of the two, tipping the scales at just 308g.

Aluminum is the material that has gone in the making of the iPad Mini while for the Google Nexus 7, the choice of material is black plastic having a rubbery matte finish. Both the designs are durable and feel good in hand and thus the design choice is best left to the user’s discretion.

Multi user support

Multi user profiles that allowed users to create multiple user account in their tablet devices is something that was first introduced with the Android 4.2 Jelly Bean update. Such a feature is extremely beneficial in households where the same tablet is used by more than one member. Surely, they would love to have their own settings intact when using the device. The latest Android 4.3 Jelly Bean update improved on this even further by allowing parents to have some sort of a control over the app or games their children can be exposed to though such a feature can also prove handy in kiosks or public places.

Unfortunately, such a feature is sorely missed in the iPad Mini running iOS 6 and things are not expected to improve even when iOS 7 comes on to the scene. Perhaps the only way the omission of multiple user support in iOS can be explained is that Apple wants all members of the household to own separate iPad devices.

Specifications

The new Nexus 7 device is built around the Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 processor rated at 1.5GHz, which marks a departure from the Nvidia Tegra 3 chip that powered the first gen Nexus tablet. RAM strength now stands at 2 GB, up from the 1 GB RAM of the original Nexus 7 device. All of this together with the Android 4.3 Jelly Bean that the Nexus 7 will come pre-loaded with means faster performance and more efficient battery usage. (The new Nexus 7 is powered by the same 4,325mAh battery).

In comparison, the iPad Mini is powered by the same dual core A5 chip that does duty on the iPad 2. This coupled to a 512 MB RAM ensures good performance for the mini iPad though the Nexus 7 remains a notch or two higher.

As for external storage options, both the device still does not come out with microSD card slot and that means buyers will have to stick with the on board storage available. However, the iPad Mini offers greater storage options as the same is also available with 64 GB of internal memory, something that is unavailable with the new Nexus 7. The iPad Mini also comes out with 16 GB, 32 GB and 64 GB options in their LTE models. In comparison, the Google Nexus 7 offers only 16 GB and 32 GB of internal memory while their LTE model is available only with 32 GB of storage. All of this makes the iPad mini the best option for consumers looking for storage space.

Wireless Charging

The Google Nexus 7 supports wireless charging, something that the iPad Mini does not. This may not be too big a deal though it’s definitely a lot better than the mess than the chargers and chords can create.

Camera

The Nexus 7 features a 5 mp camera at the rear along with a 1.2 mp shooter at the front to allow for video chats or self portraits. The iPad Mini too features the exact same set up though it remains to be seen which of the two tablets emerges the better shooter.

Carriers

Nexus 7 is available in both Wi-Fi as well as 4G versions while the iPad Mini comes in Wi-Fi and Wi-Fi+Cellular models that offers better speeds than 3G though not as good as 4G. Further, the Apple iPad Mini might come unlocked though the bands on-board the device makes it locked down to specific carriers. Put in simple terms, the AT&T version of the iPad Mini is not compatible with the Verizon LTE network and vice-versa.

Not so with the new Nexus 7 that can be used on AT&T, T-Mobile or Verizon networks and will work just fine.

Apple iPad Mini vs New Google Nexus 7 2: Specs, Price and Features Discussed

July 26, 2013 By David Crozier 1 Comment

Google has finally taken the veils off its tablet computer, the Nexus 7 2, which is all set to compete with Apple’s iPad Mini. As opposed to the previously launched tablet, the Nexus 7, the latest version comes with a much improved display packing in far more pixels per square inches than ever before. An added feature of the new Nexus 7 2 is its back facing camera which will ensure photography enthusiasts will have something to play around with. Google made the all-important announcement on Wednesday. Also, it’s Asus that continues to be Google’s manufacturing partner for the new Nexus 7 device as well.

New Neux 7 2 Specs

When it comes to processors, Tegra processors have been done away with. Instead, the latest processor to find its place inside the Google Nexus 7 2 is the LTE enabled 1.5 Ghz Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 quad core chip mated to a 2 GB RAM. What this means is that Verizon, AT&T as well as T Mobile’s LTE can be the possible carriers of Google Nexus in the US while delivering scintillating peformance. The device can well run on Wi Fi too with its Wi Fi dual band. Needless to say, the Nexus 7 2 will also be shipping with Android Jelly Bean version 4.3.

Apple iPad Mini Processor

In comparison, the iPad Mini too is available in LTE and Wi-Fi models. The iPad Mini is powered by Apple’s 1 Ghz dual core chip, A5 that also does duty on the iPad 2. This might make the chip seem a bit older though this should not let anyone into believing the iPad Mini to being a slouch. This, in spite of the fact that the iPad Mini comes with only 512 MB of RAM. As for its operating system, the Apple tablet runs iOS 6 but will soon be upgraded to iOS 7 when the latter is launched in September.

Display of iPad Mini and New Nexus 7

Coming to the display, Google have both upped the ante here so that the new Nexus 7 now comes with a 7 inch display having a resolution of 1920 x 1200 pixels. Compare that to the 1024 x 768 pixels that lights up bigger 7.9 inch display of the iPad Mini and you know who is the winner here. With 323 pixels per inch for the Nexus 7, the iPad Mini offers half of that at 163 ppi.

Storage

Google has bid adieu to the 8 GB model, while sticking only to 16 GB and 32 GB versions along with cloud storage support for the additional storage. Customers can also store various other cloud storage apps in it as well. The iPad Mini is available in 16, 32 as well as a 64 GB model though both the competing tablet devices does not include micro SD card support.

Battery Consumption of Both the Tablets

On the issue of power consumption, Google has promised 10 hours of browsing and 9 hours of watching full HD videos. The iPad Mini can be considered to be a step ahead as it offers 10 hours of browsing as well as video playback time.

Nexus 7 Camera Compared to iPad Mini

On the issue of built-in camera, both the Nexus 7 2 as well as the iPad Mini are equally poised. Both feature a front and rear 1.2 mp and 5 mp camera setup. Both the tablet devices are capable of video recording in 1080p and 720p format via its rear and front camera respectively. As such, shooting Instagram photos and recording Vine videos is a lot more easier.

New Nexus 7 Price

Meanwhile, the Google Nexus 7 2 is also cheaper compared to Apple iPad Mini. The Nexus 7 is priced at $229 for the 16 GB version while the 32 GB version comes for $269. The iPad Mini is priced at $329 and $429 for the 16 GB 32 GB versions respectively. The Nexus 7 is expected to be out in the US from July 30th.

Google Nexus 7 2 vs iPad Mini 2 Before the Tablet Release Date

July 7, 2013 By Micheal Baptiste 1 Comment

iPad Mini 2 and Nexus 7 2 are the much anticipated midsize tablets of 2013. Previously, a stream of rumors surfaced regarding their release dates, but none of the manufacturers has officially confirmed the launch of these tablets. However, owing to the satisfactory performance iPad Mini and Nexus 7 delivered, it is likely for Apple and Google to launch their successors respectively.

Release Date

Nexus 7 was launched in June, 2012. Rumors have rolled up regarding the launch of its successor this summer. Google has not passed an official statement, but fans expect the tablet to surface this July.

iPad Mini was released in October 2012 and its successor is expected to follow a one year gap, like other Apple products. iPad Mini 2 is expected to release by October or November, this year.

Display

Apple is self-strategic over its products. Fans’ pressure barely alters the minds of Apple developers and they always execute their unique sense in shaping up every product. However, it mostly manages to satisfy its anticipators. This means that the brilliant Cupertino tech pays heed to preferences of fans and leads in innovation, producing something unique and apart from the contemporary. But fan pressure does not change Apple’s pre-defined direction.

While Android manufacturers like Samsung and Sony are keen on extending the display size of their products, Apple concentrates on display quality rather than its size. Obviously, Apple products bear a fine display quality, but fans want it large. However, iPad Mini bore a 7.9 inches display screen, which exceeded 7-inch Nexus 7 in size. Asus-manufactured Nexus 7 possessed a higher pixel density of 216, which is rumored to have been enhanced to 300 in its successor. It may also endorse an HD display. iPad Mini 2 is unlikely to feature a retina display, as its battery may not be efficient enough to support it.

Storage

Apple iPad Mini was available in three variants of 16, 32 and 64GB. Apple has now got the 128GB chipset but whether they will implement it in the next gen iPad Mini is unsure. iPad Mini featured 512 MB RAM, which is supposed to be augmented to 1GB in its successor.

Nexus 7 was available in two variants of 8 and 16GB and there is no assurance if Google has any plans of introducing an extended variant of Nexus 7 2. Google Nexus 7 possessed 1GB RAM, which is supposed to be enhanced to 2GB in its successor, as rumors suggest.

None of these tablets featured a card slot. Apple is likely to ignore the card slot in iPad Mini 2 as well alike its other products, whereas Google has some stances of considering a card slot.

Camera

iPad Mini featured a 5MP rear-facing camera and a 1.2MP front-facing one. Nexus 7 lagged much behind in its camera specifications, bearing only a 1.2MP primary sensor and no secondary ones. Google is likely to enhance the camera specifications of Nexus 7 2 to 5MP.

OS and Chipset

iPad Mini ran on iOS 6 and is upgradable to v.6.1.3. Recently, it was speculated that Apple will roll out an iOS 7 update to iPad Mini users. Apple has released two beta versions of iOS 7, with the third about to surface soon. So, iPad Mini 2 will be blessed with iOS 7 and an A7 chipset, thus making it much powerful than its predecessor that bore an A5 chipset. Apple is likely to implant a more powerful processor in second-gen iPad Mini.

Google Nexus 7 2 will probably run on the mildly upgraded version of Android Jelly Bean 4.2.2, v4.3, featuring Qualcomm 800 CPU. iOS 7 will definitely be far better than Jelly Bean 4.3. Android Key Lime Pie 5.0 is supposed to be launched on Android’s fifth birthday this October, which is far behind the rumored release date of Google Nexus 7 2.

Price

Price of Apple products is always higher than Android products. Users do not mind spending a bit high on iOS, considering its unbeatable utility. iPad Mini was launched for those seeking an iOS tab at a lower price. iPad Mini 2 may arrive at a price tag of $300 approx, whereas Google Nexus 7 2 may range at $200-$250.

These specifications reside on a rumored platform and there is hardly any official confirmation from the manufacturers. But in any case, they are expected to abide by our expectations.

Microsoft Surface Mini vs iPad Mini 2 vs Nexus 7 – MS to compete with Apple,Google in Mini Sector?

June 14, 2013 By Micheal Baptiste Leave a Comment

The competition in the tablet market seems to be sound enough to fuel rumors. The latest speculations are about the Microsoft Surface Mini, a small-sized Windows 8 tablet. Microsoft has been planning to introduce a small Surface tablet to compete with Apple’s iPad Mini and Google’s Nexus 7.

Right now the tablet market is anticipating the launch of the high-end Samsung Galaxy Note 3, Microsoft Surface Pro 2, Surface Pro Mini and Samsung Google Nexus 11. The Galaxy Note 2, launched last year, caused Samsung to outpace Apple and is still moving at the same speed. However, the Surface range did not affect Apple’s market.

This time, it seems like Microsoft is planning on a tablet that will perform shoulder to shoulder with the iPad Mini 2. The Surface Mini is expected to feature a 7.5-inch display with a resolution of 1400 x 1050 pixels, an Intel processor chip, and an upgraded Window Blue 8.1 OS. By comparison, the iPad Mini 2 will feature a 7.9-inch Retina display with a resolution of 2048 x 1536 pixels, an A7 processor chip and the latest iOS 7 operating system.

At the 2013 Computex event, Windows CFO said that future Windows 8 tablets will get free Office 2013. Microsoft will probably let out its mini-range of tablets after the next version of Windows 8 is ready. Acer’s 8-inch Windows 8 Iconia W3 is expected to belong to the small-tab series. Its rumored specs include 2GB RAM, Atom processor, and 32GB/64GB internal storage.

Rumors also say the Microsoft will come up with an Xbox-compatible small-size tablet running on Windows 8 or RT. While recent developments convey that Microsoft will launch a series of small-screen Windows tabs running on the next gen Windows 8.1, there are no clues on release date.