iPad Mini vs Nexus 7: which is best? [GIVEAWAY]

by Antonio Wells Nov 19, 2012 12:26 PM – 91 Comments

iPad Mini vs Nexus 7! When shopping this holiday season for a small tablet these two are the top choices, so which is the best? Read and watch our review plus you can win either iPad Mini or Nexus 7 by entering our contest!

Video Review

Watch on Mobile | Watch in HD

Pros & Cons

iPad Mini

Pros

iOS ecosystem is plentiful!
Solid build quality and design!
Smaller, lighter and easier to hold in one hand than normal iPad; yet wider than other 7-inch Android tablets!
Super long battery life… almost no worries about charging it!
Features smaller Lightning port!
More affordable than iPad!

Cons

Expensive in comparison to Android tablets of same class.
No ‘Retina Display’, lower resolution screen noticeable in comparison to Android tablets.
Apple choose to include the slower A5 processor, pales in comparison to Nexus 7 Tegra 3 processor.
Introduces the Lightning port.

Nexus 7

Pros

Very affordable!
Features latest and greatest Google software experience has to offer including; (new) multiple account support, (new) gesture typing, Google Now, voice typing, notifications on steroids, and more!
Best designed Android tablet, perfect fit in one hand!
Ecosystem emerging with content; apps & games, music, movies & TV, books & magazines, and pure Google-experience devices!
Screen resolution is better than the iPad Mini!
Hyper-fast Tegra 3 processor!
Easier to personalize, customize and/or hack!

Cons

Ecosystem is second class only to Apple.
Minor, yet there is no rear-facing camera… which excludes new feature enhancements in the Camera app.
Slightly thicker and heavier than iPad Mini.

Design

iPad Mini

The Mini is a well designed tablet and feels that way in the hand. My gripes with it are the thin bezel on the sides (yet Apple says they have tweaked the tablet’s software to discount unwanted touches near the side edges) and it’s wider than most tablets of its class with the slightly larger 7.9-inch display (which offers 35% more display, yet only 1024×768 resolution at 163 ppi). If you’ve experienced a 3rd or 4th gen iPad or iPhone 5, you will definitely notice the screen quality degradation. The iPad Mini almost feels a little too wide to grip in one hand and the backing feels uninviting-ly cold in comparison to the N7′s soft back. There are two cameras; a front-facing 1.2-megapixel for 720p HD FaceTime video calling, with rear-facing 5-megapixel iSight 1080p full HD camera. It comes in two colors; white & silver or black & slate, the latter gives off a cool blue sheen on the back in the right light. It is far thinner than the Nexus 7 and weighs slightly less, this is the first thing you notice when you first pick it up.

Nexus 7

For a while seven inch Android tablets have not captured a sexy and thin design until the introduction of the Nexus 7. It only comes in one color; black on black (the white back we have is a limited edition from Google IO 2012). Speaking of the back, the grippy faux-leather rear makes cuddly up with it or holding in one hand very comfortable. The screen is far better than the iPad Mini which an HD IPS display with 1280×800 resolution at 216 ppi. Sadly, the Nexus 7 does not have a rear shooter, and with the new camera improvements in Android 4.2 (Jelly Bean) this flagship Google device won’t get the goodies as there is no camera app. Luckily, you can download this app to get the missing Nexus 7 camera app. The front-facing camera is 1.2-megapixels for HD video calling & chats.

Ecosystem

iPad Mini vs Nexus 7 – The Ecosystems

iPad Mini

In my opinion, Apple’s robust ecosystem could be the sheer deciding factor of why you would choose the Mini over the 7. I’m not referring to the number of apps & games, nor the fact that Apple states there are more than 275,000 iPad specific apps, millions of songs, books & magazines, and exclusive movie and television show content deals… I’m referring to the fact that if you have invested into the ecosystem with any other Apple device, you can consume them as well on this device, and now without plugging up to a computer and iTunes due to iCloud.

Nexus 7

The same goes for Google’s ecosystem. They too have nearly a million apps & games, millions of songs, TV shows and movies, books & magazines; and if you’ve purchased any of the content here, you’ll know you can share among devices without wires via their cloud. For now at least, Google Play is only second class to Apple and the bar is extremely high.

Features

iPad Mini

The iPad’s lil brother too has iOS 6 which brings more features to Siri like gathering sports & movie information plus booking restaurants. Finally, there’s natural Facebook integration to share things, you can store credit cards, coupons, and boarding passes in Passbook, FaceTime is mostly available over cellular, you can pick up where you left off in Safari browser via iCloud tabs & save content for offline reading, and lastly you can capture panorama photos.

Nexus 7

Google already released the best version of Android at IO this year, then they doubled-back with an incremental update with Jelly Bean (4.2) that introduces multiple user accounts on one tablet device. Think of it like a Windows computer, where each family member can have their own setting with personalized backgrounds, widgets and apps to their tastes on the same tablet. Additionally, there are improvements to the Camera app to allow one-handed switching between settings by tapping anywhere on the screen. For example, to turn auto-flash on/off or switch to the front-facing camera it is a simple tap and slide away. Google expanded on panorama shots with mesh augmented reality to allow you to create a 360 degree photo (can be very useful in real estate). Lastly, Google introduced gesture typing, just like Swype, where you can slide to letters to spell words for faster typing. These improvements are atop the intelligent inclusion of Google Now, a superior voice search & command assistant that learns your habits over time and can remind you of flight travel, nearby restaurants and events, get the weather, has near flawless voice recognition and voice to text typing, and of course search the Web.

Storage

iPad Mini

The iPad Mini comes in 16, 32 and 64 GB models, and either as Wi-Fi only or Wi-Fi + cellular to be available soon on AT&T, Verizon and Sprint. As you may know, there is no external storage expansion option on Apple products… so choose wisely.

Nexus 7

The Nexus 7 comes in 16 and 32 GB models, and either as Wi-Fi only or Wi-Fi + cellular on AT&T’s HSPA+ mobile Internet network. Unfortunately, and unlike the trend in nearly all other Android devices, there is no external storage expansion option… so choose wisely.

Performance

iPad Mini vs Nexus 7 Geekbench Performance Tests Comparison

iPad Mini

I know why they did it- hey if it isn’t broke then don’t fix it… Yet it’s sad to see how Apple will milk their customers in a few quarters- releasing “the all new [and magical] iPad Mini 2 with Retina Display and faster A5X processor”. To be honest, high-end games and tasks never lagged in my experience and iOS performed buttery smooth, however, based on the Geekbench processor performance tests, the Nexus 7 is way faster. If we’re talking battery longevity, even if you don’t have plentiful Lightning ports laying around as you may have 30-pin connectors, you don’t have to worry about charging this thing… it’s the Energizer Bunny!

Nexus 7

As displayed in the screenshot above, the Nexus 7′s quad-core Tegra 3 processor proves that it outpaces the Mini. Yet I get the same super long battery life out of the 7 as I do on the Mini. In my experience, and using both moderate-to-heavy, I would say an average of 6-8 hours for the former and 9-11 hours on the latter.

Price

$300 vs $500

iPad Mini

Pricing is what truly hurt the Mini. Yes you are getting a quality built product and you pay a little more premium for Apple’s vogue, however, compared to other seven inch tablets, starting at $329 is pretty steep. BTW, if you like me, will purchase Apple Care protection, a Smart Cover, plus tax, you’re looking at $500 for the cheapest option.

Nexus 7

Google & ASUS nailed this with the enticing price of starting $199. Even if you add on shipping, a case and taxes, you’ll be looking at around $300 for the cheapest option.

AndroidTapp.com Conclusion

So which is the best option iPad Mini vs Nexus 7? This one is a tough call, they both are 4.5/5 star tablets, although I believe the deciding factor will be Price and Ecosystem. Meaning, if you’ve invested in either ecosystem you may sway that way. If you’re brand new to tablets and looking to choose between these two this holiday season, I believe the cheaper price of the Nexus 7 will win you over. You get virtually the same experiential offerings to interact, learn, discover, play, surf, share and connect on these devices with more real estate than a smartphone.

Though for two lucky people, you won’t have to buy your iPad Mini or Nexus 7, as you can enter our contest and win either free!

How to Enter

WATCH our comparison video iPad Mini vs Nexus for secret code
Enter contest and LIKE us on Facebook
Enter secret code from video
CHOOSE iPad Mini or Nexus 7

Rules of the Contest

Must be 18 or older to enter. Open domestically and internationally. Contest ends December 14, 2012 at 11:59pm CST with the winner announced in the following week. The winner is randomly selected using the Sweepstakes app and contacted via Facebook for shipping details. Winner of the iPad Mini will receive the gently used product used in our review along with box and all contents plus red Smart Cover. Winner of the Nexus 7 will receive a brand new in box 16GB Wi-Fi only device and not the limited edition version used in our review. By entering our promotion, you authorize AndroidTapp.com only (excluding our partners and affiliates) to send you promotional offers and content related to the content and promotions AndroidTapp.com supplies. AndroidTapp.com produces a monthly email newsletter and occasional giveaway/promotional offers to members and promotion participants (members can unsubscribe at any time). Additionally, you agree and accept the “Rules” for the promotion.

Tags: Android 4.2, Android Tablet, AndroidTapp.com, Giveaways, iOS, iOS 6, iPad Mini, iPad Mini vs Nexus 7, Jelly Bean, Nexus 7, Nexus 7 vs iPad Mini, Win a Nexus 7, Win an iPad Mini

Categorised in: Android Advice, Android Tablets, Featured, Freebies, News

91 Comments

By Stefani S on December 6, 2012 at 11:55 pm:

I love these reviews! I would love one of these to help me during classes. I hate lugging around my computer.

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By Lawrence on December 7, 2012 at 4:47 am:

Nexus for me

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By Kenneth Krause on December 7, 2012 at 8:17 pm:

I would love either one, so hard to pick between , great website

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- By Antonio Wells on December 7, 2012 at 9:24 pm:
  
  @Kenneth Thanks!
  
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By Karen Hand on December 8, 2012 at 4:42 pm:

As I have neither an iPad of Nexus 7, as a beginning device, I believe the best best would be for me to get the Nexus 7 until I become accustomed to the features. Thank you for pointing out the differences, it helps me make my decision.

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By jasper on December 8, 2012 at 9:07 pm:

Nexus for me because I love it so much. I never had any tablet or ipad at all.

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By Jenny on December 9, 2012 at 9:49 am:

I love how detail the reviews and comparisons are on this website. It is very informative. Both models have their pros and cons. Love to win either one!

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By Christine Ling on December 10, 2012 at 8:23 am:

Thanks Kenneth….SOoooo helpfull!!

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By Tanisha Gordon on December 10, 2012 at 10:52 am:

I have never owned a tablet, but this was a great review and it would help me greatly if i decided to purchase one in the near future.

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- By Antonio Wells on December 10, 2012 at 11:04 am:
  
  @Tanisha thanks! This is what keeps up going.
  
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By Carl B on December 10, 2012 at 1:05 pm:

This review is awesome. Android fan but an ipad could come in useful. I’ve liked and commented the “secret code”, on face book. Awesome contest and nicely done Antonio.

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- By Antonio Wells on December 10, 2012 at 1:07 pm:
  
  @Carl B Thanks! This fuels us to do more like it!
  
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By Dorothy H on December 10, 2012 at 5:11 pm:

I’d go with the ever so slightly larger screen iPad mini. Great comparison and review.

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By Christine Ling on December 10, 2012 at 5:38 pm:

ok @ Antonio..talked to my hubbyluv about this because he asked me what i wanted for Christmas…lol i said the Android Nexus.. he said maybe next year!! luved the reviews I have always loved Apple, but so expensive, but Android is growing on me BIG time!:)

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By Peter H on December 10, 2012 at 9:39 pm:

A Nexus 7 would be perfect if it had a little microSD slot. The only real fault I think.

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By Bill Persinger on December 12, 2012 at 8:51 am:

Bestreviews….Sure would like to win the nexxus first then the mini….

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By Taylor Montgomery on December 12, 2012 at 1:57 pm:

They both are really good tablets! I don’t own a tablet and never have had one. I’ve done research on both of them though and my opinion on each of them is, The Nexus 7 is really cool,cheap,and has a good ecosystem. I think it has great quality just like the iPad mini but I’ve never been a really big fan of Apple products. They are good and pretty cool but I would take a Nexus 7 over a iPad mini any day!

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By Tia A on December 12, 2012 at 4:46 pm:

This review was very informative and went into detail about the pros and cons of each device. I have never owned a tablet, and was looking into purchasing the iPad/iPad Mini because of the Apple hype, but honestly after this review the Nexus my be a better choice for me. Fingers crossed that I win. Good luck everyone!

And thank you Tanisha G. for sending me here

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By Phil H on December 13, 2012 at 4:55 am:

I’d like the ipad mini just to see what all the fuss is all about.

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By frozencloud on December 13, 2012 at 8:37 am:

nice review.

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By Cory Mc on December 13, 2012 at 11:18 am:

Great review and video, too!

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By Cory M on December 13, 2012 at 11:20 am:

Great review and video! Helped me make my decision.

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- By Antonio Wells on December 13, 2012 at 11:34 am:
  
  @Cory I’m glad it helped, this is the core reason why we do it!
  
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By Kevin on December 13, 2012 at 5:53 pm:

I know the nexus7 is far better than the ipad mini considering it has better inclinations over the said apple product. But i really don’t know why i am very much attached with the ipad mini, just so you know, i never had an apple product. But this little guy right here amazes me, maybe the one thing that leaves the nexus 7 from the ipad is that it lacks a camera. I might sound stupid for saying this but i wouldn’t go for a tablet which lacks a camera. Yes the nexus7 has a front facing cam but it is still different to capture images and memories from a quality camera. This is just an opinion, and yes i am choosing the Ipad Mini )

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- By Antonio Wells on December 13, 2012 at 5:58 pm:
  
  @Kevin there’s nothing wrong with wanting the Mini
  
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By Kevin on December 13, 2012 at 5:55 pm:

And yessss i am falling in love with the apple product. Hoping someday i’d get something like this )

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By Tay on December 13, 2012 at 7:41 pm:

If I was spending my own money it would be the Nexus 7 but since I’m not, I would choose the superior product which is the ipad mini.

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By g3xx on December 13, 2012 at 10:10 pm:

I know what’s best so nexus 7 >:D

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By Steve Pagdin on December 14, 2012 at 12:01 am:

Great review. I’d love either!

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By Maznah Iliyas Ahmad on December 14, 2012 at 1:54 pm:

Such an awesome review, good job guys, you did it with honesty and dedication and that’s makes this Review very useful, and i found both the tablets are best, but i will go for iPad Mini because of back 5MP camera, other than that i like Nexus too… so try to give me both Tablets please..

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- By Antonio Wells on December 14, 2012 at 2:24 pm:
  
  @Maznah Thanks for that!
  
  Reply
By Sonya Miller on December 14, 2012 at 9:04 pm:

Great review!!! I definitely got some great info. I’m would love to win either one based on the review. You guys did a great job!

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By sgtkwol on December 15, 2012 at 3:39 pm:

Nexus 7, if I win

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By rex0112 on January 6, 2013 at 7:04 am:

no rear cam on nexus 7 is the only reason that stopping me to choose this baby. I mean, hey, I am going to carry this baby wherever I go, like my phone. And all phones (at least it have become a general knowledge right now) have a rear camera.
Might not using it much, but people (at least me) are expecting my baby can snap a good pic whenever needed.
Mini for me.

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By kyussmondo on January 27, 2013 at 3:09 am:

I have both. Both are great devices but for me the iPad Mini is the better device. Firstly, the 4:3 screen is a lot more practical for most uses. The Nexus screen is too narrow especially for reading and viewing webpages in both landscape and portrait.

Secondly, the iPad Mini wins hands down for apps. I know Nexus has all the big apps as well. When you start getting into niche hobbies then there are usually apps available for iPad. No such luck on the Nexus.

Lastly, the specs really don’t account for much. Technically the Nexus 7 beats the Mini hands down. But for everyday use, games play great on the Mini, no slowdowns, and the non-retina display still looks great. It is not quite as crisp as the Nexus but overall colour reproduction seems more accurate on the Mini, it is brighter and the extra .9 inches makes a difference especially on websites.

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