Google wants to break the market for small tablets again. It has just presented the new version of its 7-inch tablet repeating the formula of great features with a spectacular price. Unlike the first installment, this time it will not only be a terrible competitor for the other Android tablets, but, thanks to the fame of the Google + Asus binomial, it also attacks the interests of other platforms, especially Apple. That is why we want to offer you a comparison between the Nexus 7 2013 with the iPad mini.
Design, size and weight
It all depends a bit on taste, but the finish of the Cupertino model is made of metal and they have achieved a more polished and attractive final product. Its meager 7,2mm thickness it prevails although the equipment manufactured by Asus is slightly lighter. In terms of dimensions, we have the same height but the second is 2 cm wider.
Screen
Almost all the specialized media considered that Apple fell short on its reduced tablet screen resolution. Lots of other models put it out there, but here the Mountain View ones make it look ridiculous. 1024 x 768 pixels is a resolution from 2 years ago. 1920 x 1200 pixels is a present resolution. The pixel density of the new tablet is double that of its competitor.
Unlimited
The software of the disciples of Steve Jobs works wonders, but the distances with Android have been reduced drastically. Waiting for a big improvement with iOS 7 for September, the terrain is very even and that is that Android 4.3 looks very good.
In terms of specifications, again we are facing a very big difference. The A5 chip is a two year old design, very good, but old and with a dual core CPU. The Snapdragon S4 Pro isn't the latest in ARM chips, but it's more than decent and has less than a year to live, plus a 4-core CPU. GPUs can't be compared either, and Qualcomm's wins. The 2 GB of RAM finish making the difference.
Storage
Both companies do not give us additional storage options for SD, an equally debatable decision in both cases. The iPad mini has the option to choose three options, one of them up to 64 GB, while in the Nexus 7 2 we stay at 32 GB. Both companies have accessible cloud storage services of their own, although Apple's is paid and Google's is free.
Connectivity
Here they go very to the network connection options, counting both with LTE and dual band WiFi antenna. For connection between devices both have Bluetooth 4.0, but only the one manufactured by Asus has NFC. Also, for connecting accessories, the Lightning connector is less universal than the USB.
Cameras
We need to see the photos taken with the new Google equipment but the numbers indicate that the equipment in both the front and rear cameras is very similar.
Battery
They have a very similar duration of between 9 and 10 hours of autonomy. The only difference is that the new Nexus 7 has the option of wireless charging thanks to supporting Qi technology.
Prices and conclusions
The starting price of the two devices is difference in 100 euros. However, as we increase the endowment of either of the two computers in terms of storage and connectivity, the difference begins to be substantial. In the case that we took the option of 32 GB and WiFi + LTE, the equipment created by Asus would cost 349 euros, while Apple's would cost 559 euros.
As for what we get for our money, the difference is also very big. The Nexus 7 2013 tech specs sweep those of the iPad mini. The only thing that keeps the second tablet is that it is an Apple product, with the manufacturing quality that that entails, and that it has the iOS ecosystem. Only if we are staunch users of this platform could we consider choosing this tablet over Google's. And in that case, it is better to wait for Cupertino to release the second generation of its 7,9-inch device with a mandatory reinforcement.
| Tablet | iPad Mini | Nexus 7 2013 |
| Size | 200 x 134,7 x 7,2 mm | 200 x 114 x 8,7 mm |
| Screen | 7,9 inch IPS multi-touch LED | 7 inch LCD, LED backlit, IPS
Corning Glass Crystal |
| Litigation, Arbitration | 1024 x 768 (163 ppi) | 1920 x 1200 (323 ppi) |
| Thickness | 7,2 mm | 8,7 mm |
| Weight | 308 grams (WiFi) / 312 grams (WiFi + LTE) | 290 grams (WiFi) / 299 grams (WiFi + LTE) |
| Operating system | iOS 6 | 4.3 Android Jelly Bean |
| Processor | A5
ARM Cortex A9 dual-core CPU @ 1 GHz Dual-core PowerVR GPU |
Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro
CPU: Quad Core Krait @ 1,5 GHz GPU: Adreno 320 |
| RAM | 1 GB | 2GB |
| Conference proceedings | 16 GB / 32 GB / 64 GB | 16 GB / 32 GB |
| Extension | iCloud (5GB) | - |
| Connectivity | Dual Band WiFi / 4G LTE, Bluetooth 4.0 | Dual Band WiFi, 4G LTE, Bluetooth 4.0 |
| Ports | Lightning, 3.5 mm Jack | USB 2.0, 3,5 mm Jack |
| Sound | 2 rear speakers | Rear speaker |
| Camera | Front FaceTime HD 1,2 MPX (720p) / Rear iSight 5 MPX (1080p video) | Front 1,9 MPX / Rear 5 MPX |
| Sensors | GPS, Accelerometer, Light Sensor, Gyro, Compass | GPS, accelerometer, gyroscope, proximity |
| Battery | 10h | 3.950 mAh / Qi wireless charging / 9,5 hours |
| Price | Wi-Fi: €329 (16GB) / €429 (32GB) / €529 (64GB)
Wi-Fi + LTE: €459 (16GB) / €559 (32GB) / €659 (64GB) |
Wi-Fi: €229 (16GB) / €269 (32GB)
Wi-Fi + LTE: 349 euros (32 GB) |