We haven't even had a moment to pause and watch as the 7-inch tablet market has been rocked by two major developments in just six days. The iPad mini arrived to make waves among 7-inch tablets, a segment Apple hadn't yet addressed and where its competitors were aggressively attacking. Google's tablet, alongside Amazon's, no longer seemed so out of place, but the folks at Mountain View have gone all in with two new models of their successful tablet at incredible prices. It's time to see who's ahead. We offer you a comparison between the Nexus 7, iPad mini, and Kindle Fire HD.
Screen
The best screen for resolution and protection is the device of the guys from the search engine. The Amazon is coming but the differential is in the protective glass of Corning. The screen of the little Apple is a total disappointment when compared to these, but especially to those of their other devices.
Size and weight
In this section, the street iPad mini wins. The thickness of this tablet is spectacular and its weight further lowers the impressive marks that the other two Android tablets had achieved.
Unlimited
Google's wins in this section. From Apple it has tried to convince that with its operating system it would be enough to reverse the beastly power of the much superior Tegra 3 chip, but we must not forget that it has a processor from 2 years ago. Kindle Fire HD also has a better processor than iPad mini, although its modified operating system does not get the most out of it for work. Either way, the latter is highly adapted to Amazon services, which can be a double-edged sword.
Storage
It is incomprehensible that none of these tablets have microSD expansion, although at least they give us some space in the cloud and the contents that we buy in their stores can always be enjoyed without having them stored. Without a doubt, the best cloud service in terms of performance and price for Spain is that of Amazon.
Google has rectified the standard storage situation with a 32GB model and discontinued the 8GB version, which was no longer competitive. Their prices aren't significantly different, now matching Amazon's, which set the standard. However, the iPad mini follows its company's policy, charging €100 for each memory upgrade.
Connectivity
Google and Apple offer the option of connection via mobile networks, the latter being the most powerful, although the former is much more affordable. Those of Amazon did not offer this option for this model, but they did offer a dual-band WiFi that also incorporates the Cupertino product. In other words, for the internet those on the block win.
In terms of connectivity with other devices, it is clear that in Seattle they did their homework to a greater extent than their rivals. The Apple connectors thing is an attack on intelligence, charging 50 euros for adapters for its capricious systems. The absence of HDMI on the Nexus 7 is a major nonsense as well.
Cameras and sound
In terms of cameras, the iPad mini wins by a landslide with its two lenses. In terms of sound, the Dolby Audio Dual of the Seattle ones stands out. Both aspects in the third tablet in contention are not that they are bad but they are not its strengths, especially if we think that it is a tablet designed for content.
Autonomy
There are almost no differences here, although Google promises that with the Android 4.2 operating system to which it will soon update its flagship tablet it will make more efficient use of the battery.
Prices and conclusions
Unless you're completely familiar with the iOS environment and consider yourself incapable of learning another, the iPad mini is a complete rip-off and would be off my list of priorities. Yes, it's an Apple product, and it has a build quality that others don't offer, but these days, when a device becomes obsolete in six months (just ask anyone who bought an iPad 3), it's not something we should worry about too much.
The Kindle Fire HD is a good tablet, inexpensive and well-suited to its purpose . In fact, after the iPad mini was released, its sales increased significantly. Many people in the United States who were waiting for Apple's tablet to make their decision opted for Amazon's instead. However, Amazon's video services are still not available in Spain.
In terms of value for money and access to content, as well as synchronization with other devices in terms of files and documents, the Nexus 7 comes out on top thanks to its two new models.
| Tablet | Nexus 7 | iPad Mini | Kindle Fire HD 7 |
| Size | 198,5 x 120 x 10,45 mm | 200 x 134,7 x 7,2 mm | 193 x 137 x 10,3 mm |
| Screen | 7 inch - back light IPS LCD - Corning Glass | 7,9 inch IPS multi-touch LED | 7-inch HD LCD, IPS panel, 10-point multi-touch |
| Litigation, Arbitration | 1280 x 800 (216 ppi) | 1024 x 768 (163 ppi) | 1280 x 800 (216ppi) |
| Thickness | 10,45 mm | 7,2 mm | 10,3 mm |
| Weight | 340 grams | 308 grams (WiFi) / 312 grams (WiFi + LTE) | 395 grams |
| Operating system | Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean (upgradeable to 4.2 soon) | iOS 6 | Modified Android (based on Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich) |
| Processor | NVIDIA TEGRACPU: Quad Core (1,3 GHz)
GPU : NVIDIA GeForce 12-Core |
A5 CPU ARM Cortex A9 dual-core @ 1 GHz + PowerVR dual-core GPU | OMAP 4460 Dual Core 1,2 GHz / Imagination PowerVR 3D Graphics Card |
| RAM | 1 GB | 1 GB | 1GB |
| Conference proceedings | 16 GB / 32 GB | 16 GB / 32 GB / 64 GB | 16 / 32 GB |
| Extension | Google Drive (5GB) | iCloud (5GB) | Cloud (20GB) |
| Connectivity | WiFi 802.11 b / g / n, 3G, Bluetooth, NFC | WiFi 802.11 b / g / n / 4G LTE, Bluetooth | WiFi Dual band, dual antenna (MIMO), Bluetooth |
| Ports | microUSB, 3.5 mm jack, | Lightning, 3.5 mm Jack | USB 2.0, microHDMI, 3.5 Jack, |
| Sound | Rear speakers | 2 rear speakers | 2 Speaker, Dolby Audio Dual |
| Camera | Front 1,2 MPX | Front FaceTime HD 1,2 MPX (720p) / Rear iSight 5 MPX (1080p video) | Front HD |
| Sensors | GPS, accelerometer, gyroscope, compass | GPS, Accelerometer, Light Sensor, Gyroscope, Compass | accelerometer, light sensor, gyroscope |
| 4325mAh / 9 | 10 hours long. | 10 hours long. | 11 hours long. |
| Price | WiFi: 199 euros (16GB) / 249 euros (32 GB) WiFi + 3G: 299 euros (32 GB) | WiFi: 329 euros (16 GB) / 429 euros (32 GB) / 529 euros (64 GB) WiFi + LTE: 459 euros (16 GB) / 559 euros (32 GB) / 659 euros (64 GB) | €199 (16GB) / €249 (32GB) |