Is the Retina iPad Mini a better buy than the Nexus 7?

With the Indian market being inundated with tablets, phablets and everything in between, it can be hard to make the right choice. We’ve broken down the pros and cons of the two most popular tablets right now - the new Retina iPad Mini by Apple, and Google’s Nexus 7.

Let’s start with the most important numbers - the price. The Wi-Fi versions of the iPad Mini will cost between Rs 28,900 (16GB) to Rs 49,900 (128GB), while the cellular models are priced between Rs 37,900 (16GB) and Rs 58,900 (128GB). Compared to that pocket-burner, Google’s Nexus 7 is a much more affordable Rs 20,999. Clearly on the price point, Google wins this round.

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Moving on to the physical specs of both devices. What the iPad makes up for in thickness (7.5 mm compared to the Nexus’s 8.7mm) it loses out on breadth, with the Nexus almost 20mm smaller. Weight-wise, the Nexus is your best bet. Both Wi-Fi and cellular Nexus models weigh almost 10gm less than their iPad counterparts, according to this International Business Times report.

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The Google Nexus is also supposed to have a better grip than the iPad thanks to its plastic body. Though the iPad Mini’s larger screen at 7.9 inches, to the Nexus’ 7 inches, might appeal to customers, PC Magazine says it is difficult to hold the device without accidentally touching an active part of the screen. The pixels per inch,which determine the clarity and richness of the image, are similiar in both devices at 323 ppi for the Nexus and 326 ppi for the iPad, rendering the screen size difference redundant.

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With regards to the software available, Apple beats Google with its 64-bit processor. But the Nexus’ 2GB RAM makes it better for multi-tasking. Neither device offers external storage options, but Apple has released the iPad Mini with 4 different storage capacities (16/32/64/128GB), while there are only two options for the Nexus (16GB/32GB).

The one big factor in favour of the iPad Mini is Apple’s massive app store catalog - over 475,000 apps designed specifically for the iPad; Google’s inventory is nowhere close.

At the end of the day, if you have the cash to spare the iPad Mini is probably a better value for money deal than the more affordable, but perhaps less fun, Nexus 7.