iPad mini vs iPad 4

 We compare iPad with iPad to fi nd out whether there’s more than just a size differential between the fourth-generation iPad and iPad mini

 For a long time Apple refrained from creating a small-screen tablet, but it’s no longer content with dominating only the large-screen tablet market: it wants the lot. But has it compromised on quality to create the mini, or is it possible  that great things really do come in small packages? Apple has stuck to its usual pricing structure for its fourth-generation iPad,  which starts at £399 and goes up to £659. Meanwhile, the iPad mini starts at a more affordable £269 for the most basic model, which extends to £529. There are no prizes for guessing that the iPad mini is smaller and lighter than the iPad. 

                               The former measures 135x200mm, and the latter 186x241mm. The mini is also thinner and lighter, at 7.2mm and 308g versus 9.4mm and 652g. The full-size iPad takes Apple’s tried-and-tested 9.7in IPS panel. Swap around the numbers and you get the mini’s screen size: 7.9in. Both sport a 4:3 aspect ratio, but differ in their resolution. Whereas the big iPad has a Retina-quality 2048x1536 screen, the mini matches that of the iPad 2 with 1024x768 pixels. The full-size iPad’s 264ppi pixel density is more impressive than the mini’s 163ppi. 

                           Apple tends to share very little information on its processors, but the iPad takes its latest 1.39GHz A6X dual-core chip with quad-core graphics, and the mini runs the iPad 2’s 1GHz A5. As is always the case with iPads, both are available with 16-, 32- or 64GB of storage, and neither has an expansion slot. The cameras in use by the iPad and iPad mini are identical. You get a 1.2Mp front-facing FaceTime HD (720p) camera, and a 5Mp rear-facing iSight snapper that can also capture full-HD (1080p) video. 

                               Connectivity specifications are like for like between these iPads. Both use Apple’s new Lightning connector, and both support dual-band 802.11a/b/g/n Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 4.0. The iPad and iPad mini also offer the same support for 3G or 4G LTE connectivity in the UK, although its offered via a Micro-SIM in the fourthgeneration iPad and a Nano-SIM in the mini. The similarities continue with the battery life. Apple claims a 10-hour battery life for each of its iPads when surfi ng the web over Wi-Fi.

                   
               iPad mini vs Google Nexus 7

Apple’s iPad set the standard for 10in tablets, so how does its pint-sized mini fare against the best of the smaller-screen tablets?

“We never expected Apple to match Google’s pricing with its mini”


Google's taken a hit on the pricing of its Nexus 7, hoping to encourage take-up of the Android platform and content sales. We never expected Apple to match that price with its iPad mini, which costs £110 more than  the Nexus 7 at the same 16GB capacity. The Nexus 7 is the smaller tablet at 120x199mm versus 135x200mm, but  the mini is both thinner and lighter: the Nexus 7 is 10.5mm and 340g; the iPad mini measures 7.2mm and weighs in at 308g. Given this slightly larger chassis, it's no surprise to fi nd a larger 7.9in screen on the mini. Its 1024x768 resolution and 4:3 aspect ratio matches that of the iPad 2, whereas the 7in Google panel offers a higher resolution of 1280x800 pixels.

                               This results in a 216ppi pixel pitch for Google's tablet; 163ppi for the mini. In our testing the Nexus 7 was also the faster of the two tablets, with its quad-core nVidia Tegra 3 chip able to offer more oomph than the iPad mini's 1GHz Apple A5 dual-core processor. Neither tablet accepts removable memory cards to boost the internal storage capacity, although the iPad mini offers a 64GB option where the Nexus 7 maxes out at 32GB. Google's Nexus 7 has a front-facing 1.2Mp camera; the iPad mini matches this and gets one up with a 5Mp rear-facing iSight camera. The iPad mini is charged through Apple's new Lightning connector, introduced with the iPhone 5, while the Nexus 7 takes universal Micro USB. Both have Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity onboard, although Apple’s tablet is dual-band and the fi rm is touting faster speeds via channel bonding. 

                                The Nexus 7, meanwhile, adds NFC to the spec sheet. Mobile 3G connectivity is an option for both tablets, and the mini also supports 4G LTE in the UK. The major difference between these two tablets is the software they run – that's Android 4.2 Jelly Bean for the Nexus 7, and iOS 6.0 for the mini. You can read our reviews of each on pages 10 and 12 respectively. With similar battery packs inside, expect both tablets to last around 10 hours when surfing the web.