I just bought the new Nexus 7, will get a mini when it goes retina.
Congrats! Please post your first hand review
It would affect my choice in purchase as well.
Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Buy Nexus 7 next week or wait for Mini 2
- Thread starter isephmusic
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
Congrats! Please post your first hand review
It would affect my choice in purchase as well.I just bought the new Nexus 7, will get a mini when it goes retina.
You are going to like it. Did you get chrome cast?
I swear posters over there don't even read the reviews they just look at the scores. I knew the minute it was announced it would get a 9, especially since the mini got a 9 last year (and readers went nuts).
I just picked up a Nexus 7 from Best Buy. And I currently own the mini. I can tell you the Nexus runs circles around the mini. Apple better up their game with the next mini. A 1024x768 resolution Mini 2 would be a disaster.
Buy a an Apple refurbished 16GB iPab mini now. When the iPad mini 2 is released, sell the 1st and buy the 2.
I can see Apple releasing the same 1024x768 display for the mini only because they don't want to cannibalize the original iPad even more. But another part of me says that Apple knows that it would be tablet suicide not to put a retina display in the next mini.
I believe that Apple should have never come out with the mini in the first place and just concentrate on making the 9.7" iPad better. Their going to look like fools if they don't upgrade the display or if they do upgrade the display sales of the 9.7" iPad will suffer even more. Maybe the only course of action is to charge even higher like $399 for the retina mini, keep the current one on the market for $329 and have the full size at $499. This sounds more reasonable.
----------
If you act quick you can get a Nexus 7 (2013) for $200 with staples coupon.
http://www.droid-life.com/2013/07/2...exus-7-through-staples-with-this-coupon-code/
That coupon is in store only. Brick and motar started selling before the official launch. If I did not pick up my Nexus 7 during lunch from Bestbuy I would have driven to staples instead. I was too eager to get one when I found out so that I can have the weekend to play with it. Last year it cost me $250 plus shipping and tax to order it from the play store. This year it's an even better bargain. Even if it was priced at $329 it would still be a pick over the iPad mini.
I think we can all agree that Apple needs to bring it for the next Mini. This is what competition is all about.
Edited: 3 out of 4 staples in my area still show physical stock.
Attachments
Last edited:
I bought one earlier today at Staples before they excluded the new Nexus 7 from the $30 off coupon. Pretty impressive for $229 (or $199 if you got in on the Staples coupon deal). It is buttery smooth in all UI operations. The 2GB of RAM is great - I have yet to see it reload an app or a browser tab which happens far too often on the ipad mini, and even the iPad 4 it happens more often than to my liking. The screen is very nice, not quite iPad 4 nice but reading text is much more enjoyable than the Mini. Watching Netflix though honestly it doesn't look any better than the Mini. Oh and having stereo speakers, with the speakers on the left and right edges when held in landscape, makes for a much nicer experience, though it still can't compare to the speakers on the HTC One phone.
My only gripe with the Nexus 7 is when clicking a link in the web browser is not nearly as responsive or accurate as the iPad. Sometimes clicks don't register, other times it looks like it registered but doesn't do anything, other times it clicks something else. On the iPad, even touching the smallest screen element like pages on a forum thread, it is responsive and accurate.
If I was shopping now, I'd definitely go for the new Nexus 7 over the Mini.
My only gripe with the Nexus 7 is when clicking a link in the web browser is not nearly as responsive or accurate as the iPad. Sometimes clicks don't register, other times it looks like it registered but doesn't do anything, other times it clicks something else. On the iPad, even touching the smallest screen element like pages on a forum thread, it is responsive and accurate.
If I was shopping now, I'd definitely go for the new Nexus 7 over the Mini.
I can't decide either. Right now I have a 2011 MBP and a Samsung GS4, with no tablet (I've owned the N7, iPad mini, and the first three iPads). The video editing ability of the iPad make me want it, but the price of the new N7 is tempting. Having a 5 inch Android phone kind of makes a 7 inch Android tablet seem unnecessary, so it could be that the full size iPad 5 is my next tablet-but the size of that seems so outdated. Like I said, I can't decide!
I was very impressed with the anandtech "review" of the Nexus 7 2013 this morning - interesting comparison to the Ipad Mini
as an Iphone 4 user and with an Ipad 3 in the house (for kids and wife) - a Ipad Mini would be tempting, but I've always been put off when I've tried one in the shops by the display
if the new Nexus 7 screen is good as it is being reviewed as - do you think a refreshed Mini with more grunt would be good enough to be competitive ? Whilst I wouldn't necessarily expect a new Ipad Mini to be faster in benchmarks than the new Nexus 7 (my Iphone 4 still feels no slouch - hats off to IOS) - for the extra money I would expect the screen to be better than the cheaper Nexus 7 ?
http://www.anandtech.com/show/7176/nexus-7-2013-mini-review/2
time will tell I guess
as an Iphone 4 user and with an Ipad 3 in the house (for kids and wife) - a Ipad Mini would be tempting, but I've always been put off when I've tried one in the shops by the display
if the new Nexus 7 screen is good as it is being reviewed as - do you think a refreshed Mini with more grunt would be good enough to be competitive ? Whilst I wouldn't necessarily expect a new Ipad Mini to be faster in benchmarks than the new Nexus 7 (my Iphone 4 still feels no slouch - hats off to IOS) - for the extra money I would expect the screen to be better than the cheaper Nexus 7 ?
http://www.anandtech.com/show/7176/nexus-7-2013-mini-review/2
time will tell I guess
if the new Nexus 7 screen is good as it is being reviewed as - do you think a refreshed Mini with more grunt would be good enough to be competitive ? Whilst I wouldn't necessarily expect a new Ipad Mini to be faster in benchmarks than the new Nexus 7 (my Iphone 4 still feels no slouch - hats off to IOS) - for the extra money I would expect the screen to be better than the cheaper Nexus 7 ?
http://www.anandtech.com/show/7176/nexus-7-2013-mini-review/2
time will tell I guess
That's if Apple can even get the screen to go Retina. Rumors are that new update iPad mini with no Retina coming out 2013 and one with Retina coming out 2014.
They could repeat history because the iPad didn't get Retina until the 3rd generation.
It seems right now Nexus7 has it over the mini, from most (all) neutral reviewers.
I have an imac, macbook, iphone, ipad, 2 apple tvs, but this Nexus 7 looks to be my next buy, maybe this weekend at Staples, ($30 off sale ends 28th)
I'm very happy with gmail and google, I don't see any drawbacks whatsoever.
Apple has fallen behind in this tablet race.
They know the retina mini will kill the big ipad, plus the price isn't helping.
I have an imac, macbook, iphone, ipad, 2 apple tvs, but this Nexus 7 looks to be my next buy, maybe this weekend at Staples, ($30 off sale ends 28th)
I'm very happy with gmail and google, I don't see any drawbacks whatsoever.
Apple has fallen behind in this tablet race.
They know the retina mini will kill the big ipad, plus the price isn't helping.
I wouldn't get an android tablet because of the serious lack of tablet apps that actually take advantage of the larger screen. If you don't care that your tablet will mostly be running overgrown phone apps, then get it. For me it's pretty much a deal breaker. Unfortunately I didn't realize I would even care about that until I bought the first gen nexus 7 last summer.
The negativity towards the lack of tablet apps is overblown on a tablet this small. On tablets 10" I can understand but phones are starting to hit the 6" to 6.5" mark. And because 1080p large screen phones are becoming the standard it's only a matter of time that Android apps have to evolve anyway with or without tablets. And if Google can do 2 apps on screen at the same time (Samsungs multi-window) it will not matter anymore. Playing a movie and browsing the Internet at the same time beats 1 tablet app.
Apple and their followers are underestimating the competition. I would not be surprised if Windows takes the high end tablet market when OEM's figure out how to put decent hardware at a cheap cost running full windows 8. They just need better displays and faster cpu's. Apple can't keep saying that they have tablet optimized apps for long.
That's your opinion. Some people might actually care, and I'm just putting that out there. If I wanted to run only phone apps I'd get a phone. After my younger brother bought the iPad Mini I finally realize what the hell I was missing as far as apps. They look so much better on an iPad. I would have waited a few months and gotten an iPad if I knew how crappy my n7 would have turned out. I'm not underestimating anything.
For me it's apples ecosystem this is the reason even though I have a galaxy note 2 I still want to buy an iPod touch 5th generation and an iPad. (lol just sold my ipad 4 to get the 5th when it comes out ) I can log on to the App Store any day and go to top apps and download a decent game or app that runs extremely well. On Android they get the best selling games and apps from iOS but they don't really have an abundance of quality apps like Apple does. Not to say I'm bashing Android I love it and I love my samsung galaxy note 2 but there is some improvement to be had if Android really wants to gain some of apples customers in terms of apps anyway.
----------
I'm the kind of consumer once you wrong me I'm done with you for a good while if not forever . I bought an LG phone and it was a horrible experience even today I do not purchase any of their phones & I do not plan to in the future. So one wrong experience can really mess it up in the long run and you also wont recommend that product. So I can understand your point. One thing that blew me away was the difference in apps. For example go to the Google Play store and look at the eBay app and then go to the app store and look at the eBay app they look totally different and personally the iOS app is way better. So even big company's put less effort into their apps on Android it really bothers me sometimes.
) I can log on to the App Store any day and go to top apps and download a decent game or app that runs extremely well. On Android they get the best selling games and apps from iOS but they don't really have an abundance of quality apps like Apple does. Not to say I'm bashing Android I love it and I love my samsung galaxy note 2 but there is some improvement to be had if Android really wants to gain some of apples customers in terms of apps anyway.----------
I'm the kind of consumer once you wrong me I'm done with you for a good while if not forever . I bought an LG phone and it was a horrible experience even today I do not purchase any of their phones & I do not plan to in the future. So one wrong experience can really mess it up in the long run and you also wont recommend that product. So I can understand your point. One thing that blew me away was the difference in apps. For example go to the Google Play store and look at the eBay app and then go to the app store and look at the eBay app they look totally different and personally the iOS app is way better. So even big company's put less effort into their apps on Android it really bothers me sometimes.
Last edited:
Big Apple fan here...
But I was tired of waiting for ipad mini 2. This 7 is really nice for the price.
That said I will probably consider the mini when it gets released if they improve the resolution and put a current Gen processor.
The made in US moto X is calling me though. I am big on wanting to support US industry if possible.
But I was tired of waiting for ipad mini 2. This 7 is really nice for the price.
That said I will probably consider the mini when it gets released if they improve the resolution and put a current Gen processor.
The made in US moto X is calling me though. I am big on wanting to support US industry if possible.
Finally! The voice of reason, common sense and intellect.
I use _both_ iOS and Android devices. It's fun, it's educational, it's different, and it's never boring.
Which is the best? Neither!
At the end of the day... there's positively no way to know until you have invested the time and money to try both, and decide for yourself. Relying on second or third hand reports from various individuals, bloggers, reviewers etc is setting yourself up for disappointment.
These are two top tier platforms, each of which has it's strengths. It's up to you to decide based on first hand personal experience.
As an iPad mini and Nexus 7, and 7.2 owner, let me address this.
It's an interesting discovery that only exists in it's present configuration with Android 4.3 running in it's pure unadulterated form on the Nexus 7.2.
When using the tablet I too notice a slight delay that occurs a bit randomly. At times it's responsive, other times there's a slight delay. In addition there are times when the "target touch point" does not register exactly where one touches the screen. That inaccuracy is far less frequent than the times when there's a slight delay.
How did I notice this? And more importantly what made it stand out noticeably?
Well I also have a new Android 4.2.2 powered Galaxy S4. The much maligned TouchWiz, has been greatly improved. When using my S4, I experience touch target accuracy every bit, if not better than I do with my iPad mini or my iPad 4. And I'm not being critical of Apple, as they have had the finest touch response for years. I'm simply sharing my real world experience.
The Galaxy S4 in it's out of the box state... is every bit as good. Every bit as fast and accurate, it's truly outstanding. I only picked up my Nexus 7.2 Friday night, and yet the first thing I experienced, but initially didn't think too much of was this slight difference in performance of the touch screen.
It's an interesting phenomenon that perhaps Google will address if enough people report it.
My Nexus 7 has obvious backlight bleed. I'm sick of ASUS's crap QA.
The aspect ratio of your typical Android tablet is also ridiculous. I can't wait for the retina Mini.
The aspect ratio of your typical Android tablet is also ridiculous. I can't wait for the retina Mini.