Tablets iPad mini vs Nexus 7

[panerai26]

I know a lot of people have probably talke about this, but after reading a bunch of reviews, especially this one, it's hard for me to disagree. I've used a Nexus 7, and I think I'm going to sell in favor of a mini.

While the iPad mini really does feel like a concentrated iPad, the Nexus 7 feels more like an un-concentrated smartphone. Apps that were built for the larger iPad run seamlessly on the iPad mini, while apps for Android phones run well on the Nexus 7.

Who wants a tablet to run phone apps?

 

[AppleRobert]

I have a Nexus 7 and don't plan on selling. The price now is $199, what would I get for it anyhow?

I will continue to use it with what I had bought from the Google store. Not throwing that stuff away with the bath water!

 

[Scott6666]

Search, then post.

Already several threads on this one. Let's all rehash. Start with screen density.... Where's the :snore: smiley?

 

[Fruit Cake]

I had a nexus7, sold it for a phablet. Got a mini, it's going back. Who wants to tarnish the good iPad name on a piece of crap screen like that found on the mini? Geeze

 

[tbayrgs]

I know a lot of people have probably talke about this, but after reading a bunch of reviews, especially this one, it's hard for me to disagree. I've used a Nexus 7, and I think I'm going to sell in favor of a mini.



Who wants a tablet to run phone apps?

Take a look over in the Alternatives to iOS forum--a bunch of threads specifically about this topic.

 

[nStyle]

I know a lot of people have probably talke about this, but after reading a bunch of reviews, especially this one, it's hard for me to disagree. I've used a Nexus 7, and I think I'm going to sell in favor of a mini.

On a side note, not sure who copied who, but The Verge and Tech Blocks' review style is almost exactly the same. Even Josh's voice and the guy in TTB's review sounds exactly the same.

 

[CTHarrryH]

I have a mini -first tablet. In an earlier thread on poster talked about it is really the apps that make the difference. I thought that was really not true - could that really make that much of a difference. Almost bought a Nexus 7. Having a mini for 2 weeks now I can tell you it is really the apps that make the difference. The web browser screen is not great - not terrible but not great. However, the actually iPad apps look great and work great. The difference between stretched phone apps and real iPad apps is truly amazing.
Love my mini.

 

[mantan]

No right or wrong answer, it just depends on your needs.

I waited months for the Mini, but was dissapointed in the specs - especially for the price.

I find the browsing experience fine for chrome. Most apps are identical (Twitter, FB, News sites.)

But I'll buy a Mini for my teenage daughter. It's the perfect replacement for her iPod Touch and she doesn't care about the resolution.

I'll strongly consider the retina version of the Mini when it comes around.

 

[PhoneI]

I find the browsing experience fine for chrome. Most apps are identical (Twitter, FB, News sites.)

You are so wrong. I have a Nexus 7. Most apps are pretty bad.

 

[ZBoater]

You are so wrong. I have a Nexus 7. Most apps are pretty bad.

Really? Most? You mean like Maps?

Oops.

 

[PhoneI]

Really? Most? You mean like Maps?

Oops.

ok. thats 1 good app out of about 20 that have been written specifically for a tablet. Compare that to hundreds of thousands of high quality iPad apps. Trust me, the search for quality apps to show off on your new Nexus 7 will result in frustration.

 

[ZBoater]

ok. thats 1 good app out of about 20 that have been written specifically for a tablet. Compare that to hundreds of thousands of high quality iPad apps. Trust me, the search for quality apps to show off on your new Nexus 7 will result in frustration.

Ok, iOS has more tablet apps than Android. Check. But to say most Android apps are crap is an exaggeration. There's a lot of crap in the Apple App Store too. There's many quality Android apps to be had.

And it's 275000 iPad apps. Although that qualifies as "hundreds of thousands", lets tone down the hyperbole. Deduct all the crap iOS apps and how many do you really end up with?

 

[PhoneI]

Ok, iOS has more tablet apps than Android. Check. But to say most Android apps are crap is an exaggeration. There's a lot of crap in the Apple App Store too. There's many quality Android apps to be had.

And it's 275000 iPad apps. Although that qualifies as "hundreds of thousands", lets tone down the hyperbole. Deduct all the crap iOS apps and how many do you really end up with?

Listen, I like the Nexus 7, but to say the available app catalog (that's optimized for a tablet) is anything but poor (I say terrible) would be a lie. It's really no contest. Yes, the iPad has some bad apps, but again it's really no comparison.

 

[Dolorian]

Unfortunately as of now Android definitely falls quite short when it comes to tablet optimized apps in comparison to iOS. Sure, there are many tablet optimized apps and those made by Google are optimized but if you look at popular apps like Facebook, Twitter, Yelp, etc they are not optimized for tablets on Android yet have tablet optimized versions on iOS.

Hopefully this will change over the next year. At least I hope it does.

 

[mantan]

You are so wrong. I have a Nexus 7. Most apps are pretty bad.

A tablet for me is pretty much something to kill time while on business travel. So the apps I use like Maps, YouTube, Netflix, Twitter, ESPN, Facebook, Good for Enterprise, Chrome, BOA, IHeartRadio, DirecTV, IMDB, Mail, Fantasy Football, IMDB, BeyondPod all work great.

Maps and Navigation work better than my phone.

If you have different needs, it may not fit for you.

Though for full disclosure, I rarely use my wife's iPad, so maybe I'm missing something that the tablet version of those apps provide....

 

[palpatine]

I like the iPad Mini. I prefer the Nexus 7. I only use a handful of apps everyday anyhow, so 250,000 or 10,000,000, as long as there are about 15 good ones, I am set.

There used to be a lot more on this forum about comparisons, but lengthy posts (including my own) were erased by moderators, and the original threads have been banished into other obscure forums, so you'll have to do some searching to find more extensive and thoughtful remarks by people. This is not a complaint about the moderators, just a passive aggressive observation.

It's too bad, because this may be the first year when we have to actually step back and think about the possibility that there might be a real competitor out there. IF you can find the apps you want, you might even find you prefer Android in some cases.

Even though my post is on topic, I fully expect to have this one deleted as well. Feel free to message me privately if you want to talk about the taboo topic of the N7.

 

[nStyle]

A few "everyday" apps that are far superior on iPad compared to the Nexus:

Spotify. The Android version is dull, and uninspired.

Flipboard. As the reviewer from the link points out, the Nexus 7 version is condensed and just doesn't offer the same "tablet" feel as the iPad.

CNN. Wait, no CNN app for the 7. You can deduce CNN's credibility to null all you want, but they are still a major news provider and their app on the iPad is beautiful.

These are the 3 apps that I compared during my brief ownership of the Nexus. Needless to say, I couldn't convert myself to a subpar experience.

 

[zephyrnoid]

Old guard here. Please excuse me but I need help with parsing the term 'Apps'.
App-lications right? As in software applications?
So let me see here. The issue seems to be about freedom of choice? 75,000 choices versus 200,000 choices right?
As one respondent pointed out, he needs 15 Apps. So if he has 30, that's twice as many as he needs.
I'm not being stupid with this... follow me like a hawk if you will.

Can someone over the age of 40 please answer this question?

Are the APPS that are often referred to actually GAMES ? or.... are we talking about stand alone productivity software as well as tools?

I only ask because I have never played a game on a computer.

I need a tool that allows me to do the following and I'm willing to reward the genius that can tell me which tablet can accomplish this set of activities:

1) PDA or Time and Project management
2) Still Pics and Movie warehousing and playback (yes. my portfolios and reels)
3) PowerPoint presentations or equivalent. Preferably wirelessly to a projector or conference monitor
4) Basic text editor (AKA SimpleText or RTF)
4) Access to the Web
5) File storage in lieu of a portable drive.
6) Potential for wireless monitoring of digital video camera signal.
Is it just me or is none of this really ever discussed in marketing of tablets??
Thanks

 

[kevroc]

I need a tool that allows me to do the following and I'm willing to reward the genius that can tell me which tablet can accomplish this set of activities:

1) PDA or Time and Project management
2) Still Pics and Movie warehousing and playback (yes. my portfolios and reels)
3) PowerPoint presentations or equivalent. Preferably wirelessly to a projector or conference monitor
4) Basic text editor (AKA SimpleText or RTF)
4) Access to the Web
5) File storage in lieu of a portable drive.
6) Potential for wireless monitoring of digital video camera signal.
Is it just me or is none of this really ever discussed in marketing of tablets??
Thanks

That would be called a laptop computer.

You may be able to do some/all of the above on a tablet, but that's not what they were designed for. Tablets are trade-off's in form and function, you'd have to look at each one specifically to see if it's worth the trade. For instance some may be good for file storage and others may not.

 

[ZBoater]

Listen, I like the Nexus 7, but to say the available app catalog (that's optimized for a tablet) is anything but poor (I say terrible) would be a lie. It's really no contest. Yes, the iPad has some bad apps, but again it's really no comparison.

I'm not comparing them. I'm saying that calling most Android apps crap is an exaggeration, and talking about the "hundreds of thousands" (two) of iPad apps without also acknowledging the crap in the iOS App Store is biased and misleading.

That's all I'm saying.

 

[PhoneI]

I'm not comparing them. I'm saying that calling most Android apps crap is an exaggeration, and talking about the "hundreds of thousands" (two) of iPad apps without also acknowledging the crap in the iOS App Store is biased and misleading.

That's all I'm saying.

Did you actual read what I wrote? Yikes

 

[Appl3FTW]

why settle for less? go big or go home... APPLE

 

[skillz1318]

Sold my Nexus 7 a week before the mini was released for $225 via Amazon. The Nexus really sold me on the 7" form factor, but I just can't fall in love with the Android OS, even on jelly bean...

The display was nice, but the build quality was sub-par, the apps are not nearly as polished as iOS, and the overall OS is much less snappy and stable (even compared to the mini).

I have zero regrets on selling it and picking up the mini...I try an android device every 1.5-2 years to ensure I'm not an unbiased fan-boy, but after the novelty of live wallpapers and widgets wear off, I always end up disappointed in the performance of web browsing and just navigating the device...

 

[Rhyalus]

I need a tool that allows me to do the following and I'm willing to reward the genius that can tell me which tablet can accomplish this set of activities:

1) PDA or Time and Project management
2) Still Pics and Movie warehousing and playback (yes. my portfolios and reels)
3) PowerPoint presentations or equivalent. Preferably wirelessly to a projector or conference monitor
4) Basic text editor (AKA SimpleText or RTF)
4) Access to the Web
5) File storage in lieu of a portable drive.
6) Potential for wireless monitoring of digital video camera signal.
Is it just me or is none of this really ever discussed in marketing of tablets??
Thanks

You can't do most of this on tablets (mini or 7).

1 is ok, for 2 the 7 does not have a camera on the back while the mini does.
For 3 you can VIEW ppts on both, but forget about making them.
4 and 4 should be fine.
5, both have too little storage to be meaningful.
6 periodic checking should be fine.

Like someone else mentioned, you should consider a laptop.

R

 

[palpatine]

1) PDA or Time and Project management

On both. It depends on how into this you are.

2) Still Pics and Movie warehousing and playback (yes. my portfolios and reels)

Yes. But, again, it depends on how serious abou this you are. It would be tough to "warehouse" anything in 16GB

3) PowerPoint presentations or equivalent. Preferably wirelessly to a projector or conference monitor

Sure. I do it all the time with the iPad, even my iPhone. I haven't used the Nexus for this yet, though.

4) Basic text editor (AKA SimpleText or RTF)

A bunch. Notational Acceleration on Android and Notesy on iOS are nice. Personally, I like Evernote.

5) File storage in lieu of a portable drive.]

Android.

6) Potential for wireless monitoring of digital video camera signal.

I imagine both systems could somehow do it.

Is it just me or is none of this really ever discussed in marketing of tablets??
Thanks

It's too vague and dull. You don't need to explain Angry Birds, and it is obviously something anyone could enjoy. You do need to explain something like file storage systems, and I would guess most people don't care much.

For people dogging Android apps, give Evernote a try. I think it is arguably better than the iOS version, though iOS recently got an update, and is in many ways considerably improved.