Holding an iPad Mini vs. Holding a Nexus 7

[Christian Rene Friborg]

The iPad Mini is too wide for proper one-handed use, and that's the entire point of a ~7" device. I like 10" tabs too, but I rarely travel with one due to the size.

You are totally right. A 10" tablet is way better than these smaller versions. It's just too small for anyone's hand. Ridiculous.

 

[dnightangel]

The extra screen size along with the resolution will naturally make the iPad hard to hold. I have big hands and I find the nexus just right while the iPad mini just fits into my hand barely, for people with small hands I highly doubt they will be able to hold the iPad mini properly. Apple keeps releasing weird size and resolution products except the iPad. They should stick to the standard resolution and admit for once that others have good ideas too.

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[Eduardo06sp]

I'm not an Apple fan, but I believe they have a feature where if your thumb is on the edge of the screen, it would ignore it. There is a video about it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M2F5833tqH8&feature=youtube_gdata_player

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Android Central Forums

 

[NickFromHouston]

As stated above, the N7 is actually 16:10, and the iPad Mini is 4:3 but has slimmer bezels on the side, though the iPad Mini is a lot closer in overall height and width to the Kindle Fire HD 7. I would say that the iPad Mini might be considered easier to hold because it's a tiny bit lighter, but I think that difference is negligible and outweighed by the physical size difference. Compare 10.88oz to 12.00oz - it's really a gulp or two of a can of soda in terms of difference.

 

[xQuencher]

After trying out the iPad Mini at Best Buy, I hated holding it. The size of the sides on the Nexus 7 is perfect, and I could barely hold the iPad because I hate touching the screen

 

[MalachyNG]

Being 7.9" I would imagine the kindle fire hd 8" would be a good comparison to the iPad mini. I wonder how they would compare hiding one handed

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[jpmist]

I played with a iPad mini at the Applestore and felt that it was too wide also. I have pretty long fingers too, but holding the mini felt like a stretch and not as stable and secure as holding the N7. However, I pulled up the same web site on the browser that I had up on my N7 and it was impressive that the image was about 15% bigger. Same content, just a tad larger in size.

Still, one of the things I'm deliriously pleased about the N7 is that it fits in the back pocket of my jeans perfectly, the mini won't. . .

 

[Shilohcane]

I'm not an Apple fan, but I believe they have a feature where if your thumb is on the edge of the screen, it would ignore it. There is a video about it.


Sent from my Nexus 7 using Android Central Forums

That is true but the Mini only ignores the fingers on the home screen. As soon as you go to some Web page and those fingertips touch a hot link you are going some where else. This video talks about that with the N7 vs Mini here on this video;

 

[Eduardo06sp]

That is true but the Mini only ignores the fingers on the home screen. As soon as you go to some Web page and those fingertips touch a hot link you are going some where else. This video talks about that with the N7 vs Mini here on this video;

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ct6m-nqY-VI&feature=g-all

Wow, at 06:07, he fits the Nexus 7 in his pocket. Am I the only one who can't? Thanks for clarifying the ignoring problem.

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[MJKearney]

The video above was well done, and fair and balanced. And best of all, it seemed to validate my assumption in my original post! The reviewer really likes the full version of the iPad as well as iOS (which he prefers over Android simply because of how he personally uses a tablet, not because Android is bad). Yet he just couldn't recommend the Mini over the N7 mainly due to the form factor, but also due to the value-price comparison.

It's kind of funny. Apple did the same thing with both the iPhone 5 and the iPad Mini, but in opposite directions: they didn't go far enough!

 

[natehoy]

Unless they justified it by agreeing that this size is ideal for this type of device....im cool with it as long as they admit they did it for a good reason.

They did it that way because Apple's "tablet" resolution is 4:3 aspect ratio and that's how developers know they are dealing with a tablet. Apple's only Tablet resolutions are 1024x768 (older iPad, Mini) and 2048x1536 (newer iPad). When Apple introduces a new resolution, it makes things messy since the operating system is not designed to scale apps out of their native resolutions easily.

So when Apple decided to introduce the Mini, they had three options.

1. Introduce a new resolution and aspect ratio like they did on the iPhone 5 (lots of recoding by developers, lots of complaints about poorly-scaled apps).
2. Make the device 2048x1536 and use the innards from a newer iPad (I'm not sure if you could actually build a screen that dense, and it would be expensive).
3. Re-use the basic gizzards from an iPad 2 and slap a smaller screen on it. Ladies and gentlemen, we have a winner.

#3 was cheaper, faster to market, and more consistent with the current product line.

Android doesn't have standard aspect ratios - any manufacturer can build any screen size they damned well please - and the OS is designed (and the majority of apps are programmed) to scale as best it can to whatever screen size is present. Android lacks any sort of real differentiation between "tablet" and "phone" apps or aspect ratios. This means that when Google/ASUS wanted to design the Nexus 7, they could look at a set of blue jeans and say "we want a seven-inch screen that, with a comfortable-to-hold bezel, will fit into this pocket".

Apple has three aspect ratios. 2:3 and 16:9 for phones, 3:4 for tablets. Given that they were building a tablet and therefore needed 3:4 or force all their developers to write another "tablet" flavor of their apps, the size of their 8"-ish screen was dictated by that aspect ratio.

As far as holding it, I've seen plenty of cases with a rear holding strap or handle for the Nexus 7. I'm sure something like that exists for the Mini, eliminating the need to actually put your hand around it. So, while I much prefer my N7 for daily use (if I can't put it in my back pocket, I might as well have a 10-incher and call it good, especially since the N10 is about the same price as the iPad Mini...), there are workarounds for our iPad-beholden brethren to carry their preferred fondleslabs around with a hand free for operation.

 

[natehoy]

Wow, at 06:07, he fits the Nexus 7 in his pocket. Am I the only one who can't? Thanks for clarifying the ignoring problem.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Android Central Forums

Fits in my blue jeans pockets (back pockets) just fine. In fact, I swear they used blue jeans as their sizing standard for the thing, because it's one holy mother of a coincidence if not. It's too big and thin to trust it in the front pockets of any pants I own, though - Id' be afraid of flexing the screen to the breaking point just by walking around.

 

[MANdroidd]

What does everyone mean by one handed? Regardless of each I have to use two hands to operate each. I can hold both with one hand as well. the N7 is easier to hold one handed when grabbing the sides but the mini is also easy to hold if using a different grip. I think theyre both great mini tablets but int he end the N7's PPI is what wins me over

 

[B. Diddy]

It's hard to use any 7" tablet one handed if you're only using your hand to hold and support it. But if you're lounging on a chair or sofa and propping the tablet on your chest (or belly if you had too much turkey) as well as supporting it with one hand, then you can easily scroll and bring down the notification pulldown with only the thumb of that one hand.

 

[Small_law]

The iPad Mini struck me as an odd device when I got to use one. I thought the design and build quality were outstanding, but when I started to use it, I thought "what would be nicer than this is a bigger screen and the retina display of a regular iPad."

I think Android scales better to the 7"+ size. I never get that feeling from my N7, the desire for a bigger screen.

 

[badbrad17]

Just had a friend come by my office today and had the new Nexus 7 as well as the iPad mini he had purchased for his stubborn son who wants apple products at all costs. The iPad mini is incredibly thin, but is way too wide in my opinion. The nexus 7 is amazing and a perfect fit. I set it up for him and put a few things on it for a trip he was taking. The N7 is so fast and smooth. Love it.

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[badbrad17]

It's hard to use any 7" tablet one handed if you're only using your hand to hold and support it. But if you're lounging on a chair or sofa and propping the tablet on your chest (or belly if you had too much turkey) as well as supporting it with one hand, then you can easily scroll and bring down the notification pulldown with only the thumb of that one hand.

It's not the same as one handed phone use, but holding the tablet with one hand and using it for a long time. A 10 inch is very difficult to hold for any length of time without resting it on something. The N7 is small enough that your hand wraps around it so you can hold it easily with one hand. And it is light enough that you don't get fatigued.

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[JustinMueller8810]

They did it that way because Apple's "tablet" resolution is 4:3 aspect ratio and that's how developers know they are dealing with a tablet. Apple's only Tablet resolutions are 1024x768 (older iPad, Mini) and 2048x1536 (newer iPad). When Apple introduces a new resolution, it makes things messy since the operating system is not designed to scale apps out of their native resolutions easily.

So when Apple decided to introduce the Mini, they had three options.

1. Introduce a new resolution and aspect ratio like they did on the iPhone 5 (lots of recoding by developers, lots of complaints about poorly-scaled apps).
2. Make the device 2048x1536 and use the innards from a newer iPad (I'm not sure if you could actually build a screen that dense, and it would be expensive).
3. Re-use the basic gizzards from an iPad 2 and slap a smaller screen on it. Ladies and gentlemen, we have a winner.

#3 was cheaper, faster to market, and more consistent with the current product line.

Android doesn't have standard aspect ratios - any manufacturer can build any screen size they damned well please - and the OS is designed (and the majority of apps are programmed) to scale as best it can to whatever screen size is present. Android lacks any sort of real differentiation between "tablet" and "phone" apps or aspect ratios. This means that when Google/ASUS wanted to design the Nexus 7, they could look at a set of blue jeans and say "we want a seven-inch screen that, with a comfortable-to-hold bezel, will fit into this pocket".

Apple has three aspect ratios. 2:3 and 16:9 for phones, 3:4 for tablets. Given that they were building a tablet and therefore needed 3:4 or force all their developers to write another "tablet" flavor of their apps, the size of their 8"-ish screen was dictated by that aspect ratio.

As far as holding it, I've seen plenty of cases with a rear holding strap or handle for the Nexus 7. I'm sure something like that exists for the Mini, eliminating the need to actually put your hand around it. So, while I much prefer my N7 for daily use (if I can't put it in my back pocket, I might as well have a 10-incher and call it good, especially since the N10 is about the same price as the iPad Mini...), there are workarounds for our iPad-beholden brethren to carry their preferred fondleslabs around with a hand free for operation.

Apple really screwed themselves up on that one didn't they.

 

[gaijin82]

Unless they justified it by agreeing that this size is ideal for this type of device....im cool with it as long as they admit they did it for a good reason.

But then they would have had to sue themselves.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Android Central Forums

 

[EnlightenedSoul]

The size of the mini is a bit big for one handed use indeed, but i usually use two hands when it comes to my tablets regardless, so it isn't a huge issue for me.