Nexus 7 or iPad mini?

[MANdroidd]

So I've been eyeing the iPad mini. Thought it would be a good way to see what iOS is all about. Buttttt my co-worker recently came in with her new Nexus 7 and its great too. I know this is android central but for those who have both could you list some pros and cons? If everything else i have is android should i just get the Nexus 7?

 

[Eduardo06sp]

It depends on how you'll use it.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Android Central Forums

 

[Jonnyboy255]

I have a nexus 7 but I have an iPhone so I'm pretty familiar to the two operating systems. The same nexus 7 with jelly bean is great. Google really did great with this update. There are A lot of features that android has that IOS don't. I was currently thinking about busying the iPad Mini and selling this nexus 7 probably one of the biggest reason why I would switch devices is playing videos.... Movies and YouTube videos. Being a 7.9 screen does make a difference and when you are watching video on a IOS device is takes it to quick time player and its realllly fast and its already HD video...... On the nexus 7 I always have to turn off HD or else it will take a long time loading the video so i always see myself watching YouTube videos on my iPhone instead and when you turn off HD on the nexus the video quality is BAD

 

[Iggymart]

I have the Nexus 7 and my wife has iPad mini. Aside from longer battery life on the iPad mini, the Nexus 7 has more options, customizations, and a better screen resolution.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 2

 

[M1grande]

i dont have either but from what i read, nexus 7 for personalization, emulators, keyboards and open source stuff, basically better for advanced users
ipad mini- social-ability, imessage is unique and great, better for camera, accessibility, for people who just want simplicity
it seems like the nexus is better for games with its processor
but dollar for dollar, id say nexus 7 32gb

 

[CJREX]

I have my Nexus 7, a Galaxy S2, an iPhone, an original iPad 1(64GB) and an iPad3, so I have a bit of exposure to Android and IOS and maybe can give some insight into this question.

My definitive answer is...it depends on what you want to do.

If you like rooting, tinkering, customizing, etc the only choice is the N7.

If you want near flawless reliability and build quality, you want the iPad.

iPad pros:
Battery life (truly amazing compared to any Android device I've owned)
Retina display (better than N7). Edit: Never mind on this. The iPad mini doesn't have Retina
Exceptional build quality
Aftermarket accessories are unlimited to the point of being mindboggling
If your car has iPhone connectivity, your iPad will hook right up too
If you ever decide to get rid of it, stellar resale value
My iPad 1 is still plugging along with great battery life even after 2+ years. Zero issues. Since it is the 64GB, we load it with movies for the kids when we travel.
And even with the same game on the iPad and Nexus, the iPad runs the game faster/better.

Nexus 7 pros:
Any old microUSB cable will charge it. No proprietary BS.
The display looks good unless you hold it next to a Retina display.
Convenient size, though honestly I think the slightly larger screen of the iPad mini may be preferable. I am seriously considering a Toshiba Excite 7.7 just for the 7.7 display.
Price can't be beat.

Ties:
No expandable memory
Timely system updates
Enthusiastic online support community

So after that long winded post, YOU have to decide what is right for YOU.

Find somewhere that has them side by side so you can feel them, handle them, cradle them, and see which one tugs your heartstrings more.

And keep in mind the $130 price differential.

Honestly, you will probably be perfectly happy with either one.

Happy Shopping!

 

[anon(847090)]

IPad mini is not worth the money you pay. Nexus 7 is totally worth every penny

 

[Raptor007]

This summer I got an iPad 3 LTE on Verizon and purchased an iPhone 5 figuring both would carry me for some time and I would be happy, but I wasn't. iOS has NOT improved in since 2007 in ways that Android has and WP7/7.5 is even easier to use than iOS so Apple fans who say its so intuitive and easy should really try something else or take the rose colored glasses off.

Once I sold my iOS devices (sold the iP5 for double what I paid) and moved back to Android happily after seeing what Jelly Bean had to offer and the true nature of customization I can have. Next came the tablet front, I thought I wanted a Galaxy Note 10.1 tablet but I couldn't deal with the resolution and ultimately the Galaxy Note 2 suits my needs for S-Pen use.

I have considered the Nexus 10 and Nexus 7 and felt the N10 would be more than I really wanted for what I was going to do with it. I wanted a simple and light web browser for reading, playing games and a nice sized device for moves on the go with the OTG cable and a USB thumb drive.

I can say iOS is a bag of walled garden pain. You take what they want to give you, how they give it to you and you don't complain about it. If you are fine with that then you will enjoy a massive developer ecosystem but you will also find it restrictive at times and when trying to find anything or discover anything.

Android app selection is equal to Apples, and just as difficult to discover new apps so I rely more on word of mouth (forums like this) and AndroidPolice.com weekly roundup of apps and stuff too. I find. Android easier to customize to my needs and a Nexus device will certainly do that even more so than other devices. If you buy an iPad mini today, you will be very disappointed in 6 months when they roll out the iPad Mini 2 which will no doubt have a better screen, when you could have a better screen today with a Nexus 7.

That said I would get the Nexus 7, not because my signature says so but because that is what I feel would give you the most mileage and cash in your pocket for games, media, books, etc.

 

[aarora610]

I echo everything said here about nexus being better than iOS. I love this thing. Customizable. I barely put it down.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 2

 

[tflash]

I have my Nexus 7, a Galaxy S2, an iPhone, an original iPad 1(64GB) and an iPad3, so I have a bit of exposure to Android and IOS and maybe can give some insight into this question.

Any old microUSB cable will charge it. No proprietary BS.

Not true - I have a micro usb cable for a jambox speaker that won't charge the N7 properly using the N7 charger.
However the cable that came with my logitec mouse works good.

 

[Shilohcane]

If you buy a IPad get the iPad 4 or the Nexus 7. The IPad mini SCREEN is almost the same size screen as the IPad 4 with out the wings.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Android Central Forums

 

[sr2012]

Yes if you are talking iPad then iPad 4 is awesome. If you are talking Android then Nexus 7 is I feel better than iPad mini. The build quality, proper 720p (a bit more, 1280x800) ~WIDESCREEN~, feel... it is nicer than iPad mini. Yes, iPad mini can survive more drops but the Nexus 7 overall feels more "polished" and "grippy" in your hands.

If you're talking HD video then I am not sure about the sources of it, but theoretically the iPad mini is only 1024x768. So if the HD ~WIDESCREEN~ video is being shown on the iPad mini, you are ~losing a lot~ eg. black bars top and bottom, not full HD, etc.

Whereas if your HD video source is proper 720p then it will display well on ~WIDESCREEN~ ~HD~ ~Nexus7~

What really disappointed me was iPad mini not being widescreen, let alone having a blurry non-retina 7.9" screen. There is something not quite right with the screen colour, quality, and resolution in the iPad mini.