Apple did indeed make the big announcement today that it was releasing an iPad Mini. The specs, for those of you who want to know, are as follows:
7.9″ screen, as opposed to 9.7″ for the full-sized iPad, or 7 inches on the Kinkle Fire or Nexus 7.
1024 x 768 resolution.
Aluminum case
Dual-Core A5 processor
Face Time HD
5 MP iSight camera
LTE Wireless
Lightening connector
10-Hour battery life
The starting cost is $329 for 16 GB, $429 for $32 GB, and $529 for 64 GB. Yes, there is also a WiFi + 3G offering, for $459, $559, and $659 respectfully. Basically, you are paying $170 less for each model than the full sized iPad.
So, given the cost of the iPad, lets stack it up with the competition on just the basics:
[table caption=”Tablet Comparison”] Tablet,Size,Resolution,WiFi Only,Cost,OS iPad Mini 16 GB,7.9″,1024 X 768,Yes,$329,IOS iPad Mini 32 GB,7.9″,1024 X 768,Yes,$429,IOS iPad Mini 64 GB,7.9″,1024 X 768,Yes,$529,IOS iPad Mini 16 GB,7.9″,1024 X 768,No,$459,IOS iPad Mini 32 GB,7.9″,1024 X 768,No,$559,IOS iPad Mini 64 GB,7.9″,1024 X 768,No,$659,IOS Kindle Fire HD 16 GB,7″,1280 X 800,Yes,$199,Android Kindle Fire HD 32 GB,7″,1280 X 800,Yes,$249,Android Nexus 7 8 GB,7″,1280 X 800,Yes,$199,Android Nexus 7 16 GB,7″,1280 X 800,Yes,$249,Android [/table]
Keep in mind that the comparison above is strictly on some basic features. I would not use this info alone to make a purchasing decision.
I own a full sized iPad, as well as the original Kindle Fire. I happen to think the iPad is more versatile in terms of apps and how easily it functions. It is more intuitive than the Kindle Fire.
However, if I were looking for a good tablet at a very low price point, I would have to lean towards the Kindle Fire or the Nexus 7. With that said, I am still an iPad fan and always will be. I love being able to use the voice recorder wherever there is a pop-up keyboard. I love using Siri. All my music is in iTunes, so the logical extension of that is the iPad.
Later this week, Microsoft will be formally unveiling their Surface Table, with a starting price of $499. The tablet world is definitely taking the world by storm, and evidence of that is the large PC makers taking revenue hits as PC sales are slowing down. Tablets are quickly becoming a staple in our lives.
When it comes time for you to make your tablet purchase, check in with me and we can talk about what your needs are and which tablet will fill the bill for you. You all know where to reach me.
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