The iPad mini to battle it out with full tablets like iPad 2 and the Android-powered Nexus 7

Finally, the iPad mini is here. As its name suggests, it is slightly smaller than the regular iPad though its 7.9 inches still compares favorably with something like the Nexus 7. Its ultra slim design easily makes up for the big surface area that gives it a lean profile, and a surprisingly hefty feel on the hands which puts it at a better place against its rivals.

Apple did a fine job with the iPad mini as was the case with the iPhone 5, further widening the gap between Apple and its competitors. The $329 gadget boasts of a sharp display which is OK compared to its predecessor and successors, the 3^rd and 4^th generation full size iPads.

The device is powered by an A5 CPU, which raises concern since the chip is actually two generations old. However, there should be no worries at all since current iPad software, iOS 6, runs smoothly on the device. This might be because the device has a fewer number of pixels to manipulate on its 1024 by 768, 7.9-inch display.

Comparing the iPad mini to the full-sized iPad 2 shows no real big difference in performance. Applications run just as snappily as they do on the full-sized counterpart. It’s screen resolution is the same as that of the flagship iPad 2 and sports a resolution standing at a quarter that of the iPad 2.

When compared to other Android tablets, specifically the Nexus 7 which carries the future of the Android tablets, the first aspect to pinpoint is the fact that the Nexus is an economical tablet making it cheaper than the iPad mini. In reality though, the iPad mini has more screen space real estate than the Nexus which is also able to deliver more crisp images, thanks to its 216ppi screen in comparison to the mini’s 162ppi. Apple has also maintained the 10-hour battery life on the new mini.

Though the detailed specification list of the iPad mini is not yet out, we would be right to conclude that the gadget derives its strength from the way it pairs up its hardware and undoubtedly matches the power of the second-generation iPad. When compared to the Android flagship tablet, the iPad mini does not fair badly and may be a real competitor to the Nexus 7.