Following a flurry of speculation around whether or not the iPad mini would get a high-resolution screen, Apple revealed a Retina display for its smaller 7.9-inch tablet at its press event on Tuesday.
Rumors surrounded a display shortage at Apple's supply chain, and the pressure was on for the company to add Retina to the iPad mini as full HD screens rapidly became the norm on tablets. Competition has been heating up from the Nexus 7 and other models with high-resolution screens.
The iPad mini with Retina display is considerably pricier than other similar-sized devices on the market. Its cheapest model is $399 for a Wi-Fi-only version with 16GB. By comparison, the full HD Wi-Fi Nexus 7 starts at $229, and you can get a 32GB Nexus 7 with both Wi-Fi and 4G LTE for $349 -- still less than the entry-level Retina iPad mini.
Which is the best contender for your tablet needs? We've compiled a list of how the iPad mini with Retina stacks up against its biggest competitors. See how they compare with each other in the table below.
iPad mini with Retina display
Nexus 7
Kindle Fire HDX
Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 8.0
Screen Size
7.9 inches
7 inches
7 inches
8 inches
Resolution and Pixel Density
2,048 x 1,536, 326ppi
1,920 x 1,200, 323ppi
1,920 x 1,200, 323ppi
1280×800, 189ppi
Processor Speed
A7 chip with 64-bit architecture, M7 motion coprocessor
Quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro, 1.5Ghz
Quad-core Snapdragon 800 chip, 2.2GHz quad-core processor
Exynos Dual-core 1.2Ghz Exynos 4
Battery Life
Up to 10 hours
Up to 9 hours active use
11 hours continuous use
Up to 11 hours
Storage Space
16, 32, 64GB, 128 GB
16 or 32GB
16, 32 or 64 GB
16, up to 64GB via microSD
Camera
1.2MP front, 5MP rear
1.2MP front, 5MP rear
Front facing only
1.3MP front, 5MP rear
Price
Wi-Fi: $399 16GB, $499 32GB, $599 64GB, $699 128GB; LTE: $529 16GB, $629 32GB, $729 64GB, $829, 128GB
Wi-Fi: $229 16GB, $269 32GB, $349; LTE: 32GB $349
Wi-Fi: $229 16GB, $269 32GB, $309 64GB; LTE: $344 16GB, $384 32GB, $424 64GB
Wi-Fi: $299 16GB
OS
iOS 7
Android 4.3 Jelly Bean
Fire OS 3.0 (Android-based)
Android 4.2 Jelly Bean
LTE Option
Yes, via AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile and Sprint
Yes, via Verizon, T-Mobile and AT&T
Yes, via AT&T and Verizon
Wi-Fi only
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