Apple's iPad Mini—a smaller version of the iPad with a 7.85-inch screen—is expected to be announced tomorrow at an event Tuesday at the company's Cupertino, Calif. campus.
As tech improves, all tablets are heading towards being lighter, thinner, and faster.
But smaller? The iPad has pretty much defined the tablet category for consumers. So most aren't sure what to make of these "tweeners"—smaller tablets more geared around media consumption than the full-featured mobile-computing experience of an iPad.
But there are a lot of alternatives—and Apple could, paradoxically, boost its rivals' prospects by making people aware that there's more than one size for tablets.
Google's Nexus 7
Google's Nexus 7 is currently the king of the miniature tablets. Some would even say the Nexus 7 is the best budget Android tablet around.
Google dictated the Nexus 7's software and hardware specs, making the device ultraportable and lightning-fast. The Nexus 7 also uses very little power so you can go longer on a single charge.
Nexus 7 specs include:
- A 7-inch 1280x800 display
- quad-core Tegra 3 processor
- 1GB of RAM
- GPS/accelerometer/gyroscope/microphone/Bluetooth
- Micro-USB port
- 1.2-megapixel front-facing camera
- NFC, Android Beam, making it easy to share photos and contacts with other devices
- 10 hours of Web browsing/9 hours of HD video playback
The Nexus 7 is one of the best tablets around. Best of all, it takes advantage of Google's latest mobile operating system. And its form factor makes it perfect for travel or a commute.
Price: $199 for the 8GB version, $249 for the 16GB version.
Amazon's Kindle Fire HD
The Kindle Fire is perfect for the user who is a fan of Amazon and purchases digital books from the service.
- 1280x800 HD display
- Dolby audio stereo speakers
- 1.2 Ghz dual-core processor with 3D graphics
- dual-band, dual-antenna WI-Fi
- free Skype video calls
- free unlimited cloud storage
- over 11 hours of reading, surfing the Web on Wi-Fi, watching video, or listening to music.
- 16GB internal storage
Check out our full review of the Kindle Fire HD.
Price: $199
Amazon's regular Kindle Fire
- A 7-inch 1024x600 resolution screen
- 8GB of flash memory
- Up to 9 hours of reading, surfing the Web on Wi-Fi, watching video, or listening to music.
- dual-core custom Texas Instruments processor
- Amazon's Silk Web browser
Price: $159
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