iPad mini
Apple’s new tablet is the company’s first attempt to break into the mini tablet market. Priced from £269, it’s the most expensive, yet the company says it offers all the same capabilities as the iPad.
The 7.9 inch, iPad mini boasts a 10 hour battery life and is relatively light weighing only 308g. However, it does not have retina display like its bigger siblings, so small text can be hard to read and images can appear to be dull. The mini has front and back- facing cameras along with the widest offer of apps in the mini tablet market.
Kindle Fire HD
The Kindle Fire HD has a 7 inch LCD screen which is slightly smaller than the iPad mini but has better quality with a display resolution of 1200X800 compared with the mini’s 1024X768.
The 16GB Kindle Fire HD is priced from £159 so it’s an ideal purchase if you’re shopping for a tablet while on a budget. It runs a version of Android 4.0, has a front facing HD camera, dual antenna, dual band WI-FI, 3G connectivity and offers the capability for videos, music, apps and games.
Google Nexus 7
The Nexus 7, the first tablet by Google, features Android 4.1 Jelly bean and offers Google play freebies. It has a backlit IPS display which features 216 pixels per inch, outperforming the iPad mini’s 163 ppi. The 7 inch tablet is also equipped with a 1.2 mega pixel front facing camera, GPS receiver and 10 hour battery life. Prices start at £159
Nook HD
The tablet by Barnes and Nobles has a resolution of 1440X900 with 243 pixels per inch, making its screen display the best in the mini tablet market. It has Wi-Fi too, plus the ability to watch movies, and run apps, although the amount and variety of apps offered are nowhere near the range of Google Play or ITunes App store. According to Barnes and Nobles the Nook HD has a battery life of 10.5 hours but it does not offer 3G. The 8GB tablet sells for £159 but lacks either a front or back camera.
Kindle Paperwhite
While it’s not the same as a tablet, the Kindle Paperwhites’s e-ink screen makes it well worth considering for e-reader lovers. It also has a built in light that makes it’s easy to use in any lighting condition, plus a battery can last up to 8 weeks even with the light left on, Amazon says.
To enhance the viewing experience the paperwhite has 62% more pixel and 25% better contrast to than other Kindle models. According to Amazon, the built in Wi-Fi allows users to download books in under one minute. The Kindle Paperweight is available on Amazon for £109 with a 3G version costing £169.
