While the new Apple iPad Air has gotten a lot of attention recently, smaller tablets are Gaining in popularity, Because Of Their easy-to-carry size and lower prices. Today we are Comparing three of the most popular small tablets – the iPad Mini with retina display, the Kindle Fire HDX and the Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 8.0.
The Kindle and Galaxy Tab have plastic bodies, while the iPad is aluminum. All three victims at least 10 hours of battery life from a charge, and none of the batteries are user-replaceable. They do differentiation in price and some other features, so let’s dive into the specs.
Amazon Kindle Fire HDX
The newest member of the Kindle Fire family, the HDX (starting at $ 229, amazon.com) features a 7-inch HDX display with a resolution of 1920 by 1200 pixels, Which is 323 pixels per inch.
Powered by a quad-core 2.2 GHz Snapdragon processor and 2 gigabytes of RAM, the HDX uses its own variation of the Android operating system called Fire OS 3.0 (Mojito).
The HDX Measures 5 by 7.3 inches by .35 inches thick.
You can not run just any Android app on a Kindle. Like Apple, Amazon approves all apps for its device. All the usual apps are there, but do not expect hundreds of thou sands of apps like at the iPad app store.
Amazon’s big feature is your content. When you buy a Kindle, They preload your Amazon account So THAT When you power it up, your books, movies and music are all there. Of course, they’d also like for you to join Amazon Prime ($ 79 a year,) which adds free two-day shipping to many orders and Provides the Prime Video Streaming Service, Which just so happens to work well on the HDX.
If you’ve been watching TV, you’ve seen commercials for Amazon’s new May Day service, where you push a button and a live tech support person can answer your questions and even change settings or draw on your screen to highlight things .
You get to see the Amazon support person in a tiny video window, but he or she can not see you. The support person can only hear your voice.
The 7-inch HDX has only a front-facing camera That shoots 720p HD for video chat apps like Skype. To add a rear-facing camera, you’ll have to buy the model with the larger screen.
As with other tablets with color LCD screens, reading in bright sunlight isn’ta exactly easy. If reading without glare is what you’re after, look at Amazon’s non-Fire Kindle line.
But for surfing, email, playing games and watching videos, the HDX is a winner.
Pricing starts at $ 229 for a Wi-Fi-only model with 16 gigabytes of storage. Add $ 15 if you want to not see ads on your lockscreen. Add $ 100 more if you want AT & T or Verizon 4G LTE. If you opt for LTE, you’ll also have to add the HDX to your data plan.
Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 8.0
Samsung’s small tablet has the biggest screen of the three tablets in this review. It also has the most storage options, as it’s the only tablet with a microSD card slot to add storage.
The Galaxy Tab runs Android version 4.2.2 (Jelly Bean) with a dual-core 1.5 GHz processor. The screen is an 8-inch LCD with a resolution of 1280 by 800 pixels (189 pixels per inch). It has 1.5 gigabytes of RAM and 16 GB of storage (expandable with up to a 64 GB microSD card).
The Galaxy Tab weighs 11 ounces and is 4.87 by 8.26 inches and .29 inches thick.
One very nice feature is an IR blaster, whichlets the tablet act as a remote control for your TV. The Samsung WatchOn Mobile Info, and Provides guide data and control for most TVs.
The Galaxy Tab ($ 249 for 16 GB, Wi-Fi-only, samsung.com) is solidly built and has everything I’d look for in a tablet, including features I wish the iPad would adopt, like the external storage.
While it isn’ta the sexiest tablet around, the Galaxy Tab is a great choice if you’re an Android fan and use Google’s ecosystem for music and apps.
iPad Mini
Apple finally updated its popular iPad Mini with a retina display – and gave its speed a good bump, too.
Basically the new iPad Air, with all its upgraded CPU goodness, was shrunk down to fit inside the Mini.
The Air and the Mini are virtually Identical under the hood – only the screen size is different.
The Mini’s 7.9-inch display has a resolution of 2048 by 1536 pixels (326 pixels per inch). It Measures 5.3 by 7.87 inches by .29 inches thick and weighs 11.67 ounces.
The screen is beautiful, but I have an original Mini, and in a side-by-side comparison, I’m not blown away enough to run out and buy the new Mini based Solely on the retina display.
For me, the reason to upgrade would be the new A7 processor with its 64-bit architecture, Which is tons aunt and future-proof for Several years. Apple raised the price of the entry-level 16 GB Wi-Fi-only Mini to $ 399. Add $ 129 for 4G LTE. The old Mini is still on sale for $ 299.
Conclusions
This all comes down to the operating system you prefer and the media ecosystem you want to buy into.
If you have an iPhone, you’re going to want an iPad, Because you’ve probably got an investment in apps and music That you’d like to play on the iPad as well.
If you’re an Android phone user, the Galaxy Tab will be calling your name, as you probably have apps Quantity for your phone and music or movies from the Google Play store.
If you’re a book hound, and haveowned a Kindle before, you’re really going to want to look at the HDX, Which will be very comfortable When you start it up for the first time, as all your books will be preloaded.
If you’re buying a tablet for the first time and do not have an investment in any company’s media, I’d recommend the Kindle or iPad. The Kindle is cheaper and has the built-in help and would be my first choice for a voracious reader. The iPad just seems friendlier than the Galaxy Tab, Which would be my choice for a techie or an Apple basher.
Follow Jim Rossman on Twitter at @ jimrossman.
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