The subject of rumours since last year, the iPad mini has been a long awaited installment to the Apple family and now its finally here. From the initial specs it looks like it will be a strong contender in the 7 inch tablet market, although not quite out pacing the Nexus 7's quad core Tegra 3 processor it is still a formidable device. But its starting behind the pack...
Something that puts this device behind out of the gate has to be, in my opinion, iOS 6. With it's, quite frankly, outdated layout and a minimal amount of improvements from iOS 5 it was a widely regarded let down. On top of this, the software is closed to a point where only something purchased from Apple can be used. Unless you want the fun and games that comes with video converting and Jailbreaking. I am writing this article on my Nexus 7 with a keyboard from my computer hooked up to it, something you could only dream of doing on an iPad mini through a lightning connector.
Although, the iPad mini does have specs like an HD FaceTime, a 5MP rear camera, 4G LTE connectivity and dual-band Wi-Fi. Things not found in the Nexus 7. But, it does come at a cost. Of £269 for the most basic model (WiFi only) all the way up to £629 for the top package (WiFi & 4G).
All in all, we will have to see how it compares to the Nexus 7 (it's main contender). Only time will tell us whether it is successful in it's quest to conquer the 7 inch tablet market.
Jack Spencer
