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Apple iPad mini 2 with Retina specs comparison vs Nexus 7 vs LG G Pad 8.3

By Daniel Petrov

Published: Nov 12, 2013, 3:29 AM

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iOS LG Apple Android Tablets Google iPad

Apple iPad mini 2 with Retina specs comparison vs Nexus 7 vs LG G Pad 8.3

Apple's tiny tablet just received a second edition, if you haven't heard, and we have to pit it against the fearless rivals on the other side, the Nexus 7 and LG G Pad 8.3 to gauge how it stands against some Android competition.

At first look the Android tablets are flawless, with 1920x1200 pixels displays, which in the case of the G Pad 8.3 return slightly lower pixel density because of the larger diagonal, yet plenty for a small slate. The G Pad 8.3 is the thinner, more premium slab, with metal back cover and more powerful Qualcomm Snapdragon 600 processor, which is reflected in the price, of course, as Google is not subsidizing this one - $350 vs $230 for the Nexus 7 munchkin.

So what's the iPad mini with Retina Display to offer against those two pretty boys, except the 400 000+ tablet-tailored apps that iOS has? Well, for starters, it is thinner than both the Nexus 7 and the G Pad 8.3. In fact, at 7.5mm, it is the third thinnest slate out there, period, behind only the first iPad mini and the Xperia Tablet Z. Now, we shouldn't forget that Apple achieved this with a body crafted out of aluminum, which makes it all the more impressive. As for power, well, there's plenty, since the mini with Retina is run by the first 64-bit mobile processor, Apple's venerable A7.

The kicker? That amazing 7.9" display carries the same resolution as the larger iPad. That's right, 2048x1356 pixels amounts to 326ppi pixel density, a record feat on a device that is basically all screen. Neither Nexus 7, nor the G Pad 8.3 can match this, but it's another question altogether if the premium design and the extra pixel density are worth the $399 starting price Apple is commanding for the iPad mini with Retina Display. Check out the specs comparison tablet below for the nitty-gritty and tell us what you think.


Apple iPad mini 2	Google Nexus 7 (2013)	LG G Pad 8.3

Design

Dimensions
7.87 x 5.30 x 0.30 inches 200 x 134.7 x 7.5 mm	7.87 x 4.49 x 0.34 inches 200 x 114 x 8.65 mm	8.54 x 4.98 x 0.33 inches 216.8 x 126.5 x 8.3 mm
Weight
12.03 oz / 341.0 g	10.55 oz / 299.0 g	11.92 oz / 338.0 g
Materials
Back: Aluminum
Keys
Right: Volume control, Other
Colors
Black, Gray, Silver, White		Black, White

Display

Size
7.9-inch, 71.82% screen-to-body	7.0-inch, 62.32% screen-to-body	8.3-inch, 72.80% screen-to-body
Type
IPS LCD	IPS LCD, 300 nits	IPS LCD
Resolution
1536x2048px, 324 PPI	1200x1920px, 323 PPI	1200x1920px, 273 PPI
Colors
16 777 216		16 777 216
Protection
	Corning Gorilla Glass
Features
Oleophobic coating, Ambient light sensor

Hardware

System chip
Apple A7	Snapdragon S4 Pro APQ8064	Snapdragon 600
Processor
Dual-core 1300 MHz Cyclone	Quad-core 1500 MHz Krait	Quad-core 1700 MHz
GPU
PowerVR G6430	Adreno 320	Yes
Memory
1GB (LPDDR3)/128GB 1GB/16GB 1GB/32GB 1GB/64GB 1GB/128GB	2GB/32GB 2GB/16GB 2GB/32GB	2GB (LPDDR2)/16GB
Storage expansion
		microSDXC up to 64 GB
OS
iOS (12.x, 11.x, 10.x, 9.x, 8.x, 7.x)	Android (5.0 Lollipop, 4.4.4, 4.4.3, 4.4.2, 4.4, 4.3)	Android (5.0 Lollipop, 4.2.2)

Battery

Type
6471 mAh, Li - Polymer	3950 mAh, Li - Polymer	4600 mAh, Li - Polymer
Charging
	Qi wireless charging

Camera

Rear
Single camera	Single camera	Single camera
Main camera
5 MP (Autofocus, BSI sensor) Aperture size: F2.4 Focal length: 33 mm	5 MP (Autofocus) Aperture size: F2.4	5 MP (Autofocus, BSI sensor) Aperture size: F2.6
Video recording
1080p (30 fps) Time-lapse video, EIS, Video calling	1080p	1080p (30 fps)
Front
1.2 MP Video capture: 720p	1.2 MP	1.3 MP

Connectivity & Features

Bluetooth
4.0	4.0	4.0
WLAN
a,b,g,n,dual-band Multiple antennas, MIMO, Hotspot 802.11 a, b, g, n	a,b,g,n,dual-band 802.11 a, b, g, n	a,b,g,n,dual-band Hotspot, Wi-Fi Direct 802.11 a, b, g, n
USB
Lightning	microUSB, USB 2.0	microUSB, USB 2.0
Sensors
Accelerometer, Gyroscope, Compass, Ambient light sensor	Accelerometer, Gyroscope, Compass, Ambient light sensor	Accelerometer, Gyroscope, Compass, Ambient light sensor
HDMI
	Yes
Location
GPS, A-GPS, Cell ID, Wi-Fi positioning	GPS, A-GPS, Glonass	GPS, A-GPS, Glonass
Other
Tethering, Computer sync, OTA sync, AirDrop	NFC, Tethering, Computer sync, OTA sync	Infrared, Tethering, Computer sync, OTA sync

Multimedia

Headphones
3.5mm jack	3.5mm jack	3.5mm jack
Speakers
Multiple speakers	Multiple speakers	Earpiece, Loudspeaker
Features
Album art cover, Background playback	Album art cover, Background playback	Album art cover, Background playback
Screen mirroring
TV-out	SlimPort,TV-out	DLNA,SlimPort
Additional microphone(s)
Yes

Cellular

4G (FDD) Bands
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 13, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26	1, 2, 4, 5, 13, 17
3G Bands
5, 8, 2, 1	5, 8, 4, 2, 1
Data Speed
LTE, HSPA, UMTS	LTE, HSPA, UMTS
SIM type
Nano SIM	Micro SIM

Phone Features

Notifications
Flight mode, Silent mode	Flight mode, Silent mode	Haptic feedback, Flight mode, Silent mode
Other features
Voice commands, Voice recording	Voice commands, Voice recording	Voice commands, Voice recording

Regulatory Approval

FCC approval
Date approved: Apr 15, 2013 FCC ID value: BCGA1490		FCC ID value: ZNFV500
Measured SAR
Body: 1.19 W/kg Simultaneous Transmission: 1.30 W/kg		Body: 0.72 W/kg

Availability

Officially announced
Oct 22, 2013	Jul 24, 2013	Sep 01, 2013
Prices (MSRP)
$829	$350	$350

See the full Apple iPad mini 2 vs Google Nexus 7 (2013) vs LG G Pad 8.3 specs comparison or compare them to other phones using our Phone Comparison tool

View Full Bio

Daniel, a devoted tech writer at PhoneArena since 2010, has been engrossed in mobile technology since the Windows Mobile era. His expertise spans mobile hardware, software, and carrier networks, and he's keenly interested in the future of digital health, car connectivity, and 5G. Beyond his professional pursuits, Daniel finds balance in travel, reading, and exploring new tech innovations, while contemplating the ethical and privacy implications of our digital future.