Google HTC Nexus 9 vs Apple iPad Mini 3 Review and Comparison: Specs and Features - Battle of the Tablets
A tablet battle is shaping up between Apple and Google as the two tech giants are set to release their latest tablets – Google's Nexus 9 and Apple's iPad Mini 3.
Although both companies have yet to release official statements on their devices' hardware, gizmo experts have come up with their own speculations on what kind of specs each will be holding.
Nexus 9
According to company insiders, the Nexus 9 will have an 8.9-inch IPS LCD touchscreen with a display resolution of 2048 x 1440 pixels.
Incidentally, reports say that the Nexus 9 is actually produced by HTC.
The Nexus 9 has dropped the brand's familiar Qualcomm Snapdragon chipsets and will be powered instead by the Nvidia Tegra K1 chipset, with a quad-core 2.5GHz processor and a ULP GeForce Kepler GPU.
It will be available in two variant models -- the 16GB and 32GB -- and will have 2GB of RAM. The Nexus 9 will also have microSD card support of up to 128GB and an 8-megapixel camera capable of full HD video recording at 30 frames-per-second. It will reportedly run on Google's newest mobile OS, Android L (Android 5.0).
iPad Mini 3
Little spec details are available on the iPad Mini 3, which will reportedly be called the iPad Mini Air once it comes out.
Experts believe that the iPad Mini 3 will still feature it's 7.9-inch display on a thinner aluminum frame. Screen resolutions may get an upgrade. An anti-glare coating is likewise possible.
As for the specs, the iPad Mini 3 is expected to copy the iPhone 6 in terms of chipset, going for the newer 64-bit A8 chip, a dual-core processor, and a more powerful PowerVR GPU. It will expectedly be run by the iOS 8 and feature the TouchID fingerprint scanner.
Release dates
The Nexus 9, Google's upcoming HTC-built flagship tablet, is expected to be in stores on Oct.24, a week after its launching, according to its developer Paul O'Brien who shared the news via Twitter.
O'Brien earlier tweeted that the tablet will be unboxed on Oct.16. It will only be during this occasion when the software powering the device will be known – whether it is Android L or Android 5.0.
The Nexus 9's launching is expected to serve as Google's opening volley that will be followed by other product launchings in November 2014. Latest reports indicated that Google and Motorola will collaborate and produce two Nexus 6 models -- 5.2-inch and 5.9-inch variants. It is likely that both variants will start selling on Nov. 1.
This is expected to further intensify the rivalry between Google and Apple, which has already released its latest flagship products, the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus. Apple is also expected to unveil its new iPad Air 2 and iPad Mini 3 in the days ahead.
Market watchers say that the Android L-powered Nexus 6 smartphone and Nexus 9 tablet will serve as Google's toughest answers yet to the challenge posed by Apple.