Curious what all this iPad news means for Android fans? We do, too. With the iPad Air and iPad mini with Retina display upping the ante on mobile technology in their own way, let’s take a look at what this means for Android tablets.


When we take the iPad Air into consideration, there’s a lot to like: thin, light, powerful. At only 7.5mm thin, it’s the slimmest full-sized tablet available. Apple is also touting their debated A7, 64-bit processor on-board, and saying it has dual WiFi antennae for “twice the WiFi performance”, as well as an LTE option.

The iPad mini stepped up to a Retina display, which was a safe assumption made by many. It keeps the 7.9-inch screen, but also packs the A7 processor and dual WiFi antennae inside. The mini will also have an LTE version, and both Apple tablets will be available in November: the Air on the first, and the mini later in the month sometime.

The iPad Air will start at $499 for the 16GB WiFi version, and run all the way up to a massive $929 for the 128GB LTE version. The iPad mini will run $100 less across the lineup, so starting at $399 and topping out at $829. That’s a jaw dropper.

Impressive, sure, but they’re probably not enough to get us away from our Nexus 7 2013 — or even Nexus 10. The hardware is gorgeous, but the guts are suspect as Apple doesn’t reveal much about what’s going on inside their devices. The ecosystem is still iOS, and Android fans clearly aren’t into that. Starting at nearly half the price of the iPad mini, the Nexus 7 2013 is still our champion.

18 COMMENTS

    • and iPad means nothing for Android, iPad is a tricycle for all the Android users:

      http://bit (dot) ly/17CPlOn

      and my Android is smooth and fast for all the iPeople’s arguments 😉

  1. Well it is beautiful yes. But for that price no. It’s still a tablet and tablets needs to be cheapers than laptops. 64bit cpu for what? Does it have 4gb ram or more? If no 64bit is pointless and obviously a marketing trick to lure buyers who don’t know any tech stuff. Too expensive for an OS which is locked so hard that you can’t do anything on it or copy/paste an mp3 or play any video format you like. Not for me deffinately. It is the usual Apple once again so no suprise.

    • Lol I have had all the iPads up till the iPad 4 and have a macbook pro and had an iphone 5… but I still like android better because I can do whatever I want with it… You sure as he’ll can’t run Linux on the iPad or customize it with things like the halo 2.0. Plus, with tablets coming out running full windows 8.1(not rt and 8.0 inches) apples iPads are becoming less attractive options then before. I can see how people like the simplicity but the bottom line is that whichever the better tablet is depends on the person using it and what he needs. Its an opinion and its like an asshole, everyone has one but you shouldnt go shoving it in others peoples faces.

      • “but I still like android better because I can do whatever I want with it… ”
        no, you can not – read my post above…

      • come over it, it is only one thing that you barely can’t use as proof for the whole system.

        or, wait, maybe you should try a Microsoft tablet then?

      • unfortunately not only one thing, same goes for gmail app, I forward two gmail accounts to one primary account and use great gmail functionality to reply from account to which e-mail was sent with coresponding signature, this works like charm on PC browser, this works like charm on iOS gmail app, but guess what – it does not work on android gmail app…

        do i need to talk about hangouts for iOS?

      • Like I said, I needed it for running Kali Linux with a wireless card capable of wireless injection via otg. You can find modified kernels with support for that in android but you’ll never be able to do that in iOS. Also you have Ubuntu touch which means you connect your tablet or phone to the TV, add a keyboard and mouse, and you can have a full Ubuntu experience (I don’t use it because its still slightly glitchy but its cool). That is what I WANT to do with my tablet and its an opinion. I didn’t say that ANYONE can do whatever they want with it because for my purposes, I really can do what I want with an android tablet (nexus 7). Now, you’re saying you need are things like thethe ios gmail app and hangouts… Again, like I said, tablet preference depends on the person and his needs… The only way to find out which is best for you is to go try it out. On the other hand, if someone is stuck being an apple fanboy, they close themselves off to the other platforms and blindly follow a single iOS as if it was the only mobile os out there, not even realizing that there’s an 8″ windows 8.1 tablet that’s essentially a computer NOT running rt but full windows. That’s kinda amazing. x86 programs running on an 8 inch tablet that’s as thin as the nexus 7. Now gtfo and stop shoving your opinions down everyone’s throat trying to get everyone to tell you your right, there will never be a better mobile os that everyone thinks is the best. Sorry brah, I hate to break it to you but that’s how life is

      • sorry for my misunderstanding, now I get it, by saying “but I still like android better because I can do whatever I want with it… ” you meant that you can delete/hack it in order to run linux or that you can buy microsoft surface tablet, it is totally clear now, thanks for the extra explanation, when I think about this reasoning, I kinda like android better as well, because I can do whatever I want with it too, for example I can leave it in my bag and use Mac instead or I can sell it on eBay or I can use it if I hate those extra features Google has in it’s iOS apps, or I can buy new dishwasher, isn’t it great?

      • 1. Linux on android runs in a chroot environment…you have no idea what you’re talking about… deleting/”hacking” ROFL you’re out of your league; LOL@ calling a chroot a “hack”
        2. Dafaq? Surface tablet? Sorry dawg that’s a 10 inch tablet running windows rt and overpriced for what you get imo
        3. Use it or not use or even sell it, the facts are still the same; I prefer android for the open source support and you prefer iOS for the refined apps. Do I have to give a shit what you think? A hint, no because android is better for my needs so I really couldn’t care more for what works for you
        4. Are you really so blinded by apple that you don’t see the benefits of having a whole computer in a single tablet…? I’m willing to bet if apple released an iPad mini running osx maverick you’d go apeshit crazy talking smack about windows and android tablets
        5. What’s the point of those extra Google apps features if I don’t need them or barely notice them? I’m not ocd about such trivial things but hey, you could be so all the more power to you.

        Oh and while you’re getting that dishwasher, be sure to get the apple branded one, I wouldn’t want you to have to return to get the apple one in the end

    • depends on the point of view. Android offers way more convenience and features, ios offers more comfort on usability. So, tech guys probably prefer the first, housewifes the latter one.

    • Why would I pay all that money for something that has half the features? Apple jacks up their prices to add more profit into their bank rolls, and you follow like the good little boy/girl you are. Did you even see the stream yesterday? It was abysmal. Even the Apple Fans at IntoMobile were saying how Apple is now middle-aged men in mom jeans.

      It’s over Johnny… Stop fighting it. Android has taken over the market share in phones, and recently have done the same in tablets. Android is king, and Apple is the puppet following along.

  2. Nexus 7 is still champion with which I can not even review documents using Google’s own Quickoffice application. With iPad on the other hand, tracking changes is standard function, I say it again: using Google’s own Quickoffice application. People say Android is more like regular PC, you can do more with it. Well, show me free app for document editting where I can track changes. There is no such thing for Android, while iOS has free app – made by Google…

      • That’s exactly my point, I want to like Android, but every time I come back, there’s another disappointment, the worst fact is that it comes directly from Google, it looks like they deliberately make better apps for iOS leaving their own product look inferior
        No wonder I return to iOS every now and then, not for Apple apps, but for better Google apps, which sounds strange, but that’s the way it is…

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