iPad mini Any Nexus 7 Owners to iPad Mini?

I have the Nexus 7. I've really enjoyed it, as far as Android is concerned. However, I just prefer the iOS environment a little more. Not to mention that my Nexus 7 had the crappiest speakers I believe I've ever heard on a device. Not to mention that the screen, while being nice and bright, was a bit washed out. I recently got a MacBook Pro 15" and decided I wanted to spring for a tablet to compliment it. I REALLY like the Ipad Mini's form factor. However, while the resolution didn't bother me at all, the performance seems a lot less capable next to the iPAD 4, and then there's Retina.

Ultimately, I am returning my iPad Mini. I got my iPad 4 today and freaking love it!

As far as regards the touch targeting issue you described, I know what you mean. However, I liked that the small targets ballooned to show options of what you are really wanting to tap. The iPad Mini, being so small, it always felt like a 'guess' when I tapped something, hoping that it recognized what I was aiming for. This was particularly troublesome to me when there were links side by side. The only other option was enlarging, which I was doing constantly.

gmikesell said:

I have the Nexus 7. I've really enjoyed it, as far as Android is concerned. However, I just prefer the iOS environment a little more. Not to mention that my Nexus 7 had the crappiest speakers I believe I've ever heard on a device. Not to mention that the screen, while being nice and bright, was a bit washed out. I recently got a MacBook Pro 15" and decided I wanted to spring for a tablet to compliment it. I REALLY like the Ipad Mini's form factor. However, while the resolution didn't bother me at all, the performance seems a lot less capable next to the iPAD 4, and then there's Retina.

Ultimately, I am returning my iPad Mini. I got my iPad 4 today and freaking love it!

As far as regards the touch targeting issue you described, I know what you mean. However, I liked that the small targets ballooned to show options of what you are really wanting to tap. The iPad Mini, being so small, it always felt like a 'guess' when I tapped something, hoping that it recognized what I was aiming for. This was particularly troublesome to me when there were links side by side. The only other option was enlarging, which I was doing constantly.

Click to expand...

I'm the opposite. I had the Nexus 7 for 3 days and hated it. Stock Android was cool to use at first, but I couldn't get over the humongous bezels on the device. That and the aspect ratio sucks for reading. I returned the Nexus 7, got an iPad mini instead and haven't looked back. Aside from a slight preference for iOS, the hardware just feels much better to me.

Oh and believe it or not I actually missed that rear-facing camera. I guess I do use it after all!

I don't even have to pinch to zoom to tap on links on an... Wait for it... An iPhone!

iPad mini is fine.

Nexus 7: Better value, easier to fit into more snug environments, side load applications, lock screen widgets, better pixel density (doesn't matter).

iPad Mini: Better overall form factor/build finish, more applications, easier to use in stock form (Android requires a lot of customization, even on the 'vanilla' Nexus 7), less 'issues'.

Nexus owners will never admit this but the Nexus 7 isn't a well lubed release. There's an issue with WiFi connectivity/signal strength, speaker/earphone volume, crashing browser/crashing to home screen. I can't count how many times I hit the app tray button, only for it to start to load and then immediately crash back to the home screen. It's not a make/break issue where the tablet is straight unusable for a while, it's literally fractions of a second before I have the app tray open but it happens enough times to KNOW it happens.

To this day, I haven't had a viable one-time use solution to the low volume on earphones on Android. The potential for the Nexus 7 to be a BETTER overall tablet than the iPad is definitely there. The problem is it requires hours of work. The iPad Mini might not SOUND as good as the Nexus 7 when you've rooted, installed a Beats-style equalizer and a Volume boost app, but the iPad Mini sounds WAY better straight out of the box.

You can view websites in full size trim and you'll never even have to zoom in with the iPad Mini. It just works.

I love my Nexus 7 but the iPad Mini was just all around better. I just wish it was small enough to fit in my pockets.

I bought the 32GB wifi version just to see how Android was...It's now for sale having a total of 5 hours use!

I had no specific gripes about Android, and the little Nexus isn't badly made either, I just found that it isn't for me...I guess the real clincher is the 7" screen, but it's not a bad device at all, and with Google behind it, I expect it to continue in popularity...Just had to see what was what....Value for money V an Ipad is a factor too, but I'm still grabbing my IP4, having given it a try at least..

I only use apple products, since 89..but on this occasion I bought a nexus 7 for my son and it was ....cheaper !...big mistake...connectivity issues..keeps crashing....and the UK company I bought it from has gone into liquidation...so i tried...but never again.

I have a Nexus 7 and an iPad mini. I enjoy them nearly equally. That said, the reasons I prefer the N7 is its gorgeous display. Of higher resolution than my mini, it makes quite a difference.

But that's only temporary as I plan to replace it with the upcoming retina mini.

Another aspect I prefer is the slightly narrower body. It's much more comfortable to hold. Not slippery like the flat backed mini, the grippy textured back featured on the N7 is truly a well thought out advantage.

At the end of the day, I enjoy choices & variety. iOS & Android provide everything I enjoy.

maxosx said:

I have a Nexus 7 and an iPad mini. I enjoy them nearly equally. That said, the reasons I prefer the N7 is its gorgeous display. Of higher resolution than my mini, it makes quite a difference.

But that's only temporary as I plan to replace it with the upcoming retina mini.

Another aspect I prefer is the slightly narrower body. It's much more comfortable to hold. Not slippery like the flat backed mini, the grippy textured back featured on the N7 is truly a well thought out advantage.

At the end of the day, I enjoy choices & variety. iOS & Android provide everything I enjoy.

Click to expand...

I'd agree about the form factor...easy to hold etc. I think I was spoiled as I had the retina iPad first...I wouldn't buy another Android device though.

I wish all Mini versions had GPS like the Nexus 7.

It all boils down to which eco system you prefer.

From the reviews I've read the mini is more polished interms of fit and finish. The N7 has a better screen. I played with an N7 and liked it, but I think the mini is a better tablet (for me) because I like how Safari works, I seem to get more screen real estate and most of all the apple ecosystem.

The N7 is nice for something different, and it is a cheap entry-level tablet to get into the Android experience.

The Mini, in my opinion, is neither here nor there. It is an expensive entry point into the Apple experience without the ppi of its siblings, the iPod Touch and the iPad. I also found it surprisingly difficult to navigate, as buttons and so forth seemed just the right size and location to foul up my fat fingers. So does the N7 on occasion, but at least I can justify it (to myself) by saying it is something different and it actually doe a lot of stuff better than iOS devices.

The Mini doesn't tempt me in the slightest, and I plan to stick with the N7 + iPad combination.

I was in the exact same boat about 6 months ago, here's what happened.

I had an iPad 3, and decided it wasn't getting much use anymore so I sold it and bought a Nexus 7 (with enough leftover to have bought 3 if I wanted), and played with it for a few weeks.

My experience with it was exactly the same as yours, OP. I loved the smaller form factor, but browsing and reading was terrible in landscape, and I frequently missed the touch targets. This doesn't have as much to do with the screen size as it does the fact that a vast majority of Android apps just aren't optimized for a tablet. They're blown up phone apps with touch targets similar to that of a phone.

So at the end of the day, I liked the form factor, but it mostly just made me think "I wish I had a smaller iPad." At this point, the Mini hadn't even been announced. I sold the Nexus 7 and set the money aside, praying for the day the Mini would be released.

Bought one at launch and have never looked back. I don't yearn for a Nexus 7 or another full-sized iPad. The Mini form factor is absolutely perfect, and the extra inch of screen real estate really does make a huge difference over the N7. I say buy the iPad Mini, I think you'll be pleased.

I owned a Nexus 7 for a week before returning it and buying an iPad Mini.

I have an ipad3, an ipad mini, an iPod touch 5 and the worst of the lot is the mini. I plan to sell it. I also plan to sell the ipad 3 and replace it with a nexus 10. Hopefully the new nexus 7 will have a rear camera and hdmi out. I love the nexus 7 and I've had it since introduction and never a problem. I also love the very portable ipod5. I find android superior to iOS. And all of the apps I have on my iPads I also have on my nexus 7.

maxosx said:

I have a Nexus 7 and an iPad mini. I enjoy them nearly equally. That said, the reasons I prefer the N7 is its gorgeous display. Of higher resolution than my mini, it makes quite a difference.

But that's only temporary as I plan to replace it with the upcoming retina mini.

Another aspect I prefer is the slightly narrower body. It's much more comfortable to hold. Not slippery like the flat backed mini, the grippy textured back featured on the N7 is truly a well thought out advantage.

At the end of the day, I enjoy choices & variety. iOS & Android provide everything I enjoy.

Click to expand...

While I agree that the Nexus screen ppi is better than the Mini, in using both I prefer the Mini for the form factor and better screen real estate. Ever since getting my Mini 2 months ago after owning my Nexus for 4 months, I prefer the Mini now.

The Nexus is kind of a shame when the majority of the apps are just scaled up phone apps that blur out and don't take advantage of the screen.

mpayne2k said:

While I agree that the Nexus screen ppi is better than the Mini, in using both I prefer the Mini for the form factor and better screen real estate. Ever since getting my Mini 2 months ago after owning my Nexus for 4 months, I prefer the Mini now.

The Nexus is kind of a shame when the majority of the apps are just scaled up phone apps that blur out and don't take advantage of the screen.

Click to expand...

iOS is an App Centric OS. designed to be used with apps that are self contained. They do not allow multitasking, you must close the app before you can use another, it's a limitation. Android on the other hand is full blown computer with a file system just like a desktop OS.

All apps like Evernote, Dropbox, Catch & others scale perfectly clearly on Android. It's only the sandboxes apps built for iOS & ported to Android that aren't so clear. Those numbers are rapidly declining as Android becomes more dominate.

Many users like myself highly value and prefer the full web experience over the highly compromised mobile web app experience. We also enjoy the speed advantage of going direct to the web, without having to buy & deal with mobile Apps.

maxosx said:

iOS is an App Centric OS. designed to be used with apps that are self contained. They do not allow multitasking, you must close the app before you can use another, it's a limitation. Android on the other hand is full blown computer with a file system just like a desktop OS.

All apps like Evernote, Dropbox, Catch & others scale perfectly clearly on Android. It's only the sandboxes apps built for iOS & ported to Android that aren't so clear. Those numbers are rapidly declining as Android becomes more dominate.

Many users like myself highly value and prefer the full web experience over the highly compromised mobile web app experience. We also enjoy the speed advantage of going direct to the web, without having to buy & deal with mobile Apps.

Click to expand...

But mainly apps I was using on the Nexus had small phone text and allot of scaled misused realestate. Apps such as eBay, Yelp, ScoreCenter, etc. They just work better on iOS and hence my preference for the iPad Mini.

about a month ago i bought a Nexus 7 32 GB. i wanted to give Android a chance as i am an Apple product guy. we have 3 iphones at home, 2 Macbook pros and an IPAD 3. i just had the Nexus for a week and decided to sell it. for some reason it's lacking something, no in fact it lacks a lot of things. the only selling point about the Nexus is its form factor and price. once i sold it i went to apple store and bought myself an Ipad Mini. this is what i really want all along.

If you're new to devices at all, you'll appreciate the Mini more than a Nexus.

If you've used mobile devices a lot, the Nexus will be like home to you.

Essenar said:

If you're new to devices at all, you'll appreciate the Mini more than a Nexus.

If you've used mobile devices a lot, the Nexus will be like home to you.

Click to expand...

i am not what you call a newbie. i started using MAC year 1995 (love it) and our company switched to MS PC's a year later due to our customers using more PCs. have used PC then until 2008 and i hated it. bought myself a Nexus 7 before buying an IPAD Mini. sold the Nexus 7 and got a Mini instead. wouldn't buy another Nexus. now i have 3 MACs at home (MBP 13 and 17 and IMAC). i have used all kinds of mobile devices - TREO (all models), BLACKJACK I and II, BLACKBERRY (all models), MOTOROLA Q and all Smart phones you can think of. hated them all. and now i have been using an Iphone eversince. my friends who are using different smartphones years ago are all using Iphones now. don't know why but they all love IPHONEs and ditched their old smartphones.

vmaniqui said:

i am not what you call a newbie. i started using MAC year 1995 (love it) and our company switched to MS PC's a year later due to our customers using more PCs. have used PC then until 2008 and i hated it. bought myself a Nexus 7 before buying an IPAD Mini. sold the Nexus 7 and got a Mini instead. wouldn't buy another Nexus. now i have 3 MACs at home (MBP 13 and 17 and IMAC). i have used all kinds of mobile devices - TREO (all models), BLACKJACK I and II, BLACKBERRY (all models), MOTOROLA Q and all Smart phones you can think of. hated them all. and now i have been using an Iphone eversince. my friends who are using different smartphones years ago are all using Iphones now. don't know why but they all love IPHONEs and ditched their old smartphones.

Click to expand...

I dont think it has to do with how many devices you have used. Depends on the nature of a person. Some might want to modify things, solve problems, play with firmwares and stuff. And those people love Android because of its flexibily.

For Ios, you can only wait for apple to release new FW and the os is pretty much "ready to use" product. All you have to do is go to setting. Android, you have to play with online store for modifications. I, too, was an android users due to cheaper price but i found out that cheap android devices offer what you get for the price and believe me you can't go far if you have a 512 ram and just a dualcore cpu. You need more. And i do not want to invest at an Iphone price to get an android smartphone that really work.

To sum up, its really depend on people preferences.

gmikesell said:

As far as regards the touch targeting issue you described, I know what you mean. However, I liked that the small targets ballooned to show options of what you are really wanting to tap. The iPad Mini, being so small, it always felt like a 'guess' when I tapped something, hoping that it recognized what I was aiming for. This was particularly troublesome to me when there were links side by side. The only other option was enlarging, which I was doing constantly.

Click to expand...

I don't have that issue at all, I rarely pinch to zoom or enlarge at all (not more than I did on my iPad 2). I rarely feel like guessing when tapping a link.

maxosx said:

iOS is an App Centric OS. designed to be used with apps that are self contained. They do not allow multitasking, you must close the app before you can use another, it's a limitation. Android on the other hand is full blown computer with a file system just like a desktop OS.

All apps like Evernote, Dropbox, Catch & others scale perfectly clearly on Android. It's only the sandboxes apps built for iOS & ported to Android that aren't so clear. Those numbers are rapidly declining as Android becomes more dominate.

Many users like myself highly value and prefer the full web experience over the highly compromised mobile web app experience. We also enjoy the speed advantage of going direct to the web, without having to buy & deal with mobile Apps.

Click to expand...

No multitasking? Close apps before opening new ones? Android scaling is good? Apps are highly compromised? Uh, no.

On topic. I bought the N7 on launch. Worst mistake ever. No useful apps for school that I can't get better versions of on iOS. Laggy. Customizing is a chore. Wouldn't turn on for a while for no reason. Unresponive browser. Feels weird on hand, cheap and the rubber is odd (great grip though).
Bought a Mini on launch as well. I love it. Better than most devices I have used.