High up on the desire list for many discerning gents this Christmas is a new tablet. The recent trend is for the slimmed down ‘mini tablet’ versions is only going to gather pace as we head into the festive season. Offering seven inch screens equal to the power and entertainment potential of their older, larger cousins but with a svelte profile that’s ideal for the commute and blazer pocket friendly too. Elysium runs you through the new shiny gadgets trying to catch your attention in the run up to Christmas.
iPad Mini
The iPad is the benchmark of all tablets. The Apple design ethic calls to us like a moth to flame, it’s impossible to resist for some. Looks only get you so far in this world and one look under the bonnet of this beauty reveals the Mini isn’t up to iPhone 5 spec. The lack of an equal A6 processor, no retina display and a screen with a poor 163 pixels per inch (same as the now ancient iPhone and lowest in the group) all go against Apple in the battle of the mini tabs. It’s still a beautiful tab though.
Size: 20 x13.5 x 0.72cm
Weight: 0.308kg (Wi-Fi model) & 0.312kg (Wi-Fi + cellular)
Price: From £269
Kindle Fire HD
The retail giant, Amazon, has certainly caused waves with its introduction to the tablet market. Based on a cost-per-feature basis, this is a bargain. The screen is the big talking point, packing in 216 pixels per inch along with Dolby sound, making this ideal for entertainment. You also have access to Amazon stores and services including LOVEFiLM and unlimited Cloud storage for Amazon-purchased content. However in the hand it feels much cheaper in build quality than rivals. If substance over style your thing, this is the mini tab for you.
Size: 19.3 x 13.7 x 1.03cm
Weight: 0.395kg
Price: £159
Google Asus Nexus 7
The search behemoth’s tab is made by Asus, and what a wise move that was. This tab has become an instant hit worldwide because it ticks all boxes in the mini tab stakes. Featuring a quad-core Tegra 3 processor with 1GB of RAM, this Android tab is the first with the Jellybean 4.1 operating system and flies along. With a screen featuring the same 216 pixels per inch as the Kindle Fire HD, but delivering more power with a much higher build quality this tablet has it all. In the hand it feels great too – something the discerning gent would need no excuse to pull out at any opportunity.
Size: 19.9 x 12 x 1.06cm
Weight: 0.340kg
Price: From £159
Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 7.0
Released back in the summer of 2012, Samsung’s mini tab spec offering already looks dated. Featuring only a dual-core processor compared to the Nexus 7’s quad supercharged beast it misses the pace of the new generation. The screen is only 170 pixels per inch and lacks the AMOLED screen of its newer Samsung brothers. Where it wins is with the MicroSD slot, so there is potential to add up to 64GB of storage. Rumours of a new updated version featuring a quad-core processor keep doing the rounds, so if you’re seduced by the premium looks of this Samsung model, we’d suggest you wait for next release in the new year.
Size: 19.4 x 12.2 x 1.05cm
Weight: 0.345kg
Price: £200
Nook HD
You may be wondering who and what the last tab on our list is but fear not. We’re talking about America’s largest book retailer joining the mini tab party. The Nook HD has the highest screen resolution of our usual suspects with a whopping 243 pixels per inch – a joy to witness and a pleasure to view films and games on. Makers Barnes & Noble have gone down the Android route and with 1GB of RAM means it packs a decent punch. The downside is the lack of camera and only a dual core processor. Overall the verdict is still pretty good and worthy of contention in Elysium’s tablet list but the competition is fierce.
Size: 19.4 x 12.7 1.1cm
Weight: 0.315kg
Price: From £159
Which would you like for Christmas? Let Elysium know via a twitter: @Elysiummag