iPad mini competitors. The first Android clone of iPad Air
iPad mini competitors
Since the release of Apple's tablet, competitors have tried in every possible way to prove their superiority by releasing devices that are thinner, more powerful, and in different sizes. Thanks to this, the tablet market today is so diverse. But the diagonal iPad screen mini at 7.9 inches turned out to be a successful combination size and convenience. Needless to say, competitors immediately began to follow this model. True, some managed to appear on the market even before the “mini-Apple” device.
Why was there a need to look for a replacement for such a convenient and really cool device? The fact is that Apple, with its limitations, simply cannot please all users. Some people are quite satisfied with applications from App Store, while others want to connect flash drives, memory cards, delve into the depths of the system, improving it to suit their taste. So an alternative is in demand - something similar in size, but with different capabilities.
Looking for the worthy iPad competitors mini, we will not take into account the large group of seven-inch tablets. After all, ease of use in this case slightly defined large size screen. And the seven-inch devices themselves have already become very close to representatives of a new class of devices, tablet phones. They have already easily surpassed the six-inch mark. So, what's interesting on the market that can replace the iPad mini? Considering that iOS can only be installed on Apple devices, alternative options Most of them run Android.
Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.7 . This amazing device, which has been on the market for more than two years. With him Samsung company, it seems, she betrayed herself by deciding to experiment. There is no abundance of plastic here, which is typical for most tablets from this manufacturer. Metal body makes the design really stylish.
The hardware platform is still relevant today - a dual-core processor, a gigabyte of RAM and a beautiful screen with a decent resolution of 1280x800. By the way, this is the world's first tablet display made using Super AMOLED Plus. The screen aspect ratio is not the narrow 16:9, but the increasingly traditional 16:10. And you can watch movies without much loss of space, and reading is much more enjoyable. Adding to the charm of the device is its light weight - 335 grams and thin body - 7.9 mm. The battery lasts for 8-9 hours of video viewing. We also note the presence of GPS and 3G.
Yes, this is a potential hit! But Samsung still left the device in the premium segment, even today selling it at high price. 22 thousand rubles for a two-year-old device is a lot. Besides software support has long been abandoned. The device is very, very interesting, taking into account the quality of execution. All that remains is to find it at a good price, which, alas, is possible only on the secondary market.
Total: there is only one drawback - the high cost, everything else can be listed as advantages.
Samsung Galaxy Note 8.0 . This device was truly a worthy answer from Samsung to its enemies from Apple. The case is made of classic plastic for the Galaxy line, but there is a hardware Home button. The eight-inch screen has a resolution of 1280x800 pixels and an aspect ratio of 16:10. It was completed according to PLS technology, inferior in color gamut to the company’s other development, Super AMOLED.
The main feature of the device is a pen with support for Wacom technology. Here the tablet has no direct competition, being a worthy representative of the Note family. As a device for reading, surfing and watching videos, it is good, powerful option, but is it worth overpaying for a stylus that not everyone needs? Prices start at 12 thousand rubles, which is almost half the cost of the previous candidate.
Samsung Galaxy Note 8.0 and iPad mini
Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 8.0. But this device is the latest in the Galaxy Tab line. It can be considered an improved version of Note 8.0. Samsung offered an option with such a popular screen size (a compromise between seven and ten inches), but did a little work over mistakes.
Noteworthy are the reduced frames on the sides of the screen (compared to the iPad mini!). Home button remained the same as touch buttons next to her. Compared to Note 8.0, the width has decreased by 12 mm, and the weight seems to be a record 314 grams for this size. And although the power has decreased compared to the previous competitor (two cores versus four and one and a half gigabytes of RAM versus two), this is quite enough for almost all tasks.
The tablet turned out to be really successful - thin and fits well in the hand. Its only drawback is the same annoying design of the Galaxy line with plastic as the main material. Everything is fine, but the tablet doesn’t look stylish or expensive. But the price is really good. So powerful and modern devices can be found in stores for ten thousand rubles.
Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 8.0 and iPad mini
The new iPad/iPad 4/iPad Air. And although the review is focused on devices relatively similar in size to the iPad mini, I would like to mention this option. The fact is that all this variety of Android and Windows tablets lacks something that only Apple products have - a branded store Apps Store. This attracts many, because there are analogues of some useful and truly cool programs for other platforms simply not. And if you choose an iPad, then why not look at its older brothers? Moreover, two latest models have gorgeous display with a resolution of 2048x1536 pixels. The iPad mini is attractive due to its compactness, but it is large and even more high quality screen(compared to the first generation mini) is a significant trump card. Those who are preparing to purchase a tablet from Apple will have to experience the agony of choice - a pleasant one, really.
Senior and Junior iPad
Acer W3. Tablets with full Windows are a curiosity. Only in last couple years, relatively compact (at least in terms of weight) models began to appear. After a series of devices with a diagonal of ten inches or more, I wanted to see slightly more compact ones.
It was not Samsung that decided to experiment, but Acer. Her Acer W3 device has a diagonal of 8.1 inches and a resolution of 1280x800 pixels. The tablet runs a full (not RT!) version of Windows. The hardware inside is, although not high-performance, as by the standards of premium options with Core i5/i7, but decent. Dual-core Atom and two gigabytes of RAM allow the owner to feel more or less comfortable when deciding simple tasks. But if you try to load the system with heavy video or 3D games, the result will be sad. And the quality of the screen, made using TFT technology, leaves much to be desired - color rendition will change greatly when changing the viewing angle.
It's nice to be present physical keyboard as an accessory, allowing you to create a very compact and stylish netbook. And the main advantage of this option is full Windows version, allowing you to solve the usual range of tasks on your tablet. Plus, the manufacturer dropped the price for this model due to the lack of hype.
iPad mini and Acer W3
LG G Pad 8.3. This tablet was presented recently at the IFA-2013 exhibition. The model undoubtedly turned out to be a potential hit. The 8.3-inch screen is made according to IPS technology and has a Full-HD resolution of 1920x1080. Let's also note thin frames On the sides. Quad core Qualcomm processor Snapdragon 600 is almost the most powerful on the market, and its weight of 338 grams makes the device is lightweight and convenient. LG has released an excellent competitor for both the iPad mini and Google Nexus already second generations. Just how massive will sales be at the announced price of $400?
iPad mini and LG G Pad 8.3
Archos 80 g9. We already had a review of this device on our website. Today, the model attracts only its price (from 5 thousand rubles), and successful solutions in the form of a leg and a full-fledged USB slot. Cheap plastic case and a screen made of the same material did not allow the model to become a hit. And on their own physical dimensions The model is almost identical to the older version of the iPad. Against this background, even modern Chinese tablets They look nicer and work faster.
The hit iPad mini showed that tablets can and should be not only seven- and ten-inch. Appeared new segment- tablets with a diagonal of eight inches. The intermediate option turned out to be extremely successful and in demand. The market immediately responded - both independent developments of similar sizes appeared, as well as clones on Android, and even representatives Windows family. We can say with confidence that the iPad mini will only have more competitors. And Apple itself released the second generation of its hit tablet. Users received a much more powerful processor and quadrupled screen resolution. The race continues!
Did you think Samsung was copying the iPad? Nothing like this! The well-known Chinese company Xiaomi. And it turned out very similar to her. Recently introduced MiPad- on this moment the closest clone, both in design and characteristics iPad Mini. Let's take a closer look at the most interesting analogue iPad Mini with Retina Display!
Design and operating system
Xiaomi Mi Pad is very similar to the iPad Mini in appearance. The tablet runs on Android 4.4, but converted to visual iOS style 7. The MIUI system has many preinstalled useful applications, including WPS Office — office application for working with documents and compatible with Microsoft Office. Promised constant update operating system.
Like the iPhone 5C, the Mi Pad comes in several colors: black, white, pink, blue, green and yellow.
The photo below shows the charger and speakers.
This is how fun you can arrange your tablets if you buy a dozen Mi Pads.
Characteristics of Xiaomi Mi Pad
Qualitative IPS screen 7.9 inches with a resolution of 2048 by 1536. The screen is protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 3. This is the first “Non-iPad tablet” that has such a high resolution.
In MiPad quad-core processor Tegra K1 is cutting edge mobile processor from NVIDIA with clock frequency 2.2 GHz. If you believe the tests, then NVIDIA performance Tegra K1 is 1.5-2 times larger than Apple A7. The processor has not yet been implemented anywhere, so we take its word for it.
RAM Mi Pad - 2 gigabytes.
The tablet will be supplied in only two versions: 16 gigabytes and 64 gigabytes. There is a card slot Micro memory SD (supports cards up to 128 gigabytes).
Xiaomi Mi Pad has an 8 megapixel rear camera that allows you to shoot high quality pictures, and Full HD video. On the front there is a 5 megapixel camera.
There are modules: Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 4.0, gyroscope, light sensor, proximity sensor and compass. The absence of 3G and GPS modules is striking.
Tablet dimensions 135.4 x 202.1 x 8.5 mm, weight 360 grams.
In Xiaomi Mi Pad lithium ion battery capacity 6700 mAh (in iPad Mini 2 - 6471 mAh). As you can see, the battery is a little better than in the iPad Mini 2, but this does not mean anything: no one knows how a battery with more powerful processor Tegra K1. So far the promised time is as follows: 1300 hours in sleep mode, 86 hours listening to music in the background, 11 hours watching videos.
Video about Mi Pad:
The Mi Pad will go on sale in June 2014. Price:
- Mi Pad 16 GB - 1499 yuan ($240 or 8300 rubles)
- Mi Pad 64 gigabytes - 1699 yuan ($272 or 9400 rubles)
Information taken from the official Xiaomi website: en.miui.com
Opinion of Sputnik1818:
This is the first time I've seen something like this interesting solution on Android based. There are almost no questions regarding technical characteristics. Why there is no cellular module and GPS is my only question. Only the operating system would stop me from buying it. Still, you quickly get used to high-quality releases in the App Store and there is no desire to switch to the tablets of Apple’s competitors with their weak application stores.
Price is the main feature of the Mi Pad. Even the first iPad Mini, which is now on sale, costs more in stores.
As a result, if I were now asked to choose an Android tablet, I would boldly point in the direction of the Mi Pad.
What do you think of this miracle from the Middle Kingdom?
The confrontation between Android and iOS exists not only in the smartphone market, but also in the tablet market. The only representative from Apple is the iPad, and it deals with several at once various models, available on Android. We've found several reasons why buying an Android tablet makes more sense. We hope they will help you decide.
A large assortment
It's no secret that there are simply an unrealistic number of Android tablet manufacturers, which gives users huge selection, while models from Apple can be counted on one hand. When purchasing an Android tablet, there are many more options to choose from, such as case materials, design, various characteristics, a set of pre-installed software, etc. In addition, we have a considerable variation in terms of dimensions. On the market you can find models from 7 to 12 inches.
Thus, a large assortment is one of the reasons why you should take a closer look at an Android tablet, since everyone can find a model to their liking. With an iPad, you won't be able to appreciate the variety of tablets that are certainly available in Google OS products.
Wide price range
As for the cost, there are models on Android for almost any wallet, starting from 2000-3000 rubles. and ending with 30,000 rubles. and higher. Thus, anyone can afford a tablet, which cannot be said about the adherents of the Apple company. Although the prices for the iPad correspond to the quality, not everyone can afford it. Considering that the saving factor is always important, you are guaranteed to be able to find suitable model on Android.
It is also worth noting that when choosing an Android tablet, you only pay for those functions that you will actually use. That is, if you are not going to perform complex tasks that require large resources, or play demanding games, but just use the device to navigate the Internet, then there is no need to overpay for the latest hardware. You can choose a tablet from the average price category, which will fully meet your expectations and meet your requirements. iPad users mandatory they pay for everything at once, even for functionality that they may never use.
Freedom in terms of software
Speaking of the large assortment and price range, one cannot ignore this important aspect the Android operating system as a whole, as freedom in terms of software. You can easily expand your usage experience, for example, change appearance desktop using launcher () , add useful widgets, change icons, animations, menus and much more that is not available iOS users. Thus, we are once again faced with restrictions from the Cupertino company.
Among other things, many manufacturing companies create their own software that expands the capabilities of the tablet and brings new features to it. In other words, there are not only some differences in cosmetic terms, but also more significant changes. Typically, many companies add their own energy saving modes, multitasking, for example, or various gestures.
Overall, for users who like to personalize and customize everything, an Android tablet is a great option. Add to this full control over the system as root rights (yes, iOS has a jailbreak, but even that has its limitations) and even access performance-related options. You can increase the processor power in resource-intensive applications or, conversely, limit its operation in case of saving battery power. Undoubtedly, this kind of chips are not available on iPad.
Android is a tablet for everyone
The final argument may be the audience. For example, for the youngest users it will be preferable to purchase some inexpensive tablet on Android. IN Play Store There are specially designed apps for children (coloring books, puzzles, drawing programs, games and much more), which can perform for both educational and entertainment purposes.
In addition, a filter was announced for searching the store depending on the user's age, as well as a special section for children, so that adults do not worry about what content is available to their child and allow him to search and install applications himself.
Conclusion
What can we say in the end? If you're happy with a closed operating system where you can only do what the company allows; if it's not a problem for you that the majority good apps will be paid; If you don’t see the benefits of freedom of choice between models and prices, then it’s better to stick with the iPad.
If you want a tablet that will not limit you in anything and will give you complete freedom of action; which will match yours financial capabilities; which children can easily use without your concerns about safety, then you should choose the Android option.
And while it may seem like it can't get better for Apple fans, some tablets are quite seriously superior to the iPad in certain aspects. Although on the other hand, it all comes down to personal tastes and preferences, however, we decided to select 5 excellent, in our opinion, alternatives to the Apple device.
More for less money:GoogleNexus 10
The appearance of the Google Nexus 10 tablet can compete with Apple tablet and become a good alternative to the iPad 4 with Retina display. If the diagonals of the tablets are the same 10 inches, the resolution of the Nexus 2560 is 1600 pixels with 300 pixels per inch superior Retina display with a resolution of 2048 by 1536 pixels and a density of 264 pixels per inch. Manages Google's work The Nexus 10 has a dual-core processor and a quad-core graphics chipset, which matches the hardware of the iPad. However, the Nexus 10 has 2 GB random access memory, whereas the iPad only has 1 GB.
Great stylus:Samsung Galaxy Note
Samsung Galaxy Note will be good iPad alternative if you want two features for your tablet - memory expansion and a multifunctional stylus. Thanks to the microSD slot, the Note 10 can use up to 64 GB of memory, giving the user enough space to store a variety of files and photos. As we know, the memory in the iPad cannot be expanded. But what really sets Samsung's device apart from other tablets is the S-Pen stylus. It offers pressure-sensitive text input and convenient use thanks to the icons on the device itself. At $500, you might find a high-resolution screen or impressive performance specs in a tablet, but you won't find a stylus this handy anywhere else.
Miniature office: Microsoft Surface Pro
Microsoft Surface Pro can be considered more computer than a tablet, thanks to its processor Intel Core i5, 2 GB RAM and USB port. But its touch screen and great portability make it a strong contender in the tablet market. With Surface Pro you can install Microsoft Office and any other programs you are familiar with. personal computer. This can be very useful when you need reliable software, not just the functionality typically achieved through apps. But the Microsoft Surface Pro costs $799 for the 64 GB version, which is more than $100 more than iPad version 64 GB, and weighs almost 300 grams more.
Specifications: Asus Transformer Pad Infinity
Thanks to the quad-core Nvidia processor Tegra 3 1.6 GHz, microSD and Micro HDMI ports, a display with Full HRBHD resolution of 1920 by 1200 pixels and reliable Gorilla Glass, it is clear that Asus Transformer Pad Infinity is betting on its specifications. In addition, you can add a keyboard, trackpad, SD card reader and USB port to the tablet and you practically have full-fledged computer in your palm. For $500 you won't find a second tablet with such specifications.
Economy: Kindle Fire HD
Most premium tablets cost $500 or more, but if you don't have many requirements for such a device, then you need to take a closer look at the Kindle Fire HD. This tablet is specified for playing media files, which is helped by a screen with a resolution of 1920 by 1200 pixels with a pixel density of 254 ppi. It's also powered by a dual-core processor, so if you want to watch videos and surf the Internet from your tablet, the $269 price tag seems more reasonable than what other high-priced tablets offer.
When we're talking about about tablets, many people think of an iPad like iPad Air 2: small standalone device with touch screen and strict mobile interface Ideal for personal entertainment, reading media mass media and solving everyday problems. However, this is not the only option when it comes to choosing a tablet. Here are some options that you might prefer over this product.
Outwardly, they can even be confused. Both devices offer 9.7-inch displays. The Galaxy Tab S2 will also appeal to those who prefer Android over the iOS ecosystem.
Also, both tablets have similar dimensions and an aluminum body structure. Only Samsung has made its device 8 percent thinner and slightly lighter due to a plastic insert on the back. But more importantly, the South Korean manufacturer offers a better-looking screen thanks to its AMOLED panel. The opponent's LCD panel does not produce such bright, rich colors.
The difference is in price. The fully loaded Tab S2 costs $499, while its competitor costs $529. We are talking about Wi-Fi + cellular module options. More importantly, Samsung is expected to launch new version of this tablet later this month. So the price of its predecessor will fall.
Pixel C is a tablet from Google. It should not be confused with the Pixel line of smartphones. This is a tablet high class with a daunting price tag of $599. For this price, you get an all-metal body, a 10.2-inch 308 pixels per inch display, and a clean operating system Android with the latest updates.
The only thing that scares him away from the tablet is high price. But this does not prevent him from having many universal benefits. For connoisseurs and fans Android Google I'll like it.
And if you don’t want to leave the iOS ecosystem, then Apple can offer a mini-iPad. It is slower and smaller than its older brother, but also cheaper. So, if you need a device with smaller dimensions, this option may appeal to you. The A8X processor was replaced with the A8, lowering the price tag to $269 for the Wi-Fi-only version or to $399 for Wi-Fi version+ mobile module.
9.7 inch iPad Pro- this is, in essence, iPad update 2 Air. Only the price will scare you even more than what Android options offer. After all, for $599 you will only get the Wi-Fi version, and $729 will already be asked for Wi-Fi + mobile module.
The iPad Pro has the same form factor as the iPad 2 Air, but the insides are more interesting. The gadget got them from its older brother – the 12.9-inch iPad Pro. This means that the iPad Pro is trying to reach the level of a laptop. Of course, if you find a "laptop" with 32 GB of memory (twice as much as the iPad Air 2). The tablet also supports a stylus Apple Pencil And Smart keyboard Keyboard (sold separately for $99 and $150, respectively. These devices can help turn a tablet into a hybrid with the makings of a laptop. This is the only device on the list that can offer a 2-in-1 form factor.
