Google just updated their small tablet offering with the unveiling of the new Nexus 7.  It now comes with the latest Android version, 4.2 Jelly Bean, and a few more surprises.  Though Google did not have the proper event that they have prepared for, they didn’t let Hurricane Sandy wash them out.

And with the Apple’s revelation of the iPad mini last week, we can’t help but compare the tablets together with the other 7” tablets available in the market.  I won’t bore you with my babbling so let’s start the battle!

Screen Size and Display

Nexus 7: 7” 1280×800 HD display (216 ppi), Back-lit IPS display, Scratch-resistant Corning Glass

iPad mini: Retina Display with 2048×1536-pixel resolution (256ppi) with Fingerprint-resistant oleophobic coating, LED-backlit, Fingerprint-resistant oleophobic coating

NOOK HD/HD+: 7” 1440 x 900 pixel resolution, 243 PPI (pixels per inch), Supports 720p; 9” 1440 x 900 pixel resolution, 243 PPI (pixels per inch), Supports 1080p Full HD; Fully laminated screen with no air gaps reduces glare and provides extra-wide viewing angles.

Kindle Fire HD series: 7” 1280×800 resolution , 8.9” 1920×1200 (254 ppi) – HD display with polarizing filter and anti-glare technology for rich color and deep contrast from any viewing angle

Weight

Nexus 7: 340g

iPad mini:  WiFi 308g, WiFi+cellular 312g

NOOK HD/HD+: 315 g/515 g

Kindle Fire HD series: 7” 395g, 8.9” 575g

Memory

Nexus 7: 16 and 32GB internal storage, 1GB RAM

iPad mini: 16, 32 and 64GB; 512MB RAM

NOOK HD/HD+: 8 and 16GB / 16 and 32GB; Add up to 32GB5 with microSD™ memory card

Kindle Fire HD series: 7” 16 and 32GB, 8.9” 16 and 32GB, 8.9” 4G 32 and 64GB

Battery Life

Nexus 7: 9 hours video playback, 10 hours web browsing or e-reading, 300 hours on stand-by

iPad mini: 10 hours of surfing the web on Wi-Fi, watching video or listening to music

NOOK HD/HD+: Up to 10.5 hours of reading and Up to 9.5 hours of video / Up to 10 hours of reading and Up to 9 hours of video.

Kindle Fire HD series: 7” 11 hours continuous use, 8.9” Up to 11 hours of continuous use

Processor

Nexus 7: Quad-core Tegra 3 processor

iPad mini: 1 GHz Dual-core Apple A5 processor

NOOK HD/HD+: 1.3 GHz Dual-Core, OMAP 4470; 8GB: 512MB RAM, 16GB: 1GB RAM
/ 1.5 GHz Dual-Core, OMAP 4470

Kindle Fire HD series: 7” Dual-core 1.2GHz OMAP4460, 8.9” Dual-core 1.5GHz OMAP4470

Wireless

Nexus 7: WiFi only: 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth, NFC (Android Beam); WiFi+Cellular: 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth, NFC (Android Beam), GSM/UMTS/HSPA+, GSM/EDGE/GPRS (850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz), 3G (850, 900, 1700, 1900, 2100 MHz), HSPA+ 21

iPad mini: WiFi only: Wi-Fi 802.11a/b/g/n Wi-Fi (802.11n 2.4GHz and 5GHz) and Bluetooth 4.0 technology

NOOK HD/HD+: Wi-Fi® (802.11b/g/n)

Kindle Fire HD series: Dual-band, dual-antenna Wi-Fi (MIMO) for faster streaming and fewer dropped connections than standard Wi-Fi. Supports public and private Wi-Fi networks or hotspots that use the 802.11a, 802.11b, 802.11g, or 802.11n standard with support for WEP, WPA and WPA2 security using password authentication; does not support connecting to ad-hoc (or peer-to-peer) Wi-Fi networks

Camera

Nexus 7: 1.2MP front-facing camera

iPad mini: 5-megapixel iSight camera, 1.2-megapixel VGA FaceTime camera

NOOK HD/HD+: None

Kindle Fire HD series: Front-facing HD camera

Input/Output

Nexus 7: micro USB, Microphone, NFC (Android Beam), 3.5 mm stereo jack

iPad mini: WiFi only: Lighting connector, 3.5-mm stereo headphone minijack, built-in speaker, microphone; WiFi + Cellular: Lightning connector, 3.5-mm stereo headphone minijack, built-in speaker, microphone, Nano-SIM card tray

NOOK HD/HD+: Universal 3.5 mm stereo headphone jack, Charging port, Expandable microSD slot, HDMI port, Dual stereo speakers

Kindle Fire HD series: USB 2.0 (micro-B connector) port for connection to a PC or Macintosh computer or to connect to the Kindle PowerFast charging accessory. Micro-HDMI (micro-D connector) port for high definition video output to televisions or A/V receivers, 3.5 mm stereo jack and integrated stereo speakers with exclusive Dolby audio engine. Stereo Bluetooth (A2DP) support for streaming audio to compatible headphones and speakers. Built-in microphone.

Sensors

Nexus 4: Microphone, NFC (Android Beam), Accelerometer, GPS, Magnetometer, Gyroscope

iPad mini: Three-axis gyro, Accelerometer, Ambient light sensor

NOOK HD/HD+: No Information

Kindle Fire HD: No Information

Operating Software

Nexus 4: Android 4.2 Jelly Bean

iPad mini: iOS 6

NOOK HD/HD+:  Custom-designed Android Ice Cream Sandwich

Kindle Fire HD: Customized Android 4.0.4 Ice Cream Sandwich

So who wins this battle?

Apple was still able to bring the lightest tablet in this category, plus the iPad mini has two cameras, one in the front and one in the back, for chatting as well as taking photos and videos.  But the Nexus 7 has a lot of Google-compatible features, such as Google Now. Plus it has a powerful quad-core chip and it has Gesture Typing, which simplifies text input.

The Nexus 7 is now available in 16GB priced at $199 and 32GB available for $249, both WiFi versions only, and a 32GB with HSPA+ mobile available for $299, a lot cheaper than the iPad mini that costs $329 for the basic WiFi only model.

Available in U.S., U.K., Australia, France, Germany, Spain, Canada and Japan, and also via their retail partners Gamestop, Office Depot, Office Max, Staples, Walmart.  The 32GB  mobile version will be coming unlocked in Google Play on November 13 in U.S., U.K., Australia, France, Germany, Spain and  Canada.