In the past week consumers have been inundated with more information on tablet computing than any sane person would ever want or hope for, and parsing through it all to determine which products are the best fit can be a serious drag (not to mention the ultimate first-world problem). Spec breakdowns are nice, and there are plenty of those floating around the internet already, but when have specs ever told the whole story? They don’t for game consoles, nor do they with phones and tablets, and Google’s latest devices do more than just spec-match when it comes to competing with Apple. They’re a declaration of war.
The main reason for this is price. Nexus devices have traditionally been cheaper than Apple’s offerings (especially when it comes to off-contract phones), and though the $200 Nexus 7 is an absolute steal to the savvy user who can identify its value, the gap in cost sends an unfortunate message to the general public. The subconscious belief is that Google devices are cheap or budget while Apple devices are premium, and that’s exactly the line of thought Google is hoping to shatter.
The 16GB, Wi-Fi Nexus 9 starts at $399, the same price as Apple’s slightly smaller 16GB iPad Mini 3, and $100 less than the base 16GB iPad Air 2, which is larger in terms of screen real estate. The Nexus sounds like a great happy medium at a competitive price, but is ponying up for a Nexus 9 with great build quality really a better deal than Apple’s latest additions to its meticulously-designed iPad heritage? Read on to find out.
Nexus vs. iPad
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Nexus 9
Google’s latest tablet offering is finally, at long last, something I’d describe as “beautiful.” Though not entirely composed of metal or brushed aluminum, it does flaunt brushed metal sides and “clean lines.” The advantage of the materials used is that it opens the door for varied color options, with white, black, and what I’m calling a “goldish-tan” available at launch. I’m sure Google has a sexier name for it.
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The specs
Nexus 9’s 8.9” screen (hey, it’s almost nine inches) aims to be the one-size-fits-all middle ground between the iPad Air and iPad Mini, and for many users it may just pull it off. Its 8.9” IPS LCD display sports a competitive 2048x1536 resolution (identical to that of both the Air 2 and the Mini 3) while its 7.95mm thickness renders it a bit thicker than each of Apple’s offerings. Nexus 9 makes up for its still-quite-thin heft in battery capacity, with a 6700 mAH battery pack that promises 9.5 hours of web browsing over Wi-Fi. When you consider that few smartphones achieve more than four hours of screen-on time, this is an impressive number.
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The specs (cont.)
Perhaps the Nexus 9’s largest advantage over the competition is its “192-core” Keplar GPU from Nvidia, a cutting-edge chip that pairs with the company’s latest 64-bit mobile CPU, the Tegra K1. Though it’s possible the A8X chip inside the iPad Air 2 will compete, it’s far from a sure thing. Last year’s A7 still found in the iPad Mini 3 is, unfortunately, destined to get smoked.
Camera specs are important, and Nexus 9 sports an 8MP sensor with f/2.4 aperture. This directly matches what Apple is bringing to the table, but mobile camera performance is and always will be about software. Apple’s camera software has continually proven to be the best in the business, and only hands-on tests will reveal if that continues to be true. Nexus 9’s front-facing sensor does win out in numbers, though, with a 1.6MP, f/2.4 aperture sensor for crystal-clear selfies. Then again, that could be a bad thing.
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The real-world implications
So what do all these numbers mean? Well, not a whole lot, to be honest. Nexus 9’s heft is substantial, and though its display is larger than the iPad Mini 3 and smaller than the iPad Air 2, it’s heavier than the former and thicker than both. Android 5.0 Lollipop is a huge sell, and its layered multi-tasking functionality and appealing, stylized Material Design look to offer the latest in what mobile computing has to offer.
That said, Android still flops next to iOS for things like video editing and (arguably) photo editing, and when devices are this powerful, software preference plays a huge role. Oh, and I’ve just looked up the official color name for the tan Nexus 9 -- “Sand.” Not quite as sexy as I thought.
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iPad Air 2
iPad Air’s aim was always to merge unfathomable thinness with impressive power like the Macbook Air before it, and with iPad Air 2 Apple is inching ever-closer toward that goal. Its 9.7” IPS display is extremely roomy, and clocks in at 2048x1536, identical to its two competitors. Of course, its size does result in a toll against pixel density, with a 264 ppi tally that falls below the Nexus 9’s 287.
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The specs
Still, the iPad Air 2 lives up to its name, and its 6.1mm thickness makes it the slightest tablet available, at least in terms of Z-axis millimeter measurements. Battery info is sparse, with Apple referring to iPad Air 2’s pack as 27.3-watt-hour, and citing its ability to last 10 hours when surfing the web on Wi-Fi. This trumps the Nexus 9’s 9.5, and with a larger screen and thinner build, it’s hard to argue with the impressiveness of that number. We’ll have to see who wins out in tests.
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The specs (cont.)
Battery stamina is largely in part due to the new A8X 64-bit CPU and its M8 motion coprocessor companion, both of which Apple claims have superior efficiency to their predecessors. While it’s unlikely the chip will outdo Nvidia’s Tegra K1/Keplar combo in the Nexus 9, Apple is known for optimizing its software -- odds are good that iOS 8 won’t run better anywhere else.
Cameras are arguably Apple’s biggest strength, and the 8MP, f/2.4 aperture iSight in the iPad Air 2 is identical on paper to what Nexus 9 delivers. As mentioned, a large part of mobile camera performance is software-dependant. Apple’s track record is superb, but only tests will reveal the truth.
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The real-world implications
The reality of the situation is that certain things have changed, while some likely never will. Nexus is a serious competitor now, and when it comes to specs and the flexibility advantages Android brings to the table (especially with 5.0 Lollipop), the Nexus 9 is worth a look for iPad buyers who never considered the brand (or even knew what it was) previously. Even build quality has been elevated to an Apple-like level.
Despite this, I’d be willing to bet an arm and a leg that iPad Air 2’s camera tramples the Nexus 9’s in actual performance and results, and the power of iOS’s app ecosystem, though less far-and-away superior than in the past, is tough to compete with. Given that phones often have better cameras than tablets anyway, an iPhone in your pocket might mean it’s time for a Nexus tablet in your hand, or vice-versa.
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The iPad Mini 3
Where does the iPad Mini fit into the equation? To be honest, I’m having a hard time figuring that out myself. Its base 16GB price is identical to that of the larger, faster, and more powerful Nexus 9 at $399, yet its space savings is less than a single millimeter in thickness and a single inch in screen real-estate. Physical dimensions do render it smaller, but in terms of value for your dollar, iPad Mini 3 lacks what the other two tablets flaunt. Still, it may be a viable option for some buyers.
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The specs
iPad Mini 3’s display is nearly identical to that of the competition, though if pixel density is your game then you might consider it the best. Clocking in at 7.9” and 2048x1536, the 326 ppi panel will look the sharpest of the bunch due to its smaller physical size and jacked-up pixel density. Good for you, iPad Mini 3.
Unfortunately, obvious advantages end there; iPad Mini 3’s thickness measures out to 7.5mm, just .4 less than that of the Nexus 9. Meanwhile, its A7 CPU, though 64-bit, is a year old and showing its age, and the same can be said of the M7 motion coprocessor. It’s not that you’re going to experience lag or poor performance, but rather that the Nexus 9 costs the same and delivers the best chips on the market. Physical size is arguably the Mini’s main and only unique feature.
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The Specs (cont.)
Well, there is one advantage to an iPad Mini 3 at $399. Touch ID. You know, that silver ring you smudge your finger against on the iPhone 5S, 6, an 6 Plus. Touch ID can be used to unlock your device via fingerprint scanning, as well as authorize online payments with Apple Pay. If this feature is important to you, then it could certainly alter your decision. Touch ID is also present on the iPad Air 2, though, so it’d really only change your mind if you’re considering Nexus 9.
When it comes to camera, we already know what we’re getting with the Mini 3, because it’s nearly identical to last year’s Mini; a 5MP iSight with f/2.4 aperture and a slew of other standard features. Apple’s software will certainly help it improve from last year, and identical specs don’t necessarily mean the sensor itself is identical. Still, odds are good that Mini 3’s optics have already been outclassed by the latest smartphones five times over. Either way, its camera is certainly not a device-seller.
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The real-world implications
As I stressed earlier, iPad Mini 3 is a tough sell unless you absolutely must have its size savings, which are exclusive to length and width since its thickness is quite similar to that of Nexus 9. Meanwhile, its price matches that of Nexus 9 as well, despite the latter offering more raw power than both iPads thanks to its cutting-edge Tegra CPU and Keplar GPU combo. In other words, iPad Air 2 and Nexus 9 are the true heavy-hitters, and unless size savings is of the utmost importance, those are the models you’re going to want to seriously consider.
