Google Nexus 9 and the Apple iPad Mini 3

Putting the 8-inch iPad Mini 3 against Google’s 9-inch Nexus 9, we try to help you determine which one is the best for your computer needs.

Overview

Both offer an excellent overall user experience packaged up in a fairly mobile device
Nexus 9 is just a little too large to be called “pocket sized”

Design

Similarities

4:3 aspect ratio devices
Beyond HD displays
Single power/data port at the bottom edge
Volume rockers are on the right edge
Rear facing cameras on the top left corner. Front facing cameras Centered above the display

Differences

Nexus 9’s power button is on the right hand edge, IPad Mini 3’s is on top
Nexus 9’s volume rockers have a slight bevelling to keep buttons from protruding, minimizing accidental presses
Nexus 9 has dual speakers, one at the top and one at the bottom. iPad Mini 3 has speakers on the bottom edge
Nexus 9 uses a micro USB port as its charging/data port. iPad Minin 3 uses Apple’s new Lightning port.
Nexus 9’s back casing is plastic, while the iPad Mini 3 is of solid metal

Nexus is 8.99-inches tall, 6.05 inches across and 7.85 mm thick
iPad Mini 3 is 7.87-inches tall, 5.3-inches across and 7.2mm thick

Display

Nexus 9

9 inch display of Gorilla Glass 3 with a resolution of 2048×1536
Viewing angles and brightness are adequate for everyday needs
Auto brightness settings are accurate, but can be adjusted.

iPad Minis 3

9-inch IPS display, 4:3 aspect ratio with a a resolution of 2048×1536
Auto brightness settings can be dark, but can be adjusted

Performance

Nexus 9

64-bit Android Tablet
Does well with memory management from ART
Some issues with Lollipop
Performs well with an AnTuTu benchmark score of about 58000

iPad Mini 3

iOS 8.3
64-bit Soc and A7 chipset
Applications load quick but there is some slow down with the larger applications and processes

Hardware

Nexux 9 64-bit Nvidia Tegra K1 processor with 2GB of RAM and a 192-core Kepler GPU
iPad has a fingerprint sensor
Nexus 9 has speakers powered by HTC’s BoomSound
Nexus 9 has a double tap to screen to wake function
iPad Mini 3 has a dedicated instant mute switch
Nexus 9 sensors include: accellerometer, gyro, proximity sensor, compass and ambient light sensor
iPad Mini 3 sensors include: gyro, accelerometer, and ambient light sensor.
Nexus 9 is NFC capable

Battery

Nexus 9

6700mAh battery
5 hours of basic web surfing, music or video playback

iPad Mini 3

6350mAh battery
iPad Mini 4 has 10 hours of web surfing, music or video playback

Camera

Similarities

f/2.4 with auto-focus.
Video recordings at full HD
Panoramic capture
Front has 1.2mp camera sensors

Differences

Nexus 9 has a 8MP sensor
iPad Mini 4 has a 5 MP sensor
Nexus 9 has an LED flash
Nexus 9 has Google’s Photo sphere

Software

Software performance for both is solid and fast.

Pricing

Nexus 9: 16GB/32GB/32 GB LTE – $399/479/599
iPad Mini 3: 16GB/32GB/128GB – $399/499/599

Our recommendation for making your final choice between these two would be to go for the one that is most compatible with your other computing devices and accessories.

Which device do you think you prefer?

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