nexus 7

The iPad Mini Wi-Fi version is missing one key feature found in many other 7-inch tablets -- GPS.

Looking at the Location specs for the iPad Mini on Apple's Web site, the cellular edition shows built-in GPS. But the Wi-Fi version doesn't include that feature.

At yesterday's iPad launch event, Apple marketing chief Phil Schiller seemed to enjoy comparing the iPad Mini with Google's Nexus 7 tablet. Schiller proclaimed the iPad Mini the winner due in large part to its bigger 7.9-inch screen size.

But the Nexus 7 comes with GPS. I've used the … Read more

Apple has entered the small-tablet market with the iPad Mini. But at $329, some holiday shoppers may still look toward the less expensive Google Nexus 7 and Amazon Kindle Fire.

I know people love Apple. And I'm sure there will be millions of people who will buy the iPad Mini this holiday season. But at a price of $329 for its least expensive model, I think the 8-inch tablet is still priced beyond many consumers' budgets. In this Ask Maggie, I help a reader, who is looking for an inexpensive tablet to give her kids for Christmas.

I also … Read more

Apple is growing concerned over Android tablets' momentum. How do I know? Today, the company's senior vice president of marketing, Phil Schiller, spent a fairly unusual amount of time talking about them.

During the iPad Mini announcement this morning, Schiller got in quite the zinger when he said that "others have tried to make tablets smaller than the iPad, and they've failed." What's more, he claimed that there is a "gigantic difference" between the iPad Mini and Nexus 7 before leveling a number of charges against the Android device. I'll admit that … Read more

After dominating the larger tablet market it popularized, Apple has turned its attention to the slightly smaller screen. The 7.9-inch iPad Mini has Apple's attention to style and detail behind it, but it certainly isn't the only slate of this stature that's worth considering, especially with the Mini's stepped-down processor and screen resolution.

When you line up the specs and the intangibles, which tablet has the upper hand: the iPad Mini, the Asus-made Google Nexus 7 (an original Android 4.1 Jelly Bean device), or the Amazon Kindle Fire HD? … Read more

Update, October 27: Google's October 29 Android event has been canceled because of Hurricane Sandy. We'll update you with a separate post when we know more.

Google is betting even bigger on Nexus.

The search giant is set to debut the latest version of its Android operating system, known as Android 4.2, at an event scheduled for October 29 in New York. Rather than the rumored Key Lime Pie, it will be known as Android 4.2+, or an updated version of Jelly Bean, according to a person familiar with the announcement.

Google will also be showing … Read more

Google is likely to have sold about 800,000 to 1 million Nexus 7 tablets in the third quarter, according to an analyst.

Lost in Google's third-quarter miss -- falling cost per click metrics and Motorola Mobility's losses -- was the company's "other income" line. Google reported "other" revenue of $666 million, up from $385 million in the third quarter a year ago.

That "other" revenue may have had a lot to do with the Nexus 7 tablet.

Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster said in a research note:

Google might soon launch a cheaper Nexus tablet.

The company is currently working with Taiwan-based Quanta Computer to produce a $99 Nexus tablet boasting a single-core processor that will launch by the end of this year, DigiTimes is reporting today, citing sources. According to the tech-news blog's sources, the tablet isn't being developed in partnership with Asus, the company that helped Google build its Nexus 7. The cheaper tablet is, at least right now, separate from the Nexus 7 lineup.

DigiTimes reported on the possibility of a new Nexus tablet last month, saying that Google was prepping a … Read more

The iPad Mini has yet to be officially announced, but it's kind of the worst-kept secret in tech right now. There's a very good chance it'll be revealed later this month (although what its final name will be remains to be seen) and even if you've no plans to purchase it, you'll likely want to know what it has to offer anyway.

The Mini is rumored to sport a 7.85-inch screen at a price of at least $299. But when and if it debuts, it will not enter a vacuous 7-inch tablet market. Its opponents will compete on price, ecosystem, performance, and features. Each offers something unique, and Apple's new tablet will have to be an amazing piece of kit to answer the challenge.

Without further lollygagging, let's get to the list.… Read more