Comparing the iPad mini, Kindle Fire HD and Nexus 7 displays
Now that the iPad mini has hit the market, choices for consumers have become a bit more complex. After all, the iPad mini (US$329), the Kindle Fire HD ($199) and Google Nexus 7 ($199) are all small tablets that are targeting the same market, each with its own app ecosystem (Apple App Store for the iPad mini, Kindle Appstore for Kindle Fire HD, Google Play for the Nexus) and fan base. One real difference to consumers is where the eye meets the app -- the display. DisplayMate Technologies Corp. did a "Display Technology Shootout" for Gizmodo comparing the displays on the three tiny tablets, and the results were ... interesting.
The full results of the shootout are here for your viewing pleasure, but TUAW will provide you with a couple of highlights. First, the iPad mini placed third in the comparison behind its competitors, but still managed a "B" in terms of "overall display grade." Next, the iPad mini received a "poor" score for reflectance (the amount of light reflected from a pencil beam of light). Finally, the iPad mini has the shortest battery life of the three devices tested, although at 6.1 hours it's still rated as good.
An informal tally of personal results from a weekend of iPad mini usage compiled from tweets seems to show that most owners are quite happy with the display. A number of those tweeting said that the light weight more than compensates for the non-Retina display. What's your take on the iPad mini display?
