Travel Tips

Travel Tip: Mini Tablets

What are the main things you look for in an entertainment device? Probably battery life, portability, and, of course, price.

With Apple’s new iPad Mini joining the Kindle Fire and the Nexus 7 on the handheld tablet market, your choice just got a little more complicated.

As far as battery life goes, the iPad Mini has the longest advertised lifetime. At 10 hours, it outlasts the Nexus 7 by a full 2 hours and the Kindle Fire by 1 hour. But when you use the Mini’s cellular connection, the battery life drops by an hour.

And while the three tablets are all roughly the same size, the Mini is definitely the lightest option. It’s 1 ounce lighter than the Nexus and 4 ounces lighter than the Fire. And with the option to browse the Internet with cellular connectivity, that makes it the most travel-friendly by far.

But of course, these perks have to come at a price—and with Apple, it’s a hefty one. At $329 for the basic Wi-Fi device and $459 for the extra cellular connectivity, the iPad Mini is the most expensive device by far. The Nexus 7 costs $199 and the Kindle Fire is only $159.

It’s too soon to tell which ones will win the next generation of the tablet wars, but the battle is on!

For more information, visit the Gadgets & Gear.

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