Nexus 9 Vs iPad Mini 3: Detailed Comparison of Specs and Features

Google has finally released the Nexus 9, showing a new Apple-esque aspect ratio. The iPad Mini 3 is a monster in small tablets and certainly going strong in the competition even though it derives many of its specs from the last year’s model. This article provides a close comparison of Nexus 9 vs iPad Mini 3, so that you can make a choice between the two tablets.

Nexus 9 Design

Nexus 9 resembles Nexus 5 in design. It contains a relatively large bezels and metallic trim along the sides. The front facing stereo speakers are discreet. You will observe the trademark HTC class in it. The back is the made of rubberized plastic found in Nexus 5. The design features are a nice combination of old and new features.

iPad Mini 3 takes the typical Apple design. You will praise the metallic structure that looks as elegant as its predecessors. The bezels are smaller as compared to those of Nexus 9. It is thinner than ever.

Nexus 9 Display

The Nexus 9 contains 8.9-inch IPS LCD display. On the other hand, iPad Mini 3 boasts 8.1-inch Retina LCD display. Both devices have the same resolution of 2048×1536 pixels. Nexus 9 possesses the pixel density of 281 pixels per inch as compared to 324ppi of iPad Mini. In terms of pixel density, both these tablets are not close to the crisp display of the Android high-end smartphones.

Nexus 9 Software

It is very hard to compare the software of Nexus 9 Vs iPad Mini 3 until they are tested for their various software features. iPad Mini 3 runs the latest Apple’s operating system IOS 9, and Nexus 9 is powered by the stock version of Android 5.0 Lollipop. IOS 9 brings plenty of customization options for users so that they don’t need to jailbreak their devices now. They can enjoy third party apps also. Android 5.0 Lollipop is the latest Android operating system that contains stylish icons, themes, and much more.

Performance Comparison Nexus 9 Vs iPad Mini 3

The comparison of performance cannot be made until both the devices are tested on different benchmarks. On paper, Nexus 9 contains an impressive 64-bit, dual-core Tegra K1 CPU that clocks at 2.3GHz and a Kepler DX1 GPU with the 2GB of RAM. iPad Mini 3 is powered by the last year’s A7 chip that is dual-core, clocked at 1.3GHz, M7 motion co-processor with 1GB of RAM. It is apparent that Nexus 9 has superior performance as compared to iPad Mini 3.

Nexus 9 Camera

Nexus 9 packs 8MP primary camera on the rear and 1.6MP front-facing camera. iPad Mini 3 contains 5MP iSight camera on the rear, with 1.2MP camera on the front. In Nexus 9 Vs iPad Mini 3, the Nexus 9 outsmarts iPad Mini 3 in the camera race as well.

Consider the snapshot taken by an Nexus 9 tablet:

The Verdict of iPad Mini 3 vs Nexus 9

Nexus 9 looks better overall as compared to iPad Mini. However, the style and grace of iPad Mini 3 is still matchless. The iPad mini 3 wins the design aspect, as Apple is very keen when it comes to that sort of things. The displays are pretty similar. The software between the two is hard to compare, as each OS has its flaws. What gave the winner in the Nexus 9 Vs iPad Mini 3 showdown was performance. The Nexus 9 is almost twice as powerful as the iPad Mini 3.