New Google Nexus 7 Is No iPad Mini Killer: 10 Reasons Why

By Don Reisinger

The new Nexus 7 isn’t a bad-looking device by any means, but to compare it to the iPad Mini is difficult. Apple’s slate comes with a nice, simple design and doesn’t commit to the standard, black finish around the entire device, like the Nexus 7. Google needs to do a better job of designing the tablet.

According to Google, the Nexus 7 is available in 16GB and 32GB versions. What that means is the tablet probably won’t be able to handle all of the needs of typical slate owners who want to be able to store video, photos and other information. The Nexus 7 needs 64GB of storage or more if it is ever to be successful.

Since the Nexus 7 comes from Google, it’s no surprise that the search giant has decided to bundle the standard, Android 4.3 Jelly Bean mobile operating system into the tablet. However, if sales are to be our guide, it appears that consumers prefer modified Android versions from companies like Samsung, and not the standard OS offered by Google. That’s an issue for the Nexus 7.

The Nexus 7 comes with the 1.5GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 processor and the Adreno 320 GPU. While those chips should deliver better performance than the earlier Nexus 7, it will not match the overall power of Apple’s iPad Mini. Google needed to do something a bit better with the Nexus 7’s internal components. Unfortunately, it fell short.

Comparing the Nexus 7 to the iPad Mini is a little unfair. For one thing, the tablet starts at just $229, making it substantially cheaper than the iPad Mini. But when one compares the specifications in the Nexus 7 to those of other tablets, the best alternative is truly Amazon’s Kindle Fire. And as the last couple of years have shown, Amazon can’t compete with the iPad Mini either. So, why should anyone believe the Nexus 7 could?

Let’s not forget that Google has been offering the Nexus 7 for quite some time. So far, that tablet hasn’t taken off in a big way. When it comes to the low-end of the tablet space, the Nexus 7 is definitely a competitor. But in terms of sales, there’s still no matching Apple’s iPad Mini.

Want the simplest reason the Nexus 7 has little, if any, chance of beating the iPad Mini? It’s up against Apple. Since 2010, the iPad has been the market’s favorite, and most analysts believe that will only continue into the next several years. If analysts understand that the Nexus 7 can’t beat the iPad, why should anyone else?

The iPad Mini is no slouch when it’s put up against any device on the market. In fact, Apple’s recent quarterly filings have indicated that the iPad Mini has been able to cannibalize sales of the larger 9.7-inch iPad. If the device can beat up its bigger brother, it should have no trouble taking on a less-completive Nexus 7.

Android is the top target right now for malware makers. And that matters quite a bit to many customers who don’t like the idea of their personal information being put at risk. Android 4.3 comes with security enhancements that should help matters, but it appears the tide is simply too strong for Google to compete.

The corporate world could have been the key to seeing the Nexus 7 overtake Apple and its iPad. However, the enterprise has continued to resist large-scale adoption of Android devices because it’s wary about the security issues. Until the enterprise comes around on Android, it’s hard to see how the Nexus 7 could top the iPad Mini.