iPad Mini: hands on with the rivals

For the first time, Apple's expected iPad Mini will face stiff competition from Day One.

Arch-rival Google already has a highly successful 7-inch tablet, the Asus-made Nexus 7.

In Britain, both Amazon's Kindle Fire and US book chain's Barnes and Noble will offer tablets for £159, with huge libraries of books, films and TV shows on offer.

"The rumoured smaller (7” – 8”), cheaper iPad marks a significant shift in Apple’s strategy," says Mark Leach, chief strategy analyst at Ovum.

                       [Related: Apple expected to unveil iPad Mini]

"For the first time in its recent history it is responding to market pressures from its competitors, namely Google and Amazon in bringing a smaller  tablet to market.

"Apple in the past has defined new products with new form factors and waited for the market to follow, in this instance Apple is following the market trend towards smaller cheaper tablet form-factors.

So how serious is the competition? We round up the best to find out.

Kindle Fire HD
£159
Screen size: 7"
Resolution: 1280x800
Storage: 16GB
The £159 price of the Amazon's cheapest tablet includes 'special offers' - ie adverts which pop up on the screen when you're not using it. I

n practice, these aren't too irritating, and the gadget itself is gorgeous, with slick controls that scroll through a big menu of films, music and recently used apps.

It runs Android, but Amazon's version feels simpler - although that means you miss out on the apps of the 'full' Android app store.

Google Nexus 7
£159
Screen size: 7"
Resolution: 800 x 1280
Storage: 8GB
Google's machine, made by Asus, is iPad's most direct competitor. It's a touch thicker than rivals, and lacking screen resolution, but a Tegra chip means it makes games such as Dead Trigger look superb, and films from Google's Play store also look great.

It runs 'pure' Android, so geekier users will be able to tweak their tablet to their heart's consent, and add any Android apps they please.

Sensibly, Google have added more control butttons to their tablet, so users hoping to use it for work, rather than simply enjoying entertainment, will find this easier to handle. 

Nook HD
£159
Screen size: 7.7"
Resolution: 1440 x 900
Storage: 16Gb
Like Amazon's gadget, the Nook HD offers a heavily modified version of Android - built for reading and video, rather than apps - and with added extras such as personal profiles that enable a family to share the tablet.

The screen is also absolutely superb, and Barnes and Noble make the most of it with a great selection of magazines built for their tablet.

The machine will be on sale in John Lewis and Sainsbury's, which may help to win over UK users who're unfamiliar with the US book chain.