iPad mini with Retina Display vs. iPad mini. Whats new? A LOT !!!

f you already own an iPad mini, is it worth upgrading to the new model with Retina Display? Or maybe you're considering buying your first iPad mini, and are wondering if it's worth saving a few bucks on last year's model?

Release date

The Retina Display iPad mini launches sometime in November. The original model hit stores last November, and is sticking around for another year.

Size

Nothing shocking here. Though it is worth noting that the Retina iPad mini is a little thicker. That's the same thing that happened to the full-sized iPad when it got a Retina Display.

Weight

Not a great start for the Retina model, as it's also a bit heavier compared to the original iPad mini. Seven percent heavier, to be exact.

Build

Same aluminum build in both models.

Colors

The Retina iPad mini gets the same Space Gray color from the iPhone 5s, and Apple updated the original model with the new hue as well. If you bought a first-generation iPad mini before the new models were announced, then you might have the "black & slate" color instead.

Display

Same 7.9-inch display size for the new model, but the big news is its shift to a Retina Display. It has four times the pixels of the original model, making for a much denser screen. Expect razor-sharp text and crisp, clear images.

Processor

Performance should be another huge upgrade in the Retina iPad mini. Its 64-bit A7 chip is two generations ahead of the old A5 (originally found in 2011's iPad 2) in the non-Retina iPad mini.

RAM

We don't yet know how much RAM the Retina iPad mini has, but we'd bet on 1 GB. The mere 512 MB found in the 1st-gen version just barely cuts it. Backgrounded apps and browser tabs will need to refresh more often than they do on devices with more RAM.

Storage

The first mini was originally available in 16 GB, 32 GB, and 64 GB models, but now that it's sticking around for a second year, it's only sold in a 16 GB flavor.

Cameras

Same resolution in the cameras this time around, but Apple did boast of some upgraded sensors in the new batch of iPads.

Battery

Above are the watt hours for the batteries. If you're more concerned with uptimes, then Apple is estimating that the Retina version will last the same ten hours (while surfing the web on Wi-Fi).

Wireless

Both models are sold in both Wi-Fi only and Wi-Fi with LTE versions. The cellular models cost an extra US$130 over their Wi-Fi only counterparts with the same amount of storage.

Software

Both iPad minis run the new iOS 7, with the App Store's stacked selection of tablet apps.

Starting prices

Apple actually jacked the Retina model's price up by $70, hitting the $400 price point for 16 GB Wi-Fi only. It then shoots all the way up to $830 for a 128 GB cellular model.

On announcing the new iPad mini, Apple also dropped the first-generation model's price down to $300.

Wrap-up

If the Retina iPad mini had stayed at $330, this would have been a no-brainer. Not only does it have a much sharper screen, but its performance will be head and shoulders above last year's model.

But at $400, the Retina mini is now inching closer to Apple's new full-sized iPad, the iPad Air. With that added to the non-Retina model's price drop, we can see some customers preferring to save a few bucks and live with the lower-resolution screen.

On the flip side, the new iPad mini's specs are pretty much toe-to-toe with the iPad Air, so you're getting a much more powerful tablet than you did last year. It even has a sharper display than the iPad Air, owing to the same amount of pixels scrunched onto the smaller screen.

Nexus 5 vs. iPhone 5s

If you want to pit the most popular iOS and Android phones against each other, then you'd snag an iPhone 5s and plop it down next to a Galaxy S4. But what if you'd rather look at the phones that best showcase iOS and Android? Then you'd be better off swapping that GS4 for the latest "pure Google" Nexus phone. Read on

Size

As is often the case when comparing an iPhone to an Android flagship, we're looking at a pretty big size difference. The Nexus 5 is much smaller than phablets like the Galaxy Note 3 and HTC One Max, but it's still 11 percent longer, 17 percent wider, and 13 percent thicker than the iPhone 5s.

Weight

The Nexus 5 is also 16 percent heavier than the 5s, but when you take that size difference into account, both handsets are going to feel very light in hand. No worries in this department.

Build

As far as construction and finish, we're looking at plastic vs. aluminum. But the Nexus 5's smooth matte finish feels much higher-end than the glossy and flimsy plastic you'll find on most Samsung flagships.

Colors

The Nexus 5 is sold in standard black and white options, while the 5s ships in three different hues. The space gray iPhone has a black front, while the silver and gold models sport white faces.

Display

The iPhone 5s only gives you 65 percent as much screen real estate as the Nexus 5 does. That discrepancy won't be quite that wide in regular use, owing to the Nexus 5's persistent onscreen navigation bar.

Both screens are sharp, and your eyes may not need anything sharper than the iPhone's 326 PPI Retina Display. With that said, the Nexus 5's 1080p IPS screen does pack in 185 percent more pixels.

Fingerprint sensor

Apple's Touch ID sensor is the iPhone 5s' killer feature. Set up a passcode, teach the phone up to five fingerprints, then simply rest your finger on the home button to unlock your phone. Anyone else will be locked out, giving you a nice balance of security and convenience.

Storage

The only difference in internal storage is the iPhone's 64 GB option. Neither device has a microSD card slot.

LTE

Last year's Nexus 4 lacked officially-supported LTE, but the Nexus 5 brings the speedy network back to the Nexus lineup. It's compatible with 1/2/4/5/17/19/25/26/41 LTE bands in the US, and the 1/3/5/7/8/20 bands everywhere else.

The big wireless caveat is the Nexus 5's incompatibility with the biggest carrier in the US, Verizon. It's supported on the other three major US carriers, while the iPhone 5s is available on all four.

Processor

Both phones have some of the fastest processors on the market today. You shouldn't have any performance issues at all here.

RAM

The Nexus 5 does, however, double the 1 GB of RAM in Apple's latest flagship.

Camera

The iPhone has the better camera, as the Nexus 5's shooter is one of its weaker points. But we're still waiting to test the results of Google's updated Android 4.4.1, which gives a shot of adrenaline to the Nexus 5's autofocus, white balance and shutter lag.

The iPhone 5s' camera isn't a huge improvement over the iPhone 5, but its dual LED flash does give you more colorful and evenly-lit flash photography shots.

Slow-motion video

The other big improvement in the iPhone 5s' camera is its slow-motion video feature. It records clips in 120 fps, then slows them down to 25 percent speed. If you have a pet or go to lots of sporting events, this can be a ton of fun.

Optical image stabilization

One area where the Nexus 5's camera wins is with optical image stabilization. Its OIS will help reduce camera shake when you're shooting video.

If you're talking about still shots, though, the 5s does have a nice feature where you can snap a burst of shots, and the phone's algorithms will automatically pick the sharpest one for you (you can also sort through them manually and keep as many as you want).

Battery

Battery life isn't terrific in the Nexus 5, but it should get you through a full day. The iPhone's battery holds less juice, but still delivers very solid uptimes.

Wireless charging

The Nexus 5 is compatible with the Qi wireless charging standard, so most commercial charging docks should work well with it. Google sells its own charger for a pretty hefty US$50, but you can find third-party versions for around $20-30.

NFC

Apple has yet to embrace near-field communication, but the Nexus 5 has an NFC chip in tow.

Software

The Nexus 5 was just updated to Android 4.4.2, with those camera fixes onboard. Apart from price (more on that in a minute) and stock Android, always up-to-date software is the biggest reason to choose a Nexus phone over other Android handsets.

Release cycle

No worries here, as there won't likely be another iPhone or Nexus phone release until late 2014.

Starting prices (off-contract)

Off-contract pricing is the Nexus 5's killer feature ... well, that is, if you can snag one from Google Play. At the time of this writing, the 32 GB model ships from Google within a couple days, while the 16 GB model is backordered by two to three weeks. You can also get the new Nexus from various carriers and retailers, but it won't have quite the same drool-worthy pricing.

Apple's pricing is aimed more at the carrier-subsidized model, and usually rings up for US$200 on-contract.