Apple iPad Mini with Retina Display vs Amazon Kindle Fire HDX 7

Sexy screens

The 1,536 x 2,048 iPad Mini and 1,200 x 1,920 Kindle Fire HDX are both firmly in Retina Display territory, offering virtually identical counts of ~324 pixels per inch.

The upshot of all those numbers is that they easily cram in more than enough pixels to treat your eyes to super-sharp text and icons, along with crisp detailed photos and videos.

While the Kindle Fire HDX and iPad Mini have IPS LCD screens, the iPad Mini’s display is a little larger at 7.9 inches, compared to the Kindle’s 7in screen.

What the Kindle Fired HDX lacks in size, it makes up for with Quantum Dot technology. Fancy physics aside, this means that the HDX has a 100% colour gamut, compared to the iPad Mini’s 62%. The HDX can therefore display a larger range of colours than the iPad Mini, and colourful pictures really do pop a little more on the HDX.

The Mini wins with purer whites though, making whites on the HDX seem dull and grey in comparison.

While both screens are excellent, the Mini just edges ahead of its rival, thanks to its extra size and purer whites.

Winner: iPad Mini

Metal vs plastic

Yep, it’s another classic fight between Apple’s sleek and solid metal build quality and a plastic-clad Android competitor.

The iPad Mini is, as ever, a gorgeous slab of tech, and every inch of it has Apple’s premium quality stamped all over it.

The Kindle Fire HDX can’t compete with the iPad Air’s premium feel, but its soft-touch matte plastic rear is actually very pleasant to hold – it offers plenty of grip without feeling cheap. The shiny plastic strip along the top lets it down though, and it’s a rather nasty fingerprint magnet too. The HDX is noticeably lighter than the iPad Mini and will be more comfortable to hold during a movie marathon.

For its sheer premium build however, the iPad Mini wins the design round, as all Apple products tend to do.

Winner: iPad Mini

OS and Apps

If you’re already in the Apple camp then you’ve already made up your mind about which tablet to spring for, and we wouldn’t blame you. iOS 7 is beautiful after all.

READ MORE: iOS 7 review

If you’re on the fence however then it’s worth noting that while the Kindle Fire HDX runs Android, Amazon has customised it beyond recognition, infusing it with its own App Store, and even ads if you opt for the cheaper HDX model.

It’s actually a lot less confusing for non-tech savvy users to use than Android, but if you’re a tech-head that’s already familiar with Google’s mobile OS then you’ll find Amazon’s Fire OS frustratingly dumbed down and too limited.

Not only that, but you’ll only be able to access apps from Amazon’s App store, which lacks the full selection of apps available on Google’s official Play Store.

Still, if you’re looking for a small simple tablet for your mum then the HDX’s Mayday feature which offers free 24/7 live assistance from Amazon will be an absolute godsend.

For the sheer number of quality apps available from the App store though, this scrap goes to the iPad Mini too.

Winner: iPad Mini

Power

The Kindle Fire HDX is the most powerful tablet Amazon’s ever made, with a quad-core Snapdragon 800 processor churning through games and apps with ease.

The iPad Mini’s performance matches the HDX’s power, thanks to housing the same 64-bit A7 chip as the iPad Air, so this one’s a draw.

Winner: Draw

Verdict

We’re giving this fight to the iPad Mini. Both tablets have truly stunning screens and power in spades, but the extra inch and more polished build quality offered by the iPad Mini will be too tempting for media fans to resist.

Amazon’s walled garden also makes the iPad Mini by far the better choice for apps and movies too. Because Amazon Prime video has yet to hit the UK, there’s no easy way of watching offline videos on the Fire HDX. Boo.

Still, if you’re after a quality, easy-to-use tablet then the Fire HDX won’t disappoint, especially when you can snap it up for £200 – substantially less than the £320 iPad Mini.

READ MORE: Top 10 Best Tablets