With the recent closely-timed releases of new tablet devices by Apple, Google and Amazon, the battle for control of the 7-inch tablet market has turned into an all out war. And with Japanese cellphone carriers wading into the fray by releasing tablets in the local market, it's easy to get shell-shocked by all the options available here. To help navigate this rapidly expanding market here is our guide to the 7-inch tablet arena.
Apple, which essentially created the tablet market with iPad in 2010, is now looking to expand its presence with the new 7.9-inch iPad mini that hit stores last week.
In terms of tech details, the iPad mini could disappoint many, as it lacks some of the super cutting-edge specs of other tablets. It runs on the same dual-core A5 chip that is used in the iPad 2, a model two-generations older than the A6X chip used in the 9.7-inch iPad with Retina display. The iPad mini does not come with the high-resolution Retina display either.