The HDX may live in a
walled garden – but it’s a beautiful one
Android can be a scary place. But hush now, stop bawling
into your settings menu. Here’s Amazon with a just-about-Android tablet that’s
as friendly as iOS, bursting with digi-stuff to buy and better-specced than
Google’s finest.
It’s also cheerfully cheap, with the 16GB Wi-Fi option
available for a mere R3700. That’s a touch more than previous budget Kindle
Fires, sure, but that’s on account of a stupidly speedy 2.2GHz Snapdragon 800
processor that makes mincemeat of movies and games, a gorgeous 1920x1200 screen
and a new, futuristic build. There’s no rear cam but up front, video calls are
clear and detailed.
Amazon Kindle Fire HDX 7in
So physically it’s a top-spec Android tab – and a very good
one at that. But turn it on and it’s all Amazon. It runs the megacorp’s latest
OS, Fire 3.0 ‘Mojito’, which adds a grid of apps to the eye-catching carousel;
web surfing is via its own Silk browser. Then there’s the ‘Mayday’ button – a
bold service that gives you HDX tech support 24/7 via one-way video calling.
The App Store is also an Amazon affair, with many standard Android apps off
limits. The lack of LoveFilm downloads also grates, and while Cloud Drive is
coming along, it’s no Google.
Still, for books, movies and Amazon shopping in a tidy
package to really rival the iPad, the HDX excels. Feeling better now?
Screen Blue note
Watching stuff – it’s what Kindle Fire tablets exist for.
Good job the HDX’s screen impresses, then, with eye-popping colors, natural
skintones and sharp text. Shame about the pesky blue tint around the edges and
corners, though.
Design City of angles
So angular it makes the Shard look cuddly, the HDX is
comfortable to hold, sturdy and clearly means business. Small volume/power
buttons sit on the back of each edge – it’s where our fingers rest anyway, so
it works.
Amazon Kindle Fire HDX 7in
Performance Untapped potential
The HDX is a bit of a beast, but without access to all the
latest Android games, those muscles won’t always be obvious. You can sideload
games, of course, but if you’re happy doing that, probably best to just get a
Nexus.
OS And Apps Spend and be happy
Amazon makes tidy work of showing what’s on the HDX, in the
cloud and in its own various stores – with a particular emphasis on the latter,
match. But we do wish more apps would make the leap from Google Play.
We’ve seen the future of
tablets and it looks like the Retina Mini
It had to happen. The iPad Mini With Retina Display, that
is. With the original’s screen looking dated the day it launched, the idea of a
Retina Mini quickly became our top tech fantasy. Turns out it’s even better in
reality.
For starters, it’s built around the 64-bit A7 chip found in
the iPhone 5s and iPad Air. That’s a welcome surprise, as it ramps up the
Mini’s performance to Air levels. The ridiculously thoughtful iOS 7 also gives
it a lift, while the excellent front-facing cam brightens up Skype calls. And
as for stamina, it’s neck and neck with the also excellent HDX.
Apple iPad Min Retina Display
And then there’s that screen. It’s bright, crisp and
vibrant, with great viewing angles and a whopping 2048x1536 resolution; at
326ppi, it’s exactly twice the rest of the 2012 model. The only niggle is that
it isn’t always the most accurate in displaying colors – Stuff.co.za’s vivid
reds for instance.
So why is the new Mini the future of tablets? Because it’s
beautifully made, portable, brimming with amazing apps and bursting with power.
Plus, its 7.9in/20cm, 4:3 form factor is the ideal size. OK, so it’s not as
pocketable as its 7in/17.7cm rivals, but that extra screen space sure comes in
handy. All it needs to do is sort out those color issues and it’ll beat even
the near-perfect Air.
Screen Small-screen star
This is what the upgrade is really all about – and it’s an
essential one given the sharp, tiny text of iOS 7, which isn’t at all kind to
the first-gen Mini. Color reproduction is all that stands in the way of display
perfection.
Apple iPad Mini With Retina Display
Design Aluminium-ber 1
So good they used it twice, the Mini’s cool-to-the-touch
aluminium build now comes in Space Grey and Silver varieties. It’s a touch
thicker and heavier than last year’s, but you’ll never notice the difference in
use.
Performance It’s got the power
It’s clocked just slower than the Air (according to
benchmarks), but there’s only a hint of a difference. Dual-band Wi-Fi makes
streaming a joy, and apps are beginning to take advantage of the 64-bit A7 and
M7 coprocessor.
OS And Apps iOS 7th heaven
With the likes of iMovie and Pages now free and iOS 7
finally clawing back the ground lost to Android, Apple’s back on top here. And
as for the App Store? Still the biggest, still the best, still the
optimized-est.
