Apple has unveiled its second-generation iPad Mini with Retina display, so let's see how it fares against competing tablets such as the Nexus 7 2013 and the Kindle Fire HDX 7.

The original iPad Mini came with fairly good specs and proved to be quite successful, but most iFans were disappointed by the fact that the smaller iPad did not sport the company's famous Retina display. In fact, that was the biggest criticism Apple faced with its first-generation iPad Mini, but the company has addressed that issue with the new iteration.

The new iPad Mini finally delivers that much-awaited Retina display, which brings it on par with other tablets in its category. The upgraded iPad Mini now goes head to head with Google's new Nexus 7 (2013) and Amazon's recently-announced Kindle Fire HDX, as all three slates sport a high-resolution HD display. Each of the three tablets packs different hardware and feature different operating systems, but they do compete in the same 7- to 8-inch tablet category.

Resolution & pixel density

Following the upgrade to Retina display, the iPad Mini's 7.9-inch screen boasts a resolution of 2048 x 1536 pixels and a pixel density of 326 pixels per inch (ppi). The Nexus 7 2013 has a 7-inch full HD display with a 1920 x 1200 resolution and a pixel density of 323 ppi. The Kindle Fire HDX 7, meanwhile, comes with the same 7-inch display with a 1920 x 1200 resolution and 323 ppi pixel density as the new Nexus 7.

In other words, the new iPad Mini has the highest resolution among the three, but it also has the biggest display. Ultimately, the pixel density is just slightly higher compared to the Nexus 7 2013 and the Amazon Kindle Fire HDX 7.

Processor & RAM

The iPad Mini with Retina display packs Apple's new 64-bit A7 chip, which can also be found in the company's new iPhone 5S. The chipset delivers up to four times faster CPU performance and up to eight times faster GPU performance compared to the original iPad Mini. The new iteration also sports the M7 motion coprocessor that handles data from sensors such as gyroscope, accelerometer, and compass, sending that data to apps without burdening the A7 processor. In turn, this leads to improved battery performance.

The new Nexus 7 packs a quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 processor clocked at 1.5GHz and paired with 2GB of RAM. The Kindle Fire HDX 7 comes with a quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 processor clocked at 2.2GHz, along with 2GB of RAM. 

The fact that all three tablets run on different platforms makes it difficult to compare performance, but the iPad Mini seems like the most advanced of the lot with its 64-bit processor. 

Storage Capacity & cellular options

The new iPad Mini with Retina display comes in four internal storage configurations - 16GB, 32GB, 64GB and 128GB. The Nexus 7 2013 comes in 16GB and 32GB models, while the Kindle Fire HDX comes in 16GB, 32GB, and 64GB variants.

The second-generation iPad Mini will be available in both Wi-Fi-only and Wi-Fi + Cellular data models. Wi-Fi + Cellular is only available for the 32GB model of the Nexus 7 2013, as the 16GB version is Wi-Fi-only. The Kindle Fire HDX 7 is available in both Wi-Fi-only and Wi-Fi + LTE versions.

Camera

The iPad Mini with Retina display sports a 5-megapixel rear camera and a 1.2-megapixel front-facing shooter and it is capable of 1080p HD video recording. The new Nexus 7 has a 5-megapixel rear camera and a 1.2-megapixel front one. The Kindle Fire HDX 7, meanwhile, only features a front-facing HD camera with an unspecified number of pixels. Consequently, Amazon's offering comes short in this draw.

Which will it be?

These are just a few of the most important aspects, but the three slates have many more specs and features to differentiate themselves. In an increasingly-competitive tablet market, all of these three tablets boast high-end specifications and neat features to stand out from the crowd. They are all powerful, advanced tablets that can handle virtually any task and they fight for dominance in the compact tablet category. It remains to be seen which will prove the most successful - the new iPad Mini with Retina display, the Nexus 7 2013, or the Amazon Kindle Fire HDX.