Google Nexus 7 (2012) VS Xiaomi Mi Pad 7.9 Specs Comparison

Earlier, I’ve already showed you the comparison review between Google Nexus 7 and NVIDIA Shield Tablet.

I know that the comparison between these 2 devices is not really fair given that Google Nexus 7 was released 2 years before NVIDIA Shield Tablet came out to the market.

(Google Nexus 7 (2012) VS Xiaomi Mi Pad 7.9 Specs Comparison)

So right on paper, we can straightly see how Google Nexus 7 (2012) is just not an equal challenger for NVIDIA Shield Tablet, it’s just weaker than NVIDIA’s device.

However, today I’m still interested to see Google Nexus 7 get “beaten up” by another more powerful device from other manufacturers.

This time, the tablet that I’m going to put in the same arena with Google Nexus 7 is actually equipped with the same processor that powers NVIDIA Shield Tablet – Tegra K1 processor.


And this one is coming from one famous Chinese smartphone manufacturer – Xiaomi. You probably already know what tablet I’m talking about.

Yes – it is Xiaomi Mi Pad 7.9, a Tegra K1 tablet from Xiaomi.

Well, if you’re interested to see how these 2 tablets fare against each other in this review, including my take on their gaming performances, then here you go, my comparison review between Google Nexus 7 (2012) and Xiaomi Mi Pad 7.9.


Similar just like what I’ve mentioned in my previous comparison review against NVIDIA Shield Tablet, I think Google Nexus 7 is clearly not an equal challenger to Xiaomi Mi Pad 7.9.

And the most prominent thing that puts Xiaomi Mi Pad 7.9 on a much higher level than Google’s tablet is definitely its Tegra K1 processor, which is extremely powerful for gaming.

However, despite being a less powerful tablet, there’s actually one sector that makes Google Nexus 7 a better tablet than Xiaomi Mi Pad 7.9. And that is its battery life.

So according to some reviews, the battery life of Xiaomi Mi Pad 7.9 sadly is not that powerful, especially for gaming.

And this really contradicts with Google Nexus 7 that is pretty decent in terms of battery life, even in heavy use.

Besides, when it comes to gaming performance, Google Nexus 7 is actually not too shabby at all in this area.

It handles some latest graphically-demanding games very smoothly even in full highest graphics.

And I’ve already seen a lot how this device is capable to play Modern Combat 4, NOVA 3, Asphalt 8: Airborne, GTA Vice City or Dead Trigger – all in highest graphics.

However, in terms of hardware specs, it’s definitely Xiaomi Mi Pad 7.9 that will come out as the winner here in this comparison review.

Similar just like NVIDIA Shield Tablet, this Xiaomi’s tablet also comes with some new-gen high-grade specs like “iPad Retina” resolution display, Tegra K1 quad-core processor, 8MP rear-facing camera (that takes amazing shots by the wy), 2GB of RAM, 192-core GPU, microSD card slot for up to 128GB and many more.

So in hardware department, Xiaomi Mi Pad 7.9 is simply unmatched by Google Nexus 7.

But the questions remain, with all the great things and more powerful specs found on Xiaomi Mi Pad 7.9, does this tablet have what it takes to be a better gaming tablet than Google Nexus 7 (2012)?

Which one between these 2 devices that is a better tablet in the whole aspect?

Is it worth it to buy Xiaomi Mi Pad 7.9 instead of Google Nexus 7?

Well, if you’re eager to know the answers of these questions, be sure to stick around!


When it comes to design, Xiaomi Mi Pad 7.9 clearly doesn’t have any originality nor its own characteristic.

And that’s because this tablet is hugely “inspired” by the same looking design of iPad mini.

In fact, Xiaomi Mi Pad 7.9 just looks the same with Apple’s tablet and many people even call it as an iPad mini clone.

And this really contradicts with Google Nexus 7, which still has own uniqueness and identity despite not being as powerful as Xiaomi Mi Pad 7.9 in terms of specs.

So basically, Xiaomi Mi Pad 7.9 looks like the plastic version of iPad mini.

And the fact that this Tegra K1 tablet consists in variety different colors also make many people call this tablet as iPad mini 5C – given that Apple also has the plastic iPhone 5C that is sold in variety different colors.

However, even though this tablet looks exactly like an iPad mini, many reviews still appreciated the build quality of this device.

It still feels good on hands and its plastic matte finish also don’t feel as cheap as glossy plastic finish.

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Google Nexus 7 (2012)

Asus MemoPad 7 HD

Released in July 2012 7.0 inch LED-backlit IPS LCD capacitive touchscreen, 800 x 1280 pixels, (~216 ppi pixel density) 1.2 MP front-facing camera Quad-core Nvidia Tegra 3 1.2 GHz Cortex-A9 CPU ULP GeForce GPU 1GB RAM Android OS 4.1 (Jelly Bean), upgradable to 4.4.2 Android KitKat 8/16GB/32GB Internal No microSD card slot Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n Bluetooth NFC USB Infrared GPS No GPRS No EDGE No Radio No Java Non-removable Li-Ion 4325 mAh battery

No SIM Released in June 2014 7.9 inch IPS LCD capacitive touchscreen, 1536 x 2048 pixels, (~324 ppi pixel density), 16M colors Corning Gorilla Glass 3 Protection 2 GB RAM Quad-core 2.2 GHz Cortex-A15 Nvidia Tegra K1 Chipset ULP GeForce Kepler (192 cores) GPU Android OS 16/64 GB of Internal storage microSD Memory Card slo for up to 128 GB 8 MP rear-facing camera 5 MP front-facing camera No GPRS Bluetooth HTML5 Browser No Radio No GPS Java MIDP emulator Blue, Green, Yellow, Pink, White, Gray Li-Po 6700 mAh battery

Comparing between Google Nexus 7 (2012) and Xiaomi Mi Pad 7.9 is probably not fair given that this Google’s tablet was released back then in 2012, which was 2 years before Xiaomi Mi Pad 7.9 debuted to the world.

So it’s no brainer that Xiaomi Mi Pad 7.9 will be far more powerful in specs than Google Nexus 7 – and by miles.

Well, that’s totally true because Xiaomi Mi Pad 7.9 is just an extremely powerful tablet equipped with some highest-grade specs in today’s standards.

It has a 7.9-inch screen sporting the “iPad Retina” 1536x2048 pixel resolution, a quad-core Tegra K1 processor, 2GB of RAM, 192-core GPU, 8MP camera on the back, 5MP front-facing camera, 6700mAh battery, microSD card slot for up to 128GB, 16/64GB of storage and MIUI on top of the Android software.

On the other hand, Google Nexus 7 clearly doesn’t stand a chance to compete because Xiaomi Mi Pad 7.9 is definitely out of its league.

Nexus only comes with 720p resolution on its 7-inch display, an old-gen Tegra 3 processor, 12-core GPU, 1GB of RAM, 4325mAh battery and it also has no rear-facing camera nor microSD card slot, which are 2 important things that most today's tablets have, including Xiaomi Mi Pad 7.9.

So by looking right at the spec sheet, I think it’s very obvious who’s gonna come out as the winner here.


Display is definitely one of the things that Xiaomi Mi Pad 7.9 is really superior at compared to Google Nexus 7.

This tablet is equipped with a larger 7.9-inch display sporting the 1536x2048 pixel resolution, which is the same exact screen specs of iPad mini Retina.

So right on paper, this tablet is definitely much even sharper than the 720p display found on Google Nexus 7.

But it’s actually not just on paper, but also in real life situation.

So the screens of Xiaomi devices – including Xiaomi Mi Pad 7.9 – are mostly supplied by one renowned manufacturers – like Sharp for example.

And Sharp is also one of the huge screen suppliers for Apple devices (smartphones, tablets, laptops, etc).

So with that being said, then the display quality of Xiaomi Mi Pad 7.9 is definitely top notch just like the iPads.

And that’s true because most of Xiaomi devices have great quality screens – with great viewing angle, good color saturation and the sharpness is just impressive.

On the other hand with Xiaomi Mi Pad 7.9, the screen of Google Nexus 7 is definitely not on the same page with Xiaomi’s tablet.

Its 7-inch display is only sporting the 720p resolution and it’s now considered as outdated especially in flagship tablet territory.

But even so, given its low price point, having only 720p resolution on a small 7-inch screen is actually still good for this device because it will ensure its fast and smooth performance, plus long lasting battery life.


On the software side, Xiaomi Mi Pad 7.9 is definitely on the other side of the road when compared to Google Nexus 7.

So if Google’s tablet comes pre-installed with pure stock Android UI without any customizations whatsoever, then it’s the other way around with Xiaomi Mi Pad 7.9.

This tablet comes with a really heavy customized UI made by Xiaomi itself called MIUI.

So if you haven’t seen how this UI looks like, it’s actually kind of similar with the iOS of iPad mini.

And unlike the normal regular Android UI that you’ve come to love, this MIUI has no app drawer.

As a result, all the installed and pre-loaded apps of this tablet will be shown right away on the homescreen.

Not to mention, similar just like the iOS, all the apps are designed in rounded-rectangular shaped icons.

However, despite being an iOS clone, there are actually many things that make MIUI look and work different than the iOS.

So it has a lot of cool visual presentations, added features, good looking UI on each pre-loaded apps and there is also the widget element on the homescreen, just like on any Android tablets out there.

But even so, this MIUI definitely takes a lot of inspirations from iOS of Apple devices.

Meanwhile, Google Nexus 7 comes with a pure stock Android UI based on Android 4.1 Jelly Bean.

So there are the app drawer, the widgets, the app shortcuts, the drop-down windows for notifications and settings, and also many other standard features of regular Android Jelly Bean like Project Butter, Google Now cards, Google Voice Command, etc.

But having the stock Android on Google Nexus 7 is actually a good thing for this tablet because it makes sure that it will run much smoother and faster without squeezing a lot of power from its battery.

And this really contradicts with Xiaomi Mi Pad 7.9 that comes with a heavy MIUI, which is the reason why this tablet has average battery life. The great thing is, Xiaomi Mi Pad comes with 2GB of RAM. So it provides a huge space for users to multitask many apps at once in the memory.

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I think it’s just very obvious that Xiaomi Mi Pad 7.9 is just a way more powerful tablet for gaming than Google Nexus 7.

Thanks to its quad-core Tegra K1 processor (clocked at 2.2GHz per core), accompanied with 2GB of RAM and 192-core GeForce Kepler GPU, Xiaomi Mi Pad 7.9 is just unmatched by Google Nexus 7 when it comes to gaming.

Not only does this tablet have all the power to handle even the most graphically demanding games like Modern Combat 5, Asphalt 8: Airborne and even GTA San Andreas in full graphics, but it’s also capable to play some console-quality games like Trine 2 (PS3), Half Life 2 (PC), Oddworld: Stranger's Wrath (Xbox classic) and many other games that are ported from PC/consoles to Tegra K1 devices.

But despite being the less powerful gaming tablet, Google Nexus 7 is actually not too shabby at all in terms of gaming performance.

It’s capable to handle games like Modern Combat 4, NOVA 3, Dead Trigger, GTA Vice City or even Asphalt 8: Airborne – all perfectly in full graphics (although Asphalt 8 doesn’t run so smoothly).

However, for a much heavier game like GTA San Andreas, of course Google Nexus 7 will suffer a lot with lags when deployed with this game in highest graphics setting.


Too bad Google Nexus 7 is not equipped with a rear-facing camera, which would make this affordable tablet a much better offering in low-end tablet category.

On the other hand, Xiaomi Mi Pad 7.9 looks more superior with its 8MP camera found on its rear-side, as well as the 5MP shooter on the front.

Speaking about the camera quality, it’s worth noting that most of Xiaomi devices have good quality cameras.

And that’s because the camera sensors of Xiaomi devices – including Xiaomi Mi Pad 7.9 – are mostly supplied by renowned manufacturers like Sony or Samsung.

So if you’re really into photography, then you will be glad if you choose Xiaomi Mi Pad 7.9 as your tablet.

Its cameras take decent quality shots, the photos look sharp and even the 720p videos are impressive for an affordable tablet.

I've actually already seen the 720p HD videos recorded by the rear-camera of Xiaomi MiPad. And they look really sharp.


Unfortunately, despite being a really powerful tablet with some higher-grade specs than Google Nexus 7, this Xiaomi Mi Pad 7.9 is not that great when it comes to battery life.

So according to some reviews, this tablet has average battery life, especially when used to do some heavy tasks like gaming for example.

I believe the culprit for this problem is either its heavy MIUI or probably its high-resolution display.

Not to mention, its Tegra K1 processor – which is really power hungry – could also become the source for this average battery life issue.

But if you want to improve the battery life of this device, there are many things you can apply like lowering the clock speed of its processor, removing some unnecessary apps/features or installing CyanogenMOD UI.

However, all of these steps must be done by people who have technical experience of rooting Android devices.

So if you don't have any knowledge or experience in rooting Android devices, I strongly warn you to stay away from this area and hand over the job to other tech-savvy users.

On the other hand with Xiaomi Mi Pad 7.9, the battery life of Google Nexus 7 is actually considered as good.

It’s capable to survive around 9 hours and 49 minutes for moderate use, which is good for a media-consumption tablet or even gaming device.

But of course, its battery life could drop drastically to probably around 4 to 6 hours if you use it mainly for gaming without resting the screen at all.


So in conclusion, after reviewing some of the important sectors on each of these tablets, I think it’s very obvious that Xiaomi Mi Pad 7.9 is the clear winner here.

And it’s not really shocking actually because this device is just unmatched by Google Nexus 7 when it comes to hardware specs.

It has highest-grade hardware in today’s standards, it has powerful gaming performance, it has good quality cameras, its display is insanely sharp and everything about Xiaomi Mi Pad 7.9 is just impressive.

So it’s really easy for me to recommend Xiaomi Mi Pad 7.9 as the one you should consider to buy, instead of Google Nexus 7.

Okay, Google Nexus 7 may be pretty good in gaming performance as it handles some of the heavy games smoothly even in full graphics.

But then again, it has NO microSD card slot and a rear-facing camera. And for most of tablet users out there, these elements are 2 of the most important elements for today's tablets.

Not to mention, according to many users of this tablet, after a few months of use, Google Nexus 7 could become really laggy and buggy (thanks to its low quality flash storage).

So all of these problems make it easier for you to take the final decision to just buy Xiaomi Mi Pad 7.9 instead of this Google’s tablet.

To sum this up, I’ll try to answer some of the questions I’ve asked previously above:

Does Xiaomi Mi Pad 7.9 have what it takes to be a better gaming tablet than Google Nexus 7 (2012)?

Definitely yes. It’s no-brainer that Xiaomi Mi Pad 7.9 is just far more powerful than Google Nexus 7 by miles.

Thanks to its Tegra K1 processor and staggering 192-core GPU, this tablet is just unmatched by Google’s tablet in terms of gaming performance.

Which one between these 2 devices that is a better tablet in the whole aspect?

Again, it’s definitely Xiaomi Mi Pad 7.9.

It has a much sharper display, more powerful performance, better looking design, more attractive UI and not to mention, it has microSD card slot for up to 128GB and an 8MP rear-facing camera, which Google Nexus 7 is really lacking.

Is it worth it to buy Xiaomi Mi Pad 7.9 instead of Google Nexus 7?

Absolutely yes, despite average battery life, I thinks it’s just quite obvious that Xiaomi Mi Pad 7.9 is really worth it to buy than Google Nexus 7.


Google Nexus 7 (2012)

Pros:

• Regular software updates from Google
• Powerful gaming performance
• Super smooth experience with stock Android UI
• Great battery life
• Good build quality

Cons:

• NO microSD card slot
• NO rear-facing camera
• Some users experienced that this Nexus 7 tablet became laggy over the time especially when the internal storage is loaded with many files
• For today’s standards, it’s not so powerful anymore for playing heavy games

Xiaomi MiPad 7.9

Pros:

• Extremely powerful gaming performance
• Gorgeous and sharp looking display
• MIUI is filled with many great features and cool visual presentations
• Tegra K1 is MADE for gaming
• It has microSD card slot and a rear-facing camera (which Google Nexus 7 doesn't have it)
• Great build quality, despite using plastic matte finish
• Great quality cameras

Cons:

• Poor battery life
• It looks almost identical just like iPad mini

Have any question? Leave your comment here!