Apple iPad Mini vs Asus Fonepad: Will Low-cost Asus Tablet Affect Sales of Apple iPad Mini?

Indian tablet PC market is currently burgeoning with low-cost tablets churned out by local manufacturers, and to cash in on the trend, MNCs have also begun launching low cost tablets in the subcontinent.

Taiwanese computer maker Asus launched a second low-cost 7.0-inch tablet, Fonepad in India after launching Nexus 7 within a span of few weeks of its release.

According to recent market survey, Apple has emerged as the top three sellers in the Indian tablet only second to Samsung in terms of shipments.

It will be a daunting task for Asus to take on the popular Samsung devices, but considering the Fonepad's affordable price-tag, Asus tablet has the potential to give a stiff challenge to the expensive Apple's iPad mini.

Here is brief comparison of main specifications of Asus Fonepad and Apple iPad Mini:

 Display:

Asus Fonepad sports a LED back-lit panel with HD 800x1280p display resolution and with 216 ppi (pixels per inch) pixel density, it takes lead over the iPad mini as the Apple device sports a low display resolution of 1024x768p (close to 162 ppi ) as it lacks the company's flagship feature retina display which are found in bigger siblings.

Processor:

Even though iPad mini runs on the company's older A5 chipset with dual-core Cortex A9 processor Apple's tablet still holds the upper hand as the Asus Fonepad packs a less efficient single-core 1.2GHz Intel Atom Z2420 processor.

Camera:

Asus Fonepad sports 3.1-megapixel main camera with auto-focus and HD 720p video recording ability and a 1.2-megapixel camera at the front.

On the other hand Apple iPad mini sports an impressive 5.0-megapixel main camera with five element lens and hybrid IR filter with back-side illumination and a 1.2-megapixel front facing camera with HD video recording ability.

Operating System:

Asus Fonepad runs on the Android mobile OS v4.1 Jelly Bean where as iPad mini runs on Apple iOS 6.0; the Apple tablet received the iOS 6.1.3 update just recently.

They both stand even in terms of platform's popularity as they each boast more than 700,000 collections of applications and games in their respective OS ecosystems.

Price:

Apple's 7.9-inch iPad Mini model prices vary according to storage as well as network connectivity. All the tablet variants are currently listed at the Reliance Digital's subsidiary iStore; first generation iPad mini with only Wi-Fi connectivity is priced at ₹21,900 for 16GB, ₹27, 900 for 32GB and ₹33, 900 for 64GB. The cellular variants are priced ₹29, 900 for 16GB, Rs. 35,900 for 32GB and Rs. 41, 900 for 64GB.

On the other hand Asus Fonepad is priced ₹15,999 for 16GB model in retail stores.

To counter domestic players and other MNC counterparts, Apple is offering EMI (Easy Monthly Installments) on its devices to attract more consumers.Even though Apple's iPad mini is very expensive compared to other tablets, it justifies its price for its feature-rich specs and premium internal parts.

Here is a Breakdown of Comparison Between Asus Fonepad vs. Apple iPad Mini [Spec-Wise]: