Google Pixel Tablet vs. Apple iPad Mini (6th Gen): Which tablet is right for you?

Google's new tablet goes up against Apple's compact iPad

The Pixel Tablet is Google's first tablet in almost five years. It's a high-end slate with a Tensor G2 chip, good battery life, and an optional dock that converts it into a smart display.

The iPad mini (6th Gen) is a compact but powerful slate from Apple. It uses the same chip that powers the iPhone 14, and the iPadOS has tons of tablet-optimized applications.

Besides the two Nexus 7 tablets, Google's attempts at Android tablets have largely gotten a cold shoulder from consumers. This is why the company has shied away from releasing a new Android tablet since 2015's Pixel C. And Samsung has largely ruled the best Android tablets. But that is changing with the Pixel Tablet. Featuring a flagship-grade processor and other high-end specifications, is the Pixel Tablet ready to take on Apple's popular iPad Mini (6th Gen)? We'll find out.

Google's new Pixel Tablet carries a price tag of $499 for the base 128GB model, whereas you can buy the 256GB model at $599. This makes the Google tablet pricing pretty much in line with the Apple iPad Mini price tag, as the latter also starts at $499. But you get more storage with the Pixel Tablet, as the iPad mini 6 base model has only 64GB of space. Moreover, the 256GB variant of the iPad mini goes up to $649, $50 more than the Google Tablet. So Google has a slight advantage in the pricing department, at least.

In terms of availability, as the iPad Mini 6 was unveiled way back in 2021, it's already available via all major online and physical stores. The Pixel Tablet is available for preorder, but won't ship till early July.

The Pixel Tablet will remind you of the company's Pixel 4 and 5 phones as the overall tablet design is strikingly similar to them, unlike the newer Pixel 6 and 7. However, the company has used premium materials, such as aluminum with nano-ceramic coating, to make it feel and look elegant and luxurious. Bezels are considerably thicker than Samsung's high-end tablets, but they will give you some space to hold the tablet securely. There are also three color options, so you get a decent amount of choice.

The iPad mini 6, as the name suggests, is a smaller tablet. But that doesn't mean the company has cut any corners in terms of design or build quality. Thanks to its aluminum chassis, the iPad mini feels premium and has flat sides. Apple also offers its mini iPad in four colors. So, you won't be disappointed by either design or build quality.

The display size is one of the bigger differentiating factors between the two tablets. While the 10.95-inch LCD on the Pixel Tablet makes it a full-size tablet, the 8.3-inch LCD screen on the iPad mini 6 is squarely in the small tablet range. Both sizes have their advantages and disadvantages. While the Pixel Tablet gives you more screen real estate, the smaller size makes the iPad mini more portable and lighter.

In terms of resolution, both slates are full-HD+, but the iPad mini 6 has a higher pixel density at 332ppi, compared to 276ppi of the Pixel Tablet. In addition, the two tablet support styluses. While the iPad mini 6 can use the second-generation Apple Pencil, the Pixel Tablet supports USI 2.0 stylus pens. So technically, the Pixel Tablet gives you more flexibility in choosing your stylus, but there are very few USI 2.0 stylus pens on the market. Hopefully, that'll change with the Pixel Tablet release.

Google has included the same chip – Tensor G2 -- in the Pixel Tablet, which it's using in the Pixel 7 Pro and Pixel Fold. So you are guaranteed to get snappy performance in general day-to-day use and gaming. The Tensor G2 also includes several AI and machine learning smarts to enable helpful features on the tablet.

In comparison, the iPad mini may not have Apple's latest and greatest chip. But the A15 Bionic is powerful and can deliver comparable, if not better, performance than the Tensor G2. Moreover, benchmarks have repeatedly shown the Apple chips trounce the best from the world of Android, Tensor included. So, the iPad mini 6 isn't going to disappoint you on the performance front.

But Google may have just a little advantage on the battery front, as the bigger size of the Pixel Tablet has allowed it to pack in a bigger battery than the iPad mini. So, according to Google, it can offer up to 12 hours of video streaming, whereas Apple puts iPad mini 6's video playback at up to 10 hours on a single charge. But quite a bit will depend on whether you set the screen brightness to high, medium, or low on either tablet.

Fortunately, both tablets use USB Type-C for charging. But you can also use the Charging Speaker Dock to juice up the Pixel Tablet, something which is not available on the iPad mini (6th Gen).

The Charging Speaker Dock is an interesting accessory for the Pixel Tablet. It not only improves the audio performance of the tablet when it's docked, but it also charges it and allows you to use the tablet as a smart display with hands-free access to Google Assistant.

Finally, although the two tablets have similar connectivity options, the iPad mini 6 has a cellular version that sets it apart from the Pixel Tablet, which only comes in the Wi-Fi version. So if you want to take your tablet out and about and in places without Wi-Fi connectivity, the iPad makes more sense unless you are okay using your phone as a portable hotspot all the time.

Software is another big difference between the Pixel Tablet and the iPad mini 6. And the Apple tablet has an advantage thanks to its considerably bigger tablet-specific app selection. Android, unfortunately, has long struggled with its app selection for tablets. Many apps completely lack a tablet version, and their phone version doesn't scale properly on the tablet. One of the reasons for this is the lack of popularity for Android tablets. Hopefully, that'll change with the Pixel Tablet, but I am not holding my breath.

There are some positives for the Pixel Tablet regarding software. Android has gotten noticeably better at working on tablets. And like other Android tablets, it'll be easy to stream games or run emulators on the Pixel Tablet. You can also pair a controller without trouble to have a solid gaming device. And most importantly, Android gives you more flexibility and doesn't restrict you like iOS or iPadOS.

Tablets can do without amazing cameras. But you would still want a good front shooter for video calls and a decent rear camera for those rare situations when you don't have a phone. And both the Pixel Tablet and the iPad mini (6th Gen) have got you covered for most situations. But the cameras on the iPad mini are slightly more capable.

Its selfie camera has a 12MP sensor and an f/2.4 ultra-wide lens with a 122-degree field of view. This larger field of view allows the iPad mini camera to follow the subjects around as a part of the Center Stage feature. The iPad rear camera also has a 12MP sensor, but with f/1.8 aperture and autofocus support.

The Pixel Tablet, on the other hand, has included the same 8MP shooter with fixed focus and f/2.0 aperture in both front and rear shooters. Moreover, while the Pixel Tablet cameras can only record videos in 1080p, the primary shooter on the iPad can record 4K clips.

The Pixel Tablet and the Apple iPad mini 6 are high-quality and capable tablets. Of course, there are advantages and disadvantages to both. But their screen size and operating system are two significant differentiators that will drive the buying decision for most consumers.

The Pixel Tablet is a better option for anyone deeply seeped in the Android ecosystem and wants a large tablet for media consumption, creation, and general use. But keep in mind that Android has a middling app selection for tablets.

The Pixel Tablet is a reasonably priced high-end tablet that will work great for media consumption and creation. And if you add the dock, it will also turn into a smart display.

But for someone who primarily deals with Apple devices, the iPad mini 6 makes the most sense. It's an excellent tablet with an extensive app library, great cameras, and solid performance. It's also more portable and lightweight than the Pixel Tablet.

The Apple iPad mini (6th Gen) is an excellent compact slate that delivers great performance. It also comes in a 5G variant, unlike the Pixel Tablet.

Gaurav Shukla has been writing about consumer technology for over a decade. His first foray into technology journalism was a self-published Android blog — AndroidOS.in — where Gaurav covered everything from the T-Mobile G1 to HTC’s descent into smartphone oblivion. Since then, he has worked with MSN.com, NDTV Gadgets 360, How-To Geek, and XDA-Developers. Over the course of his career, Gaurav has extensively covered consumer technology news, written dozens of product reviews, how-to guides, explainers, buying guides, and much more. When he’s not writing or keeping up with the latest gadgets, you can find him catching up on the latest TV series or movies. You can reach him at [email protected].