When Apple announced the release of the iPad Mini 3 and the iPad Air 2, Google confirmed the release of the Nexus 9 and Nexus 6 along with the highly-anticipated Android 5.0 Lollipop on the same day.

With the two new mini tablets, customers now have more options. A comparison of the specs of the two devices will help to understand which is the better buy.

Screen Display and Design

The new iPad Mini 3 comes with a 7.9-inch screen having a 2048 x 1536 resolution together with a 326 ppi image density. On the other hand, the screen of the Nexus 9 is somewhat bigger at 8.9 inches, but has the same resolution. However, the image density of the Nexus 9 is lower at 287 ppi.

In terms of design, the two devices are very different. The iPad Mini 3 has an aluminum body and is 7.5 mm thick, while Google Nexus 9 is 7.95 mm thick with a body that is soft, matte-finished back and brushed metal edges.

Hardware

Under the hood, the iPad Mini 3 comes with the exclusive 64-bit Apple A7 1.3 GHz dual-core CPU and M7 motion co-processor with 1 GB RAM. The Nexus 9, on the other hand, has a powerful 64-bit Tegra K1 2.3 GHz dual-core CPU, in addition to a Kepler DX1 GPU with 2 GB RAM.

Operating system

Both, the iPad Mini 3 and Nexus 9 are powered by the latest software updates from their respective companies. While the iPad Mini 3 has the latest iOS 8 software, Nexus 9 runs on Google's latest Android 5.0 Lollipop, which will also be incorporated into the new Nexus 6 phablet.

Camera

Apple's iPad Mini 3 sports a 5-megapixel iSight primary rear camera and a 1.2-megapixel secondary front camera. The Nexus 9, on the other hand, offers an 8-megapixel primary camera and a 1.6-megapixel front-facing secondary camera.

Pricing

The iPad Mini 3 Wi-FI only variant carries a price tag of $399 for the 16GB model, $479 for the 32 GB option, and $599 for the 128GB variant. On the other hand, the iPad Mini 3 with 4G LTE is available for $529 for 16 GB, $629 for 32 GB variant, and $729 for the 128 GB option.

The Nexus 9 will have a price tag of $399 for the 16 GB model and $479 for the 32 GB Wi-Fi only variant, and around $599 for the 32 GB with a 4G LTE flavor.