Gear

iPad Mini Killer for Less Than Half the Price

Saturday, January 05, 2013 at 12:21 AM ET

Verified

Google Nexus 7

Key Takeaways:

The Apple iPad Mini, while popular for aviation, is an expensive option, particularly the GPS/cellular models necessary for pilots, ranging from $459 to $659.
The Google Nexus 7 offers a compelling and much more affordable alternative at $250, including built-in GPS/WAAS and a solid-state gyro, along with a faster processor and sharper display.
Android devices like the Nexus 7, supported by apps like Garmin Pilot (which is nearly on par with its iOS counterpart), address the previous concern of limited aviation app availability and provide essential pilot features like weather, charts, and flight planning.

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For those of you who’ve been trying to get your hands on an Apple iPad Mini, there’s good news. You might not need one.

A commercial pilot, Isabel Goyer has been flying for more than 40 years, with hundreds of different aircraft in her logbook and thousands of hours. An award-winning aviation writer, photographer and editor, Ms. Goyer led teams at Sport Pilot, Air Progress and Flying before coming to Plane & Pilot in 2015.