Best 7-8 inch tablets 2013: Apple iPad Mini, Samsung Galaxy Note 8, Google Nexus 7

After the big success of Apple’s iPad, a flux of new tablet models have come onto the market, and many of the early competing tablets have been released in the same size, such as Samsung galaxy note 10.1, Google Nexus 10, Microsoft Surface RT and so on. But some people are finding that a small model is a bit more portable and easier for tasks like reading or gaming, and now they are in huge demand. We have seen several launches in the last few months, the latest being Samsung Galaxy Note 8, HP Slate 7 and Sony Xperia Tablet Z, etc. Here we take a look at the top small 7-8 inch tablets available in the market 2013.

• Samsung Galaxy Note 8

This is one of the best small 8-inch tablets awaiting to be launched in the market. Samsung has designed the device as a medium one between the Note 2 phablet and the Note 10.1 tablet PC, in order to compete directly with Apple iPad Mini, Google Nexus 7, Amazon Kindle Fire HD. Samsung's latest S Pen device boasts an 8-inch 1,280 x 800 TFT display, 1.6GHz Exynos 4 Quad processor and paired with 2GB RAM. The device runs on Android Jelly Bean 4.1.2 and also support for Smart Stay, Multi-Window and Air View functionality, Popup video and note, as well as AllShare Play and Cast.

• Apple iPad Mini

If you want the full, polished Apple tablet experience in a smaller package, the iPad Mini is your wise choice, but the price seems a bit steep, that is to say good alternatives are available for less money. Apple’s iPad mini features a 7.9-inch non-Retina Display at a pixel density of 163 ppi, A5 processor which isn't as robust as the one in the fourth-gen iPad and iPhone 5,  5 mega pixel rear camera and 1.2 mega pixel front camera with 720p HD video and ships in 16GB, 32GB, and 64GB storage. The device runs on Apple iOS 6.

• Google Nexus 7

With a stunning 7-inch display, all day battery life, even more storage, and mobile data to keep you connected, Nexus 7 is the perfect travel or commute companion.

 The Nexus 7 features a 7-inch display, an Nvidia Tegra 3 quad-core chip, 1 GB of RAM, and 8, 16 or 32 GB of internal storage. Incorporating built-inWi-Fi and near field communication (NFC) connectivity, it is marketed as an entertainment device with integration with Google Play, serving as a platform for multimedia consumption of e-books, television programs, films, games, and music. And the tablet was the first device to ship with Android version 4.1, nicknamed "Jelly Bean".

• Kindle Fire HD

The Kindle Fire HD is now available for order for only $199. This is the long anticipated Amazon tablet which is being marketed under the Kindle brand although it appears to be much more than an eBook reader. It runs on Android OS but comes with its specialized browser called Amazon Silk which claims faster speeds. The devices comes with a 1280x800 HD display, dual-core processor with an Imagination PowerVR 3D graphics core, World's first tablet with dual-band, dual-antenna Wi-Fi for over 35% faster downloads and streaming. And it delivers over 11 hours of reading, surfing the web on Wi-Fi, watching video, or listening to music.

• HP Slate 7

Though this is not as well-endowed as Samsung’s Galaxy Note 8, nonetheless it is in a class of its own and very useful. It is HP’s first Android tablet. The company earlier ditched its own webOS-based TouchPad, which hit stores as a hyped-up iPad killer a few years back. “The HP Slate 7 won’t wow anyone with its specs or features, but at $169 it’s a reasonably priced low-end 7-inch slate,” says PCMag. The most exciting feature with the Slate 7 is its ability to print. HP has an own native app to do the task simply. Wi-Fi connectivity, Beats Audio integration are some other outstanding traits of the tablet PC. The device powers with a dual-core A9 processor, 1GB of RAM, 16GB of built-in storage, a 7-inch, 1,024 x 600 display and dual 3MP / VGA cameras and so on.

• Asus Fonepad

It is another low end tab from Asus. It is a 7-inch tablet PC with voice calling capability. That is, you can mount a SIM card inside the device and make calls as you do on a phone. The Fonepad is coming with an Intel Atom processor onboard. It is to be priced at $270. The selling point of the device will be its voice calling feature. Apart from this, the Fonepad is coming from the maker of Nexus 7, a market-hit small screen tablet from Google.

The FonePad has a 7-inch display, which packs in 1,280x800 pixels, making this the same size and resolution as the Nexus 7. It lacks a rear camera, but finds space for a 1.2-megapixel front-facing snapper, which should come in handy for video calling. The device powers with Intel's Atom Z2420 processors, clocked at 1.2GHz and backed up by 1GB of RAM and is running on Android 4.1 Jelly Bean.

See also: Gift guide to full-size tablets for 2012 Christmas