The drop-test: iPad mini versus Nexus 7

The iPad Mini was released today, and while many of you are taking your precious devices home to a safe place, some people actually know what time it is. Time to smash some tablets.

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SquareTrade, which provides device insurance, put out a “drop-test” video today of the iPad mini, Nexus 7, and the third generation iPad. Why the third generation iPad is in there, I have no clue, but the iPad mini and Nexus 7 make for an interesting comparison.

The iPad mini is a direct competitor of Google’s Nexus 7, along with the Kindle Fire. It is 7.2 millimeters thick and 7.9 inches long. It does not, however, have the latest full-sized iPad’s Retina Display. The Nexus 7 is 10.45 millimeters thick and seven inches long.

So how did they do? SquareTrade came up with a simple device for dropping the tablets so that it was “fair.” The mechanism let go of the devices at the same time, starting out with a “corner drop,” where the tablet lands on, well, a corner. The iPad mini did very well here, while the Nexus 7’s screen cracked.

When the face-down drop came, however, the iPad mini’s screen shattered, while the Nexus 7 stayed relatively unharmed. Square Trade also did a water test, where the two tablets were submerged underwater for 10 seconds. The iPad mini popped right on, but it looks like the Nexus 7 turned itself off to be safe. Comments on the video point out that the Nexus 7 does turn back on and look usable.

Check out the video below and let us know if this kind of test affects which tablet you buy: