Kindle Touch 3G: Touchscreen e-Reader with Free 3G + Wi-Fi, 6" E Ink Display, 3G Works Globally. Google Nexus 7 - Tablets. Pound for pound, the Nexus 7 is the best small tablet you can buy.
It houses a ridiculously sharp, bright screen, its gaming performance is second only to the fourth-generation iPad, and as a Google-branded tablet it will always see the latest version of Android before any other tablet brand. Also, at $230 (for 16GB), it's still an affordable tablet with one of the highest values in the market, despite a $30 price hike over the previous generation. The $270 32GB Wi-Fi model and $350 4G LTE version are even better values, especially compared with similar configurations of the iPad Mini.
Yes, it's not as cheap as some of the top small tablets from 2012, its screen isn't as big as the iPad Mini's, and Android 4.3 lacks a few useful UI features Samsung plugged into its Galaxy Tab 3 . However, those are only nitpicks considering the Nexus 7's sharp-as-nails screen and blazingly fast performance. Barnes & Noble Nook Simple Touch with GlowLight Review - Watch CNET's Video Review. Editors' note (October 30, 2013): Barnes & Noble has replaced the 2012 model reviewed here with the updated , which retails for $119.
Remaining stock of this older model can still be purchased for $99 while supplies last. What's the No. 1 requested feature people want in an e-ink e-reader? According to Barnes & Noble, it's an integrated light, which is why the company spent the last two years developing the $139 Nook Simple Touch with GlowLight. Except for a gray rather than black border around the edge, the new model looks identical to the standard $99 Nook Simple Touch .
But it's slightly lighter, weighing 6.95 ounces instead of 7.48 ounces, and has an ever so slightly more responsive touch screen.