In the handset marketplace, the iPhone is simply one of at least a half a dozen equally capable options. There's less competition among compact tablets, but many consumers only desire those things as ultraportable entertainment devices or "wicked big phones" instead of as real, powerful computers.
And so, despite the superior build materials and productivity potential of the forthcoming new iPad mini, a 7-inch Android tablet that costs nearly half as much as a mini, fits inside smaller pockets, and runs all of the same media apps and most of the same games is still a compelling option for many.
But full-size tablets are a different story. The difference in price between an iPad Air and a full-size Android tablet is much smaller—sometimes, it's even negligible. And the difference in power and capabilities is immense. I travel with my iPad as my sole computer. I'd only attempt to do the same with a Galaxy Note 10.1 to win a bet.
All of this is by way of putting the new third-generation 8.9-inch Kindle Fire HDX in context. Despite being one of the cheapest full-size tablets from a name-brand manufacturer, $379 (for the Wi-Fi-only model with 16GB of storage) doesn't feel like a small amount of money. Nor does it seem that much less expensive than a $499 iPad Air kitted out the same way. By the way, if you don't want your Fire HDX to present "special offers" on the lock screen, the gap narrows by another $15.
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