The iPad mini sports a screen just under 8 inches and a price of $329. And when it debuts Friday, it will not enter a vacuous 7-inch tablet market. Its opponents compete on price, ecosystem, performance and features. Each offers something unique.

Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 7.0

Rating: 3.5 stars out of 5 (Very good)

The good: The Samsung delivers a mostly pure Android 4.0 experience for $250. The tablet also trumps the Kindle Fire in extras by including dual cameras, expandable memory and TV remote-control functionality.

The bad: The screen doesn’t look as pretty as other PLS displays, and its camera performance is lacking compared with other tablets in the line.

The cost: $194.99 to $275.12

The bottom line: The Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 7.0 offers an excellent value and a full Android 4.0 experience unmatched for the price.

Amazon Kindle Fire (2012)

Rating: 3.5 stars out of 5 (Very good)

The good: The 2012 Amazon Kindle Fire improves on its predecessor in three key ways: faster performance, a better interface with cool new features and a significant price reduction.

The bad: Designwise, it’s the same Fire from 2011 with no HD video support, no camera, no HDMI, no storage expansion, and no volume buttons.

The cost: $159

The bottom line: The Kindle Fire (2012) takes it up a notch in value, but is tethered to the same design oversights as the original.

Amazon Kindle Fire HD

Rating: 4 stars out of 5 (Excellent)

The good: The Amazon Kindle Fire HD has a most impressive-looking 7-inch tablet screen, its speakers deliver killer sound and its refined interface is the best gateway to Amazon content for Prime members. New enhancements fill its $200 price to the brim with value.

The bad: Performance is sluggish at times and the Fire HD is less comfortable to hold than the Nexus 7. The curated app store means many apps and games are not available. There’s a $15 opt-out for ads.

The cost: $199 to $219.99

The bottom line: With its beautiful screen, refined interface and huge coffer of media consumption options, the Kindle Fire HD is the Kindle Fire as it should have been.

Nexus 7

Rating: 4 stars out of 5 (Excellent)

The good: The Nexus 7’s quad-core Tegra 3 processor delivers fast performance and a beautiful and responsive screen. Also, it’s comfortable to hold and Android 4.1 brings a surplus of welcome additions. At only $200, the Nexus 7 is a steal.

The bad: The lack of built-in expandable storage and omission of HDMI are disappointing, and the design follows the plain, black tablet mold. The top and bottom bezels are a bit too thick.

The cost: $199 to $239.99

The bottom line: The Nexus 7 is easily the best 7-inch tablet available and one of the top tablets on the market, with a beautiful screen, fast performance, a comfortable design and overall great media options.