When pitted with the second-generation Nexus 7, serious tablet users will find two glaring reasons to skip the Retina-toting iPad Mini 2 and go for the raw Android-powered 7-inch slate from Google and Asus.

One of them, according to new reports, is the Mini 2's disappointing display panel. From DisplayMate Technologies, the new Mini fell short of expectations considering that its screen resolution is identical to that of the iPad Air's 2048 x 1536

The brightness is not at fault, rather it is the colour range rendering that DisplayMate said is inadequate.

"(The iPad Mini 2) is incredibly disappointing because it produces noticeably subdued image colours. In fact, it's almost identical to the gamuts on the much older iPad 2 and the original iPad Mini," CNET quoted the DisplayMate report as saying.

DisplayMate traced the display inferiority to Apple's insistence on using Sharp Display's IGZO screen display technology. Had Apple engineers looked deeper on Low Temperature Poly Silicon or LTPS, the Mini 2 would have achieved the same level of colour gamut seen in the original iPad.

And screen size is not also a problem as small tablet competitors of the second Mini build have successfully downscaled Retina-like screen implements. Case in point is the Nexus 7 2 or 2013 edition, which has a front real-estate that is 1-inch lesser than that of the Mini 2.

And why is colour gamut so crucial in the tablet landscape or the mobile device arena as a whole?

"A full colour gamut makes the displays look really good, as good as an HDTV and encourages people to buy downloaded content, which is a very important revenue source," DisplayMate's Raymond Soneira told CNET.

It appears too that when it comes to luring more practical buyers, who are power users at the same time, the Nexus 7 would be the runaway winner on the account solely of its more attractive pricing.

The Nexus 7 2 is available in three variants and the most basic configuration - 16GB and Wi-Fi access - sells for only $330. In comparison, the same iPad Mini 2 package leads to a cash setback of up to $400.

Those looking for the best Nexus 7 2 model on Google Play Store will only need to pay up $350 and they get to score the 32GB build with Wi-Fi and LTE connectivity, the latter a new addition to the latest Nexus devices on Google's portfolio.

The Mini 2 with Retina roughly in the same specs range costs about $630+.

Added bonus for the impatient shoppers is the immediate availability of the Nexus 7 2 whereas the Retina iPad Mini is likely to suffer supply shortages during the initial weeks of its global rollout, a scenario that analysts said would be the norm through the 2013 holiday season.