When comparing the Apple iPad Air with its younger brother, the iPad Mini, it's really six of one, a smaller half-dozen of the other.

Both devices come with Retina displays in the same resolution, both come in a variety of storage sizes, peaking at 128GB, and both have A7 processors, according to the Apple website.

Pricing

So which should you buy? You guessed it, the answer isn't straightforward. One iPad wasn't created vastly superior to another. It really depends what you want your iPad to do. Or how much you want to pay for it.

The iPad Air comes with a 9.7-inch screen and starts at $499 for the 16GB model. The iPad Mini has a 7.9-inch screen and its 16GB model starts at $399. Shopping around online can yield cheaper results, however.

Specs

If you care about more than price alone, the CNet review of both devices claims that the edge in performance goes to the iPad Air, if only by a hair.

The A7 processor on the Air is slightly faster than the chip on the Mini and certain apps work better on the bigger device. But Scott Stein of CNet says, "I wouldn't say you're gaining an extra $100 worth of performance," on the Air.

Both devices run faster than the previous edition of the iPad Mini, and run significantly better than the fourth-generation iPad. The Air and Mini both have more than 10 hours of battery life out of the box.

It comes down to particulars. To save money, go with the Mini. If your eyesight is bad, go with the Air. Only care about productivity? Pick the Air, although Stein says it is a minute difference.

"Here's the best news: you can't really go wrong ... They should both be fast, have up-to-date displays, and are closer in size and weight to each other than ever before. So, you save $100 and get a physically smaller screen, or you don't."