The holidays are upon us and with them comes the battle of the seven-inch tablets. Now that the Kindle Fire HDX has hit the market, buyers have an alternative to the Nexus 7.

Lined up side by side, both devices have their pros and cons when it comes to hardware, software, and display.

When it comes to pixels, both tablets deliver a 1200 x 1920 resolution on their seven-inch screens. However, the Nexus 7 is equipped with LED backlight while its Amazon-backed competitor does not.

Users can view and take pictures on both the devices but the Nexus 7 is better for those who wish to capture the world around them rather than just Skype. The Kindle Fire HDX only has a front-facing 1.3 MP camera that, although not particularly strong, will get the job done if you feel like video chatting. The Nexus 7, on the other hand, is more versatile with a both a 1.2 MP front-facing lens and a 5 MP rear camera, according to the International Business Times.

If you are taking advantage of the Nexus' photo system, be sure not to take too many pictures because storage options are slim. Although neither tablet has a Mirco SD slot for additional memory, the Nexus 7 only comes in 16 GB and 32 GB models while the Kindle Fire HDX is also available in a 64 GB version.

Although both devices run versions of android Jelly Bean (Nexus can update to KitKat), the Kindle Fire HDX locks users out of the Google Play store, a factor that severely limits a user's app buying capabilities, according to Gotta Be Mobile.

An 16 GB Nexus 7 sells for $229 from Google Play while the 16 GB Kindle Fire HDX also sells for $229 from Amazon.

Tags: technology Kindle Fire Nexus 7