Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 details
Release date: July 2011
OS:Android 3.1 Honeycomb (upgradeable to Android 4.0)
The Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 strode into the tablet arena in
the summer of last year and has become a tough act to follow for other Android
tabs.
Samsung made it clear who it was competing with the Galaxy
Tab 10.1, price-matching the tablet with the iPad 2, which was launched a few
months prior to it.
You do get bang for your buck, with the Galaxy Tab 10.1
offering up a quality 10.1-inch (1280 x 800) display, 1GHz dual-core Tegra 2
processor, 1GB RAM, 3.15MP rear camera with 720p video recording, 2MP front
camera and the choice of 16GB, 32GB or 64GB of internal storage.
It's smaller, thinner and lighter than the new iPad, and
with a screen which matches the iPad 2 the Galaxy Tab 10.1 provides a real
alternative in an Apple-dominated tablet market.
Quick verdict
The Galaxy Tab 10.1 is one of the best Android tablets
around, but Samsung's highly competitive pricing is yet to drop. Competitors
have reduced their asking prices, but if it's quality you want you'll have to
pay for it.
Number 3: Asus
Transformer Prime
Asus Transformer Prime details
Release date: January 2012
OS: Android 3.2 Honeycomb (upgradeable to Android 4.0)
Asus wowed us when it launched its Eee Pad Transformer TF101
and with the Transformer Prime it has managed to go one better.
The Transformer Prime packs a mighty 1.3GHz quad-core
processor into a super-slim 8.6mm chassis and although it shipped with Android
3.2, the Prime was the first Android tab to receive the upgrade to Ice Cream
Sandwich.
That huge processor means using the Transformer Prime is a
breeze, with it able to process full HD movies and multiple apps with ease.
You also get a super-crisp 10.1-inch IPS display (1280
x800), a surprisingly good 8MP camera capable of recording 1080p video and 32GB
of internal storage, with a microSD card slot available if you need more space.
Quick verdict
It's a close run battle for the top high-end Android tablet
accolade, but the Transformer Prime just pips the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 with
its super fast Tegra 3 quad-core processor, slender style and additional
keyboard dock.
Number 2: Google
Nexus 7
Google Nexus 7 details
UK release date: July 2012
OS:Android 4.1 Jelly Bean
With a quad-core processor, beefy 12-core GPU and the first
device to run Android Jelly Bean, the Google Nexus 7 certainly packs a punch.
The 7-inch HD IPS display means you can easily hold the
Nexus 7 in one hand, making it a perfect reading device, as well as great
portable entertainment machine.
Then consider the 8GB version is available and you'll start to realise that this might
well be the bargain of the century - the 16GB model is still a steal.
Ok so there are a few short-comings, no 3G support for on
the go data, no microSD card slot, meaning you're stuck with 16GB at most and
no rear camera - although we're still in the field of reckoning tablets
shouldn't replace your cameraphone or point-and-shoot snapper.
For the ultimate tablet experience the Google Nexus 7 gets
close, but doesn't quick hit the mark of the new iPad, but as a cheap
alternative you can't really go wrong.
Quick Verdict
The Google Nexus 7 is quite simply the best budget tablet on
the market. Nothing in its price range is able to touch it, and while there's
rumours of an iPad Mini and Amazon Kindle Fire 2, the Nexus 7 is going to be a
tough one to beat.
If you're looking for a tablet which doesn't cost an arm or
leg, but provides enough power to act as an extra limb then look no further,
for the Google Nexus 7 is the tablet for you.
Number 1: new iPad
We're not a fan of the name, but we reckon the new iPad (or
iPad 3 as most people refer to it as) is the best tablet out there.
The stunning Retina Display is certainly the highlight of
Apple's latest tab and you won't see a better tablet screen on the market
today.
It may be slightly bigger and heavier than the iPad 2, but
with a bigger battery, beefed up processor and THAT screen you can hardly blame
Apple for this – plus it still keeps the famous iPad styling which has become
something of a cult classic.
The price tag is eye-watering however, and the lack of widgets
and customisation will put some people off – but there are plenty of Android
tablets which can satisfy your need for tweaking.
The Android experience cannot compete when it comes to
dedicated apps, with the App Store rising head and shoulders above the
competition, offering reams of quality applications made especially for the
iPad.
Quick verdict
Dodgy name aside, the new iPad is the crème de la crème in
the tablet market. The eye-popping Retina Display is something to behold, the
vast array of tablet apps in the App Store is something Google Play can't touch
and the OS simply just works.
If you're pockets are deep and your need is great, then the
new iPad is the tablet for you - and the tablet which all others are compared
to, until next year at least.
techradar.com
1:17 AM
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