Today, Apple announced the iPad 2 and the tech world is buzzing with the details about this latest tablet offering to hit the market. Unlike last year when the iPad was the sole member of this growing class of devices, the Apple iPad 2 will join a growing rank of tablets that come in every shape, size and platform. To help you navigate this complex world of devices, we summarized the major features of the top tablets that are now or will soon be available. Take a look at the devices and see how they compare on paper.
The iPad 2 succeeds the original iPad with twice the number of processing cores, the addition of rear- and front-facing cameras, a new white color option, and an even sexier design. But, as of now, we have no word on how much RAM the new iPad is working with, which could be a potential deal-breaker if it’s not up to par with the competition – multi-tasking apps need lots of RAM, after all.
If money was no object and all five tablets were now available, which one would choose as your primary tablet device?
| iPad 2
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Motorola Xoom
|
HP Touchpad
|
LG G-Slate
|
BlackBerry PlayBook
|
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| Platform | iOS 4.3 | Android 3.0 Honeycomb | webOS 3.0 | Android 3.0 Honeycomb | BlackBerry Tablet OS (QNX) |
| Processor | 1GHz dual-core Apple A5 processor | 1GHz dual-core NVIDIA Tegra 2 processor | 1.2 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon dual-CPU APQ8060 | 1GHz dual-core NVIDIA Tegra 2 processor | 1GHz dual-core TI OMAP4 processor |
| RAM | 256 MB (?) 512 MB (?) | 1 GB | 1 GB | N/A | 1 GB |
| Storage | 16, 32, or 64 GB internal | 32 GB internal, microSDHC expansion | 16 or 32 GB internal | 32 GB internal | 16, 32, or 64 GB internal |
| Cellular | GSM model: UMTS/HSDPA/HSUPA (850, 900, 1900, 2100 MHz); GSM/EDGE (850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz)
Verizon model: CDMA EV-DO Rev. A (800, 1900 MHz) |
GPRS/EDGE Class 12, HSDPA 10.1 Mbps, 5.76 Mbps, EV-DO Rev. A | 3G and 4G models available later this year | 900/1700/2100 UMTS/HSPA+ for T-Mobile US | WiMAX, 4G |
| WiFi | 802.11b/g/n | 802.11b/g/n | 802.11b/g/n | 802.11b/g/n | 802.11a/b/g/n |
| Display size | 9.7 inches | 10.1 inches | 9.7 inches | 8.9 inches | 7 inches |
| Display resolution | 1024 x 768 | 1280 x 800 | 1024 x 768 | 1280 x 768 | 1024 x 600 |
| Display type | IPS LCD | LCD | LCD | LCD | LCD |
| Video-out | HDMI: requires Apple Digital AV Adapter | HDMI | —— | HDMI | HDMI |
| Rear camera | Unknown megapixel with 720P HD recording | 5 megapixel, AF, dual LED flash | No | 5 megapixel, LED flash, AF, 3D | 5-megapixel |
| Video recording | 720P | 720p at 30fps | —- | 1080P HD | 1080P HD |
| Front camera | Unknown megapixel with VGA recording | 2 megapixel | 1.3-megapixel | Yes | 3-megapixel |
| Video calling | Yes (WiFi only) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Location, sensors | AGPS, compass, accelerometer, gyroscope | GPS, AGPS, accelerometer, compass, gyroscope, barometer | GPS, AGPS, accelerometer, compass, gyroscope | GPS, AGPS, accelerometer, compass, gyroscope | GPS, AGPS, accelerometer, compass, gyroscope |
| SIM | Micro SIM | SIM | N/A | SIM | N/A |
| Weight | 601 grams | 730 grams / 25.75 oz. | 750grams / 26.10 oz. | 630 grams / 22.2 oz. | 400 grams / 14.11 oz. |
| Dimensions | 241.1 x 185.7 x 8.8 mm | 249 x 167.8 x 12.9 mm | 240 x 189 x 14 mm | 243 x 149.4 x 12.8 mm | 130 x 193 x 10 mm |
| Price & Availability | $499 for WiFi-only 16GB version, up to $829 for WiFi+3G 64GB version. Available March 11 in US, March 25 internationally | $799 full retail, $599 with two-year contract from Verizon Wireless | Unknown price. Available summer 2011 | Unknown price; available soon from T-Mobile | “Competitive”, under $500; possibly available April 10, officially due by end of March in U.S. |
