Battle of the Tablets!

November 23, 2010 |  Posted By : Guest  In : Developer Community, iPad

Guest Post by Chuong Nguyen

Round One: Apple iPad vs Samsung Galaxy Tab

Touch screens are in, and textile inputs are out.  Nowhere in the tech sector is this more evident than in the development of the latest tablet PCs.  Apple, in case you’ve been hiding under a rock for the last year, delivered an industry-changing device with arguably the first real landmark tablet PC, the Apple iPad.  Thin, sleek, glossy — it is everything an Apple device should be.  Besides being the first in the market, its’ success is further due to its relatively low price (MSRP $499 US) and long battery life, two things not usually associated with the company’s products.  However, Apple’s competitors have not been sitting idle while the Cupertino, CA-based company has been raking in the cash.  The first real contender for the tablet crown is Samsung’s Galaxy Tab.  Smaller and sporting a few more features, it’s a tablet that’s aiming to be king.

Let’s start with a comparison of the important specs:

Size

Winner: Samsung Galaxy Tab

If anyone has used the iPad for an extended period of time, they would know that the device is beefy. Sure, on paper a pound and a half doesn’t sound bad, but the wrists start to feel it after extended use.  The Galaxy Tab, on the other hand, weighs only 13.4 ounces — less than a third of the iPad’s weight (1.5 lbs).

The 7-inch screen of the Galaxy is much more portable than the iPad’s 9.7-inch screen.  Although the Apple iPad’s screen is the better in-plane switching (IPS) display, compared to the Samsung’s twisted nematic (TN) display, the Galaxy Tab is still generally preferable due to size.  One might think that a large screen is an advantage, but many people are accustomed to smartphone screens, and the iPad’s screen just seems overly large for the same functionality.  And although the Samsung’s tablet has a slightly lower resolution (1024 x 600 vs iPad’s 1024 x 768), it’s simply because it’s widescreen.  With the same vertical pixel count but at a reduced size, the Samsung Galaxy Tab is actually sharper due to more pixels per square inch.

Sharper screen, lighter, more portable… easy win for the Samsung Galaxy Tab.

Price

Winner: Samsung Galaxy Tab

With all the features that Samsung has squeezed into the Galaxy Tab, it’s amazing that its listed price is $599.  When you compare it to the 3G versions of 32GB iPad at $749, the Apple, as usual, looks overpriced.

Factor in things like the Galaxy’s two cameras and microSD slot, and it’s a no brainer.

Performance

Winner: Samsung Galaxy Tab

Apple’s iOS is a nice and polished operating system.  However, updates for it are few and far between, and it’s missing one vital aspect — Flash.  The Samsung Galaxy Tab is running on Google’s Android OS, version 2.2 nicknamed Froyo.  Not only is it a more customizable OS, but Samsung will have it tweaked to better fit its widescreen tablet format, and it will integrate all things Google seamlessly, such as Google Voice, Google Maps, and of course Gmail.

Battery

Winner: Apple iPad

The iPad has a tested 10-hour battery life with normal use, and Samsung is predicting only a 7-hour battery life.

Connectivity

Winner: Samsung Galaxy Tab

The Apple iPad and the Samsung Galaxy Tab are almost identical in this regard except for one major thing: carrier.  With the iPad, you’re stuck with AT&T, which hasn’t been getting praise for either its speed nor coverage.  The Galaxy gives you the option to pick between two carriers, Sprint and Verizon.  Also, Samsung has already set it up to be able to video conference (with the built-in front-facing 1.3 megapixel camera) over 3G, something the iPad can’t do.

Storage

Winner: Samsung Galaxy Tab

Once purchased, the iPad has a fixed storage amount with no option to expand, though you do have the option to purchase a 64GB model.  However, Apple has a tendency to overcharge for its space.  The Samsung Galaxy Tab will feature 32GB internal, and a microSD slot for expanded storage.  As the cost for flash memory decreases over time (as well as increases in capacity), the smart money is on Samsung.

Apps

Winner: Apple iPad

Although the Android Market has been growing exponentially from its inception, it still cannot match the breadth and depth of the Apple App Store.  With over 300,000 apps for the iOS, Google’s Android still has a lot of catching up to do. This is also evident in the number of apps each set of users tend to have on their device. In a recent survey Mobclix conducted on their exchange, they found that Android users have an average of 17 apps on their phone vs 28 apps for iPhone users. While this was specific to mobile devices, I still think this is an important data point to consider when comparing the two app marketplaces.

Camera

Winner: Samsung Galaxy Tab

Easy win for Samsung — the Apple iPad has no camera.  The Galaxy Tab has a 3-megapixel camera that can capture video in 720p HD resolution.  Samsung not only one-ups Apple in this regard, they also went ahead and included a second, front-facing 1.3-megapixel camera for video conferencing.  It’s effectively a two-up situation.

And the winner is…Samsung Galaxy Tab!

Although the Apple iPad had essentially — and single-handedly — created the market for the tablet PC, they faltered in a few key areas.  No camera, heavy and overly cumbersome size, and the closed OS, App and media system.  The Samsung Galaxy Tab is everything a tablet user wants: expandability, portability, and options, options, options.  All for less money.  This battle goes to the new contender, the Samsung Galaxy Tab.