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  • Apple iPad 2 vs Samsung Galaxy 10.1
Technology Articles > Gadgets > Tablets > Apple iPad 2 vs Samsung Galaxy 10.1

As technology advances further more, mobile devices such as phones and tablets are becoming a hot item. Apple and Samsung have released their new tablets. Apple released the iPad 2 March 11 and Samsung released the Galaxy 10.1 June 17th. Both tablets have gone back to the drawing board for their respective tablets. Lets see who has won this bout.

Specs
When it comes down to outright power, both tablets are both very good. Apple put their new dual core A5 chip, while Samsung went with Nvidia’s Tegra 2 dual core CPU(central processing unit). Both companies processors have a 1GHz output(for each core) while maintaining a low energy need to help balance battery life. In the aspect of the CPU they are basically tied as far as processing power. When speaking of RAM however, the Galaxy 10.1 is a clear winner(with 1GB over the iPad’s 512MB). Having said that though, RAM does not really matter when it comes to tablets. In the terms of storage, this is a bit of a shaky show down. The Galaxy is only offered in 16GB and 32 GB, but a mass storage USB 2.0 can be attached. The iPad 2 comes in 16GB, 32GB, and 64GB. Though you will pay nearly $300 dollars more than the other tabs for the extra space. Depending on what one uses the tab for, this can be a win or lose situation. With the complications of external storage devices created by the OS in the Galaxy, the iPad is most likely the winner here.
Winner: iPad 2

Video
When it comes to output display of the two tabs, Galaxy 10.1 is the clear winner. The Galaxy video is 1080p, while the iPad 2 can only display up to 720p. The iPad 2 can produce 1080p output to an external device with the Apple Digital AV adapter though.The Galaxy has a resolution of 1280x800, where as the iPad 2 has an output of 1024x768. This is really just a viewing preference as both resolutions are very good. If it came down to choosing the winner, it would be the Galaxy. Reason: The Galaxy not only has a larger resolution, but also uses PLS(plane to line switching) technology which is said to be better than the IPS(in-plane switching) that is used by the iPad2(and many other tabs). This technology helps the user view at angles without the screen or image fading. Another big thing for the video, is the Galaxy’s ability to use Adobe Flash and Sunsoft Java. This has been the forefront of major discussions for much of Apple’s mobile products. It has been rumored that Adobe is or will be giving into letting Apple’s H.264 video rendering to be able to use a variation of Flash, though that remains to be seen.
Winner: Galaxy 10.1

Camera
The first iPad did not have cameras, period. Apple new better this time and put a front VGA camera with a rear camera capable of recording 720p videos. It is not really known what the megapixel output of the iPad 2 really is, though it has been speculated it is 1.0 or less. The Galaxy has a 2.0 megapixel front camera and a 3.0 rear facing camera also capable of taking 720p video. While it was good of Apple to actually have cameras this time for their FaceTime app, they clearly did not go above and beyond on them. The Galaxy 10.1 has the clear advantage on this one.
Winner: Galaxy 10.1

Size
When it comes to talking about size of the two tablets, they are almost identical. The iPad 2 has slimmed down quite a bit from its predecessor. The iPad 2 measures in with a 9.5 inch height and a 7.31 inch width with a .34 depth. While the Galaxy 10.1 has a 6.9 inch height and a 10.1 width with a .34 inch depth. The Galaxy is named for its 10.1 inch screen, and thus is most likely the better, though not by much. As far as weight goes they’re also fairly identical. The iPad 2 is almost 21oz where as the Galaxy is 20oz. Not much of a difference in the weight department or one that is even noticeable.
Winner: Tie

Connectivity
When it comes to the ability to connect to the Internet, both tabs are about the same. Both offer Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n capability to either a hotspot or a wireless router. The only difference is that the iPad 2 has a few models that come with Wi-Fi and 3G capabilities through AT&T or Verizon. This is a big deal when it comes to traveling with a tablet. With the iPad 2 having 3G availability a user would not have to be near a hotspot or a wireless router for Internet connection. Both tablets are Bluetooth 2.1 enabled with EDR technology.
Winner: iPad 2

OS
The Samsung Galaxy uses is an Android ran tablet, and thus runs Androids Honeycomb 3.1 OS. This operating system has been either loved or hated. The Honeycomb has great innovative technologies, but has been said to be unstable and glitchy at times. The iPad 2 uses Apple’s iOS 4. The iPad’s OS has always been known for its stability and being user friendly. Not that the Honeycomb isn’t, but with the new iOS 4, Apple has dealt another knock out punch. The reason for the iOS 4 being the winner in this case is because of its stability and Apple’s countless apps available. The Android still remains a relatively unknown OS. With more apps and the upcoming release of their new OS, Ice Cream Sandwich, this could change the balance of power for tablet’s OS, but this still remains to be seen.
Winner: iPad 2

Overall both of these tablets are great. No matter which way one would go, both tabs are great and offer their own unique features. Apple’s iPad is the best known tablet out there, which makes it a monster in the tablet department. Though as tablets heat up and more competitors are coming out this could change. Especially if the Android’s Ice Cream Sandwich OS really does what is says its going to. Also, if Android’s popularity rises, this could mean more apps, which at the moment hurts it. In the end Apple iPad 2 is the clear winner, but this could very well change later this year with the new OS from Android.