This year is going to be the year of the touchscreen tablet, of that there can be no doubt.While tablet PCs have been around for yonks, only now are they becoming the desirable, usable and functional devices that we've always wanted them to be – and it's about time too.The iPad is currently the most obvious example of how tablets are going mainstream, but that's not to say that all tablets released from now on are guaranteed to be super awesome.
Asus Eee Pad Transformer TF101 :
Specs: Android 3.0, Nvidia Tegra 2 dual-core CPU, 10.1-inch capacitive display at 1280x800, full-size keyboard dock, card reader, HDMI-out, rear-facing camera, front-facing camera.
With every electronics manufacturer in the entire universe looking to release an Android tablet in 2011, individual products are all going to need some kind of unique selling point.
This is especially true with Android 3.0 products, because the vast majority of them are all packing near identical innards – namely Nvidia's Tegra 2 dual core CPU platform.The LG Optimus Pad, then, has its 3D camera. The Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1V has its 8MP snapper. And the Android 2.3-toting HTC Flyer comes with its own Sense UI overlay.So it makes perfect sense that Asus - the company that gave birth to the netbook - would seek to position its first Android tablet in a niche it knows well.
Ever since the iPad was unleashed on the world like an Apple-scented hurricane in 2010, the humble netbook's days have been numbered. But the problem was that until now, there wasn't a product that truly offered the functionality of a netbook and the portability, convenience and not to mention the pleasure of using a tablet.The Asus Eee Pad Transformer TF101 is that product. With its detachable keyboard and trackpad dock, it's a powerful Android tablet while on the move, and a functional Android-powered netbook when you're sitting at a desk.
The back of the tablet and the keyboard is covered in a honeycomb-style texture, which makes it quite grippy to hold in your hand.That said, build quality doesn't quite live up to the impossibly high standards of the iPad 2. The plastic bodywork feels mostly solid, but there's a fraction of give there that slightly undermines what is otherwise a very lovely-looking device.
Another small negative is the size of the thing. The 10.1-inch screen is surrounded by a black bezel and a further metallic surround, which makes the device almost 20mm wider than it would be without them.It's also slightly heavier than some of the other tablets around. At 680g it's still not exactly heavy, and with the keyboard dock attached it feels about the same weight as a decent netbook.
And there is one enormous positive that we've yet to mention. The price.
The Transformer is available from as little as £379, while it'll cost you just £429 for the tablet and keyboard dock together. That means it's significantly cheaper than the likes of the Motorola Xoom, while offering arguably a lot more.
PRODUCT SUMMARY
For
>Great performance
>Decent screen
>Excellent features
>Keyboard works
>The price is right
Against
>Poor camera
>Still not many Honeycomb apps
>Fiddly onscreen keyboard
>No USB charging
Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1:
Specs: Android 3.0, 1GHz dual core CPU, 1GB RAM, 16GB/32GB storage, 10.1-inch capacitive screen at 1280x800 (WXGA), 3MP rear-facing camera, 2MP front-facing camera, 3G, 599g.
The outstanding Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 Honeycomb tablet is lighter and a hair thinner than the Apple iPad 2, and has a smaller footprint than either the Motorola Xoom or the Acer Iconia Tab A500, which are heavier and bulkier than most tablets.
The Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 is a major contender. thicker and heavier device has since been discontinued (It looked as if Vodafone might pick up the 10.1V tab but it is now waiting to release the newer 10.1 model).
this is one light and thin tablet. At just 8.6mm, it is 0.2mm thinner than the iPad 2. And you know what? At 565g it's also 36g lighter.
It's as though someone at Samsung sat down and demanded that the 10.1 have world-beating raw system specs.The Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 is a marvel of engineering, given its size. Holding one in your hand, you might mistake it for a truncated version of a Samsung LED HDTV, which are also market leaders. There's a slight edge around the screen that is not touch enabled, a silver edge, and an all-white back.
One subtle change is that the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 has a 7000mAh battery for all-day tablet use. In our tests, it lasted about nine hours for everyday tasks. The Apple iPad 2 battery is 6600mAh.
The 10.1 also has a four-way accelerometer and gyro (the Apple iPad 2 uses a three-way accelerometer and gyro - starting to see a pattern here?). That may seem like a minor upgrade, but most of the games we tested on the Galaxy Tab 10.1 responded faster to quick turns and screen rotations, and generally worked better for controlling games. It also has great side speakers for playing music and movie audio, and plays smooth 1080p video.
And of course, the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 matches the features of other Android tabs: built-in GPS, support for Adobe Flash in the browser (you still have to download it on your own), 1290 x 800 screen resolution, Bluetooth and Wi-Fi, the Nvidia Tegra 2 dual-core processor and Android tablet app.
The Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 is a smart buy for anyone who wants a light and portable Android tablet. Google still has a ways to go on apps for Android – there are only a few dozen that are seriously worth downloading, compared to thousands of worthy iOS apps.
PRODUCT SUMMARY
For
>Android 3.0 is great
>It's a true multitasker
>8MP camera is class-leading
>Battery life is decent
>Excellent screen
Against
>Glitches need fixing before release
>No external storage port
>No MicroUSB port
Motorola Xoom :
Specs: Android 3.0, Nvidia Tegra 2 dual-core CPU, 1GB RAM, 32GB Flash storage, 10.1-inch capacitive LCD at 1280x800, proximity sensor, ambient light sensor, barometer, gyroscope, 5MP rear-facing camera, 2MP front-facing camera, 3G, 730g.
The Motorola Xoom is the first Android 3.0 tablet to hit the market. That makes it the first Android tablet to ship with an OS that's designed especially for big screens, and that's why it's so exciting.
Every tech gadget must be judged solely on what it provides, its purpose in life, and whether it will help you accomplish tasks and enjoy your media.With the Motorola Xoom, it's too easy to make constant iPad (and iPad 2) comparisons.Yet, the Xoom is the first Android 3.0 tablet, the first really powerful tablet with a dual-core processor, and a sleek, 10.1-inch slate that is easy on the eyes.There's no question the Xoom is a brilliant tablet, one that is incredibly flexible in terms of media you can put on the device.With a 5-megapixel front camera and a 2-megapixel rear-facing camera, 32GB of local storage (plus a potential for more SD storage after the next software update), 1GB of RAM, 4G support once the LTE roll-out starts and after a software upgrade, and 10-hours of battery life, the Xoom has the hardware specifications to make you sit up and take notice.Plus, the new Android 3.0 tablet interface lives and breathes in the open source world.
Frankly, the Motorola Xoom blows the Samsung Galaxy Tab out of the water, and that is saying something. We'll keep our iPad comparisons to a minimum (hey, if you wanted one of those you would have bought one by now, right?) and ratchet down our comparisons to the iPad 2 which ships in the UK on 25 March.
The Xoom is the best Android tablet around and a device that is well worth serious consideration.
However, before we go any further, we need to address pricing - the Motorola Xoom is currently available for pre-order for £499. The 3G version is set to cost £100 more at £599.
PRODUCT SUMMARY
For
>Android 3.0
>1080p video playback
>Dual-core CPU
>Decent camera
>Excellent features
>Excellent performance
Against
>Few tablet apps yet
>Fiddly to hold
>Expansion slot has issues
>No Flash support - yet
>It's expensive!
BlackBerry Playbook :
Specs: BlackBerry Tablet OS (QNX), 1GHz Cortex A9 dual core CPU, 1GB RAM, 7-inch capacitive LCD at 1024x600, 3MP front-facing camera, 5MP rear-facing camera, 400g.
With a name that sounds like something you'd use at a sporting event, the BlackBerry PlayBook is the latest – and most unique – Apple iPad 2 challenger.
Running a new OS called QNX, with quirky features like bridging to a BlackBerry phone for secure email and an oddly confusing initial setup, the PlayBook is a stark departure from the more iPad-like Motorola Xoom. Business-minded features such as built-in viewers for spreadsheets and word processing files are welcome, and the PlayBook gets extra credit for being fast and nimble on a dual-core 1GHz processor.
Throw in a 3MP front-facing camera, a 5MP rear-facing one, a bright and crisp 1200x600 resolution screen, a light 425g body and all the typical gyro, accelerometer and GPS sensors and you have the makings for a powerful 7-inch tablet.
As we discovered in our first hands on test, the PlayBook is sorely lacking third-party apps, but does show promise.The powerful multi-tasking, where you can run a video in one window and play a game in another with both apps running concurrently, is a first of its kind for a mainstream tab.
File storage capabilities, support for an HDMI connection for playing 1080p video and a slick interface make the PlayBook an interesting anomaly. Unfortunately, the overall experience can't compete with either the iPad 2 or the Xoom, and even falters compared to the original Samsung Galaxy Tab.
Yet, we're still hopeful that Research in Motion (RIM) will keep working with developers (it gave them free PlayBooks if they created an app) and boost the device out of niche territory.
PRODUCT SUMMARY
For
>1080p HD video playback
>Fast dual-core processor
>HDMI mirroring
>Secure email
>Bright, responsive screen
Against
>Hardly any worthwhile apps
>Confusing bridge to phone
>No email client
>Smaller screen
LG Optimus Pad :
Specs: Android 3.0, 1GHz Tegra 2 CPU, 1GB RAM, 32GB storage, 8.9-inch capacitive screen at 1024x768, 2x 5MP rear-facing cameras for 3D capture, 2MP front-facing camera, phone-friendly 3G, 630g.
The LG Optimus Pad has been a long time coming.After months of persistent rumours, LG finally announced its 3D tablet at MWC in February.
Rebadged as the T-Mobile G-Slate in the US, it was long rumoured that the Optimus Pad would pair 3D video capture with a glasses-free 3D display like the one on the Nintendo 3DS and LG's own forthcoming Optimus 3D handset.
However, that turned out not to be the case. What we have here is a Tegra 2-powered Android 3.0 honeycomb tablet with dual 5MP rear-firing cameras for 3D video capture. The display is not 3D compatible in any way – it's a standard 8.9-inch LCD capacitive touchscreen with a 15:9 aspect ratio and 1280 x 768 WXGA resolution.
On-board memory is provided by 1GB of RAM, while our test unit came with 32GB internal flash storage.It's a fairly generic-looking device and feels so in the hand - it definitely lacks the wow factor of some of the other tablets we've seen of late.It weighs 630g and is substantially thicker than the likes of the Apple iPad 2 – so in general it doesn't have the same premium feel of Apple's tablet or the Motorola Xoom. It feels plasticky rather than solid.
PRODUCT SUMMARY
For
>Android 3.0 works a treat
>It's quick and responsive
>Records 3D video
>Plenty of options and help for recording 3D
>5MP stills camera is good
>Polaris Office included
Against
>Ludicrously expensive
>It's fat and heavy
>No 3D screen
>Still not many Android 3.0 apps
>Plasticky build
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