iPad Alternatives

Samsung Galaxy Tab series: big iPad competition

The Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 was the first serious competitor for Apple's iPad, reviewers say, and in some ways, they add, it is a superior tablet. It is lighter and a touch slimmer than the iPad 2, and performance of the two tablet computers in benchmark tests is so close that comparisons are meaningless, according to most reviewers. The current iPad holds the edge in intensive gaming benchmarks, however.

Reviewers speak highly of the build quality of the Galaxy Tab 10.1, though some note that the back of the tablet is plastic, which lightens the weight but feels less luxurious than the iPad's metallic finish. Review after review praises the sleek design of the tablet, so strongly reminiscent of the iPad 2 that Apple has charged Samsung with copyright infringement in international courts. Battery life is not quite as long as the current iPad or the iPad 2, topping out at around eight to nine hours in most usage tests, but it's still enough to get through a work day. The bright, clear display is widely praised as one of the best around.

The Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 comes in two storage sizes: 16GB (*Est. $450 and up) and 32 GB (*Est. $550) . There is no microSD slot, and there's no other way to upgrade memory, so, as is the case with the iPad, it is important to choose your version appropriately, reviewers note. A version with 3G support is also available for use with Verizon. With a two-year contract, pricing is about $530 for the 16 GB version or $630 for the 32 GB version. Models equipped with 4G are also in the works. Verizon's monthly data plans start at $30 for 2 GB and run to $80 for 10 GB.

Multitasking is smooth in reviewers' tests -- it's a particular strength of the Android Honeycomb operating system as compared to Apple's iOS -- and video playback, including Flash (which Apple does not support), is excellent. While you're unlikely to use a tablet as your primary camera, the ones built into the Galaxy Tab 10.1 produce much pictures than the iPad 2, reviewers say; we've not seen comparisons to the current iPad, however. The sound system is surprisingly strong for a tablet this thin.

The major drawback of the Galaxy Tab 10.1 is the app selection. Review after review notes the superior array of applications available for the iPad's iOS operating system -- especially for apps designed or modified to run specifically on a tablet. Still, most reviewers say that all the major needs are met. An updated version of the tablet, called the Galaxy Tab 2 10.1, is expected to appear in stores in the first half of 2012, complete with the Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich operating system. Initial reports say that Samsung does not plan on upgrading the CPU, RAM or display resolution in the updated version.

Reviewers say the smaller Samsung Galaxy Tab 8.9 (*Est. $450 and up) is a mirror image of the Galaxy Tab 10.1, just 1.2 inches smaller, hence their names. Multiple sources test the Samsung tablet and find that in almost every aspect -- battery life, performance, display and more -- the two slates perform identically. The mixture of performance and portability earns the Galaxy Tab 8.9 high marks all around, but a couple of drawbacks exist. While critics report that the onscreen keyboard is fast and responsive, they say it can feel a little cramped, especially for users who are used to bigger tablets. An optional keyboard dock is available for $80. Additionally, several critics knock down the Galaxy Tab 8.9's rating because of its price; at $450, it costs the same as the 10.1-inch model and more than the reduced cost iPad 2.

The price leaves experts split on its usefulness. "If this tablet cost $300, I would recommend the crap out of it," Brent Rose writes at Gizmodo.com. If you're in the market for a Galaxy Tab and prefer being able to slip your slate in your coat pocket to having the biggest possible screen, experts say the Galaxy Tab 8.9 is the tablet to get -- assuming you're willing to spend $450 to get it.

If you need something more portable, Samsung offers the 7-inch Samsung Galaxy Tab 7 Plus (*Est. $350) , a refresh of the original Samsung Galaxy Tab 7. Like the other tablets in the Galaxy Tab lineup, critics say this model performs very smoothly and has a beautiful, albeit glare-prone display. It also has an IR blaster and comes bundled with the Peel app, which allows you to use the tablet as a universal remote control, although it lacks HDMI or USB ports.

While the Galaxy Tab 7 Plus is lauded by many as the best 7-inch tablet, critics note that if you aren't a fanatic of 7-inch form factor or the full-fledged tablet experience, better deals can be found elsewhere. A recent price drop alleviates some of the sticker shock mentioned when the tablet launched, but can't dispel it completely. "Those who just want a media consumption device are probably better off going the Nook or Kindle Fire route for half the price," Ross Miller writes at TheVerge.com. The reduced price iPad 2 costs just $50 more, and it's universally regarded as a superior device.

Additionally, a new Galaxy Tab 2 7.0 is scheduled to arrive at the same time as the Galaxy Tab 2 10.1, although it's not expected to be a major upgrade aside from the inclusion of Android 4.0.The people who do buy a Galaxy Tab 7 Plus tend to be very happy with their purchase; the slate carries a 4.4 out of 5 overall rating at Amazon.com in nearly 200 reviews, with very little negative feedback left by contributors.

The Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.7 (*Est. $500 and up) sports a 4G radio, a bright and beautiful Super AMOLED Plus display and a thin aluminum design, all of which wows the critics. TheVerge.com says the screen is probably second only to the iPad's Retina display. Power-wise, critics report that the powerful slate can handle most tasks with aplomb, although the device can become warm to the touch during intense gaming sessions, and the Android Honeycomb OS is frequently buggy. In the future, Samsung plans on upgrading the tablet to Android 4.0. The tablet includes the same IR blaster and Peel app combination found in the Galaxy Tab 7 Plus. Users can also use the tablet like a phone, thanks to its Verizon exclusivity.

All in all, critics find few bad things to say about the Galaxy Tab 7.7, but one major negative for reviewers is its lack of ports; Samsung isn't known for its connectivity support, but the Galaxy Tab 7.7 includes nothing but a dock connector, a micro-SD card reader and a headphone jack. Since it is cellular-enabled, there's also a SIM card slot.

Another commonly cited drawback is its high price tag. "The Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.7 delivers a beautiful screen and fast performance but our enthusiasm is ultimately tempered when the price is taken into account," Eric Franklin writes at CNET. The Galaxy Tab 7.7 is a Verizon exclusive, and it costs $500 with a two-year data plan contract, which adds to the cost considerably. Data plans are available in 2 GB (*Est. $30 per month), 5 GB (*Est. $50 per month) and 10 GB (*Est. $80 per month). If you'd rather skip the long term commitment, the Galaxy Tab 7.7 will set you back $700 sans contract -- a considerable premium over well-regarded tablets like the Apple iPad, Asus Eee Pad Transformer Prime and even the Galaxy Tab 10.1.

Sony Tablet S

Unlike the slate-like look of most tablets, the Wi-Fi only Sony Tablet S (*Est. $400 and up) features a wedge-shaped design that ComputerShopper.com's William Harrel says "is meant to mimic a magazine, bent at the fold, with one side thicker than the other." Critics praise the ergonomics of the odd-looking tablet, saying it feels balanced and light. The design also reduces glare on the screen.

The tablet, which is powered by a 1 GHz Nvidia Tegra 2 processor, is positioned as a media-consumption device, and critics say it delivers on that front. Speed and performance rival other top-of-the-line models. The 1,280-by-800-pixel, 9.4-inch, IPS, LED display is slightly smaller than the iPad's and the Galaxy Tab 10.1's, but critics say that between the reduced glare from the screen's angle and Sony's TruBlack technology, the picture quality is outstanding. "We could easily make out the scary blotches on Gwyeneth Paltrow's skin," Mark Spoonauer writes at Laptop Magazine, after watching the trailer for "Contagion." Audio is loud and clear-sounding. The tablet comes with a free six-month subscription to Sony's Music Unlimited service, the ability to play PSP and classic PlayStation One games, Sony's well-regarded ebook Reader software and DLNA capabilities, for streaming content from a computer. It includes an infrared transmitter and can be used as a universal remote control for your home gadgets.

Sounds good so far, but here's the rub: Many of the media services Sony offers with the Tablet S -- Music Unlimited, Video Unlimited and a store for PlayStation games -- have yet to see many titles and selections added, despite the fact that the Tablet S has been out for months. Additionally, while the TruBlack technology gives images a crisp look, several reviewers complain that it also makes the display a bit dim. The lack of an HDMI port on such a media-centric device also bugs some; there is a full-sized SD card slot, however, a feature the iPad and Galaxy Tab 10.1 lack. Battery life is shorter than with other tablets, and the Sony Tablet S uses a proprietary charge cord, as well.

Despite those drawbacks, experts generally appreciate what Sony has accomplished with the Tablet S, and it earns several high ratings and a spot on CNET's list of the top five tablets. "If … the PlayStation game catalog ramps up quickly, the Tablet S will catapult into the top tier of Android tablets," Spoonauer writes. Sony plans on updating its Android Honeycomb tablets, including the Tablet S, to Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich in the first half of 2012.

Lenovo ThinkPad Tablet

Its thick, rugged design may not appeal to many casual consumers, but reviewers say that business users on the hunt for a new slate should look at the 10.1-inch Lenovo ThinkPad Tablet (*Est. $480 and up) . The tablet's look mimics Lenovo's ThinkPad series of laptops and features a large number of business-friendly features, including physical buttons, pressure sensitive support for the N-Trig DuoSense digitizer pen (*Est. $35), optional 3G capabilities and an optional keyboard folio case (*Est. $100). It has ports galore, with USB 2.0, micro-USB, mini-HDMI, a headphone/microphone jack, and SD and SIM card slots. The tablet also comes loaded with apps that would be useful in the enterprise workplace, such as Citrix Receiver, a note taking app with handwriting recognition, the PrintShare mobile printing app and Documents 2 Go. The battery lasts eight hours or more in most evaluations.

The dual-core Tegra CPU and 1 GB of RAM deliver performance similar to most mainstream Android tablets, critics report, while the 1,280-by-800-pixel IPS display is colorful and offers wide viewing angles, although CNET's Donald Bell found it a bit dim. Experts say the audio from the single speaker doesn't match the video's excellence, however, because its sound is muted. "Worse, the single speaker is located on the bottom long side of the bezel where it's easy to obstruct with your finger or with your lap, making the sound even more faint," Avram Piltch writes at Laptop Magazine. The dual cameras draw neither praise nor scorn; reviewers label them average. A May 2012 update is scheduled to add Android 4.0 to the ThinkPad tablet.

"Lenovo's ThinkPad Tablet is the first Android device that really gives mobile professionals the tools they need to be productive along with the security IT departments demand," Piltch writes at the conclusion of his review -- a comment echoed by every other reviewer. They say more casual users who don't need the business-related bells and whistles should stick to an iPad, Galaxy Tab or Asus Eee Pad, however.

Toshiba Thrive

Compared to the swans elsewhere in this report, the Toshiba Thrive (*Est. $380 and up) is a bit of an ugly duckling, reviewers say. It is not as slim as the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1, not as innovative as the Asus Eee Pad Transformer series (covered in our section on convertible tablets) and not as beautiful as the Apple iPad. But reviewers appreciate the Thrive as an honest geek's machine. It's got great hardware, lots of ports, a rare swappable battery and a "good clean install" of Android's 3.1 Honeycomb operating system, as SlashGear.com notes. Toshiba plans on releasing over-the-air updates to upgrade Thrive tablets to Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich in the first half of 2012.

At 1.66 pounds, the Toshiba Thrive is relatively heavy for a slate. The Thrive sports a 1,280-by-800-pixel resolution, IPS screen with a 16:10 aspect ratio and wide viewing angles, reviewers write. It's one of the few tablets on the market to support a full-size SD card slot, not a micro, making memory easily upgradable to 128 GB. Built-in memory varies by model, either 16 GB (*Est. $380 and up) or 32 GB (*Est. $380) , with an 8 GB (*Est. $380) version also available, but scarce. It also supports both HDMI and USB, and its file management system is easy to use, CNET's Eric Franklin notes. "The Toshiba Thrive is a bulky but aggressively priced Honeycomb tablet that earns its girth with full port support and a removable battery," he adds. Critics note that its battery life falls below average lengths, and would presumably be lower in the 4G variations, although no critics test a Thrive with mobile broadband enabled.

A smaller variant is also available, the aptly named Toshiba Thrive 7-inch (*Est. $380 and up) . Critics appreciate its micro-SD, micro-USB and micro-HDMI ports and love the colorful, responsive screen. The dual-core delivers plenty of performance, as well. The bright screen and portable size make the Thrive 7-inch a decent choice for on-the-run video consumption. Most experts say, however, that the tablet's lackluster battery life -- clocking in at just five hours in Laptop Magazine's tests, well below the tablet average -- and premium price tag make the Amazon Kindle Fire a better option for that role. Critics also dislike the slow, poorly placed camera and flimsy build quality.

BlackBerry PlayBook

The BlackBerry PlayBook, with a 7-inch, 1,024-by-600-pixel display, comes in three configurations: 16 GB (*Est. $200) , 32 GB (*Est. $250) and 64 GB (*Est. $300) . All are Wi-Fi only. The device runs the proprietary BlackBerry Tablet OS, which supports Flash video and multitasking. The hardware lineup includes a 1 GHz Intel Celeron processor, 1 GB of RAM and two cameras, so the tablet can be used for video conferencing. It weighs under a pound and is less than half an inch thick. Built-in Bluetooth can be used to pair the tablet with a BlackBerry smartphone to sync calendars, email, documents and other files.

Engadget.com and others praised the PlayBook's responsive performance, hardware and business uses when the tablet was launched in 2011. The original high price tag, the 16GB version cost $500 at release, coupled with the lack of native email and contact applications, a dearth of apps and the occasionally glitchy operating system led to poor sales of the tablet. Research In Motion responded with massive price cuts and the BlackBerry PlayBook OS 2 operating system, a free update that brought the essential native communication apps missing from the original offering. The updated OS prompted several reviewers to re-evaluate the tablet.

For the most part, critics say OS 2 shines where the original PlayBook OS stumbled. The current Messages app manages conversations from social media as well as email, and the native contact and calendar are straightforward and functional, although Engadget.com's Dana Wollman disliked how the contact app handled social media accounts. "We have plenty of friends in LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter who appeared two or three separate times in the list," she writes. "You can manually link them together if you're so inclined, but that sounds only marginally more entertaining than manually defragmenting your hard drive bit by bit."

The PlayBook OS 2 adds Android app support, though experts say the number of apps is limited and BlackBerry-specific apps are few. Other current features allow you to use the PlayBook as a controller for devices that support Bluetooth keyboards and mice, or "print" documents from your PC to your PlayBook,

"This is the operating system the Playbook should have shipped with," David Pierce writes at TheVerge.com, and other experts agree. The blend of the improved software with the PlayBook's impressive hardware and its sub-$200 price point turns critics into fans, though most say that it might be too late to win over a large audience. "This is a positive refresh that current owners will want to apply as soon as is readily possible, but it won't bring many new users to the fold," Wollman concludes. Still, if you prefer power over a wide array of apps, critics say the PlayBook is a cheap, decent choice for a tablet.