MOBILE TECHNOLOGY
2012 Tablet Comparison Guide
By Will Shanklin
November 5, 2012
How do the top tablets of !" #o$pa%e&
Tablets a%e e'e%ywhe%e( No $atte% whe%e yo) t)%n this holiday shoppin* season+ yo),ll see the$(
-pple,s [Link] is still in the d%i'e%,s seat+ b)t its field of #o$petito%s is %apidly *%owin*( How do
yo) so%t th%o)*h all the noise+ and $ake the best p)%#hase& Look no f)%the% than o)% !" Tablet
Co$pa%ison G)ide(
/iew all
Spe#s a%en,t e'e%ythin*+ b)t they #an s)**est a de'i#e,s #apabilities( O)% #o$pa%ison hi*hli*hts
the $ost i$po%tant $eas)%able #ate*o%ies+ as well as those ha%d0to0define intan*ibles(
We #ondensed o)% list to the $ost pop)la% tablets of the season( They a%e1
-pple [Link] 23th *ene%ation4
-pple [Link] $ini
Goo*le5Sa$s)n* Ne6)s "!
Goo*le5-s)s Ne6)s 7
-$a8on 9indle :i%e H; 27<4
Mi#%osoft S)%fa#e =T
Ba%nes > Noble Nook H;
The%e a%e o$issions( ;i**in* deepe% wo)ld yield de'i#es like the T%ansfo%$e% .ad Infinity and
Gala6y Note "!("( The%e a%e also 'a%iations on the in#l)ded tablets+ like the [Link] + Nook H;?+
and 9indle :i%e H; @(A<( .e%haps we,ll ta#kle these de'i#es late%( :o% now+ we na%%owed it down
to an elite se'en(
Witho)t f)%the% ado+ let,s #o$pa%e the best tablets of !"(
Dimensions
O)% field is filled with th%ee "!0in#h tablets+ and fo)% 70in#h tablets( Those s#%een si8es a%e %o)*h
ballpa%ks+ as yo),ll soon see(
In te%$s of s)%fa#e a%ea+ the Ne6)s 7 is the s$allest+ and the S)%fa#e is the la%*est( The beefy
Nook H; is the thi#kest+ and the s'elte [Link] $ini is the thinnest(
-ll of the tablets #an be )sed in eithe% po%t%ait o% lands#ape+ b)t the S)%fa#e =T and Ne6)s "! a%e
the only ones intended p%i$a%ily fo% lands#ape(
Weight
With the Nook H; hot on its heels+ the [Link] $ini takes the p%i8e fo% li*htest tablet( The s$all
tablets ha'e othe% t%adeoffs+ b)t they,%e the $ost #o$fo%table to hold fo% e6tended pe%iods(
S)%fa#e is the hea'iest of the th%ee "!0in#he%s+ followed by the 3th0*ene%ation [Link](
Display
On pape%+ the Ne6)s "! wins the %esol)tion p%i8e( In p%a#ti#e+ it+ the [Link]+ and Nook H; a%e all
e6t%e$ely sha%p(
The S)%fa#e has the least pi6els pe% in#h+ b)t its Clea%Type 2s)b0pi6el %ende%in*4 te#hnolo*y
*i'es it so$e leeway( That $ay lea'e the [Link] $ini with the lowest pe%#ei'ed pi6el density(
Processor
The days of sin*le #o%e tablets a%e lon* *one( O)% list has fi'e d)al #o%e+ and two B)ad #o%e
p%o#esso%s( Chip $an)fa#t)%e%s in#l)de -pple+ Sa$s)n*+ N/I;I-+ and Te6as Inst%)$ents(
RAM
The S)%fa#e and Ne6)s "! ha'e the $ost %ando$0a##ess $e$o%y 2=-M4+ and [Link] $ini has the
least(
torage
-ll the tablets a%e a'ailable in $)ltiple sto%a*e options(
The%e a%e a #o)ple of #a'eats1 Windows =T takes )p lots of spa#e+ so S)%fa#e,s a'ailable sto%a*e
is "C0"@ GB less than what,s listed( Its $i#%oS; #a%d slot+ tho)*h+ helps to $ake )p fo% that( It
and the Nook H; a%e the lone de'i#es with e6te%nal sto%a*e(
Wireless
Most of these tablets a%e Wi0:i only( The [Link]+ [Link] $ini+ and Ne6)s 7 a%e the only de'i#es sold
in #ell)la% data $odels 2LTE fo% [Link]+ HS.-? fo% Ne6)s 74(
!attery
Take this #ate*o%y with a few *%ains of salt+ as these a%e esti$ates( Most deli'e% *ood 2if not
*%eat4 )pti$es+ with S)%fa#e bein* the $ost B)estionable(
Cameras
If yo) want the best #a$e%as+ look at the Ne6)s "! and the two [Link]( Look away f%o$ the Nook
H;+ as it has none(
"ntangibles
This is whe%e the two [Link] shine( The -pp Sto%e has o'e% 7D+!!! tablet0spe#ifi# apps( None of
the othe% platfo%$s #o$e #lose( :o% $any #)sto$e%s+ this spe# t%)$ps all othe%s(
S)%fa#e has two keyboa%d #o'e%s 2sold sepa%ately4+ whi#h Mi#%osoft is $a%ketin* as inte*%al
#o$panions( The To)#h Co'e% is )niB)e 2it has p%ess)%e0sensiti'e keys4+ b)t yo) #an b)y thi%d0
pa%ty keyboa%d #o'e%s fo% othe% tablets(
In addition to the f)ll0si8ed [Link]+ the Ne6)s "! and Nook H; also ha'e %a8o%0sha%p displays( The
Ne6)s "!,s display has the hi*hest %esol)tion of any #o$$e%#ial tablet(
The Ne6)s 7 2as well as the Ne6)s "!4 ships with -nd%oid 3(+ Eellybean( Fnlike $ost -nd%oid
de'i#es+ the Ne6)s tablets ha'e no $an)fa#t)%e% skin+ and will %e#ei'e f)t)%e )pdates B)i#kly(
If yo) in'est in the 9indle :i%e+ yo),d bette% like -$a8on( The tablet,s <ope%atin* syste$< is a
hea'ily0skinned 'e%sion of -nd%oid 3(!+ I#e C%ea$ Sandwi#h( It,s essentially a sto%ef%ont fo%
-$a8on+ with hea'ily0feat)%ed #ontent f%o$ -$a8on(#o$+ 9indle+ Instant /ideo+ and M.G(
((( ditto fo% the Nook H;+ only with Ba%nes > Noble #ontent(
tarting prices
-ll of the tablets a%e sold at diffe%ent p%i#e points+ b)t these p%i#es %efle#t the Wi0:i only base
$odels(
The Ne6)s 7+ 9indle :i%e H;+ and Nook H; a%e the #heapest 2FSH!!4( The [Link] $ini #a%%ies a
H"G! p%e$i)$ o'e% the se'en0in#h slates( ;ependin* on yo)% needs+ its p%e$i)$ b)ild+ la%*e%
display+ and s)pe%io% softwa%e lib%a%y #o)ld I)stify that(
The Ne6)s "! te$pts with a H"!! #heape% p%i#e than the othe% ten0in#h slates( -lso %e$e$be%
that S)%fa#e,s keyboa%d J its kille% feat)%e J adds an e6t%a H"!! to its p%i#e(
umming up
Tablets a%e indeed e'e%ywhe%e+ b)t these a%e p%obably the $ost wo%thy of yo)% attention( One
si8e %a%ely fits all+ and half the f)n is in siftin* th%o)*h the 'a%iety to find yo)% fa'o%ite( EnIoy
that p%o#ess+ and d%op any tho)*hts yo) ha'e in the #o$$ents(
-bo)t the -)tho%
Will is th%illed to Ioin Gi8$a*+ whe%e he b%in*s his e6pe%tise in phones+ tablets+
.Cs and othe% f)n *ad*ets( He p%e'io)sly w%ote fo% Geek 2whe%e $any of his posts we%e #%oss0
feat)%ed on .C Ma*4+ Gotta Be Mobile+ -nd%oid .oli#e+ and -nd%oid Cent%al( He is also an
o##asional te#h blo**e% fo% The H)ffin*ton .ost( Will holds a Maste%s de*%ee f%o$ the
Fni'e%sity of Califo%nia+ I%'ine+ and a Ba#helo%s f%o$ West /i%*inia Fni'e%sity( He li'es in New
Me6i#o with his wonde%f)l wife+ Eess(