- There is no doubt in accepting the fact that Apple is facing stiff competition from Android in the tablet market.
- Now after the announcement of new 199 $ Nexus tablet from Google last week is the latest threat to supremacy of Apple iPad.
- Apple iPad is the most popular tablet till date. In spite of its high price and the availability of large variety of low priced Android tablets cannot decrease the popularity of iPad.
- But after the announcement of low priced Nexus tablet that too from a respected company like Google will definitely be a danger for the popularity of iPad.
- Now after the announcement of Nexus tablet , Apple indicates to launch a low priced version of their iPad to compete with low end Android tablet.
- The new low cost version from Apple is expected to be called iPad mini.
- The new iPad mini is expected to feature a 7.85 inch screen which is smaller as compared to 9.7 inch iPad. Also this new iPad will not feature a HD display.
- Expected cost of this new tablet is 299 $. According to many analysts, at this price Apple can hurt the sales of low end Android tablet market.
Sony is going to enter into tablet computer market
Yes it is true. Sony had recently announced their plans regarding the launch of their first two tablet computers codenamed S1 and S2. Tech and gadget geeks are taking this as a challenge by Sony to Apple. Apple had recently launched their 2nd generation iPad. iPad 2 like 1st generation iPad breaks all records and became extremely popular among Americans.
Some of the main points about the announcement are listed below:
- The Sony tablet computer codenamed S1 will feature a single screen of 9.4 inch and is intended for home use. It will also feature a Universal Remote Control.
- The other tablet that is S2 will feature two screens of 5.5 inch each. This is mainly intended for reading those digital ebooks which have their content displayed on two pages like a physical book. These two screens can also be used as a single large screen or can be used to play games with game being played on first screen and controls on second.
- Both the tablets will feature Google Android 3.0 (Honey Comb) . Google Android 3.0 is compatible with large screens like that of Sony’s tablet.
- Both the tablets will have access to Sony’s exclusive online content like PlayStation games, Music, Videos etc.
There is no data on the expected price of these tablets.
Should i buy Apple iPad or Samsung Galaxy Tab in India?
You must have seen that i haven’t included the option for Dell tablet steak which is just released in Indian market. It is a new device and it still need sometime to become completely stable.
As far as India is concerned these tablets till now is a big failure and main reason behind this is their price and the attitude of Indians towards Windows enabled gadgets! Yes you are thinking right i am referring to all those feature rich net books available today at much lower prices than these tablets.
As far as India is concerned Apple MAC operating system haven’t get good response. Main reason is price and non availability of cool software’s.I also want to share one more point that you must have seen many celebrities taking side of Apple ant their favorite gadget being Apple MAC.The main reason behind this is that all these celebrities are too dumb to use Windows enabled devices.
Now to the point that in case i have to buy a tablet than which should i prefer?
- Screen Size:- Apple iPad comes with a screen size of 9.7 inch and Samsung Galaxy tab comes with 7 inch. Yes there is a bit of disappointment from Samsung in this field.
- Panel Technology:- So Apple iPad comes with a IPS LED panel and Samsung Galaxy Tab comes with a TFT LCD.Again Apple wins here with better screen quality and in today’s world LED is the boss according to a common men.
- Operating System:- Apple runs on IOS 4.1 and Samsung Galaxy Tab runs on Android 2.2 Froyo (Upgradble to 3.0 but date is not mentioned) and here only time will tell who is the actual winner. Both these operating systems are fast and responsive and have large number of applications on their respective stores.
- Internal Storage:- Apple iPad comes with 16 GB, 32 GB and 64 GB memory options and Samsung Galaxy Tab comes with 16 GB and 32 GB memory options.OK no winner here but yea more memory options from Apple iPad.
- Expandable Storage:- Apple comes with no expandable option as usual but Galaxy comes with expandable memory option up to 32 GB.
- RAM:- Apple iPad comes with 256 MB memory options but Samsung Galaxy Tab comes with 512 MB.So Galaxy wins here.
- Multi Tasking:-This feature is not available with Apple iPad initially but in IOS 4 style background processing is available and in Samsung Galaxy Tab it is available. So Galaxy wins here as they provide Galaxy with complete Multitasking options but on the other hand Apple iPad comes with so called IOS 4 style background processing.
- Multitouch:- This feature is available in both devices.
- Camera:- Apple hates camera so no camera options for iPad but Galaxy comes with a 3.1 megapixel camera on the rear side and 1.3 megapixel camera on the front side. You might be thinking that what’s the use of camera in a tablet.The answer to this entirely depends on individuals opinion.Some may find it useless and power wasting feature but some of you may find it useful as you can see the picture on a bigger screen at the spot without going and connecting your device to a computer or something like that.
- Phone:- Calling features are not available in Apple iPad but they are available in Samsung Galaxy Tablet.
- Bluetooth:- This is available in Apple iPad but the version is 2.1 + EDR and in Samsung Galaxy Tab the version is 3.
- GPS:- This is most useful feature of any tablet.This is available in Apple iPad’s 3G model only. GPS is also available in Galaxy without any restrictions.
- Battery Life:- Apple can play videos for 10 hours continuously but Galaxy can play it only for 7 hours approximately.
- Adobe Flash Support:- Apple hates flash because it consumes lot of battery power so iPad didn’t support Flash Content Flash is available in Samsung Galaxy Tab
Camera powered tablet by Samsung to compete with Apple iPad
Samsung Electronics Co. (KSE: 005930.KS – News) on Thursday unveiled the Galaxy Tab, its take on Apple Inc.’s (NasdaqGS: AAPL – News) iPad, as more technology companies trickle into the nascent tablet market.
Galaxy Tab Has Smaller Screen, Similar Features to Apple’s Device; Likely Cost Is $200-$300
Tablets represent a potential new source of revenue for Samsung, which is making up for lost ground in the intensely competitive smartphone business.
Rather than sell it directly to consumers, Samsung will rely on its carrier partners to sell the Galaxy Tab, which runs on Google Inc.’s (NasdaqGS: GOOG – News) Android software, comes with a cellular connection, and features a seven-inch screen. The tablet will debut in Italy, moving to other markets as Samsung locks in more carrier deals.
Vodafone Group PLC (NasdaqGS: VOD – News), the world’s biggest mobile operator, said it would start selling the Galaxy Tab in most of its European markets and a number of its other markets worldwide in October.
It is expected to launch in the U.S. over the next few months, but the company would only say it was in talks with multiple carriers. The Galaxy Tab is essentially an enlarged version of Samsung’s flagship Galaxy S smartphone, which was originally available through AT&T Inc. (NYSE: T – News) and Deutsche Telekom AG’s (Buenos Aires: DT.BA – News) T-Mobile, and more recently Sprint Nextel Corp. (NYSE: S – News).
While a price hasn’t been set, Samsung product executive Hankil Yoon said in an interview that it would likely retail for between $200 and $300, although the final price would vary depending on different carrier subsidies.
Mr. Yoon expects to ship 10 million units and take a third of the global tablet market next year.
But it’s unclear if any tablet beyond the iPad will prove to be a hit. Samsung follows Dell Inc. (NasdaqGS: DELL – News), which launched its Streak through AT&T last month. More tablets are expected for the holiday selling season.
While many companies are devoting resources toward building a worthy iPad competitor, history shows that Apple often enjoys a lengthy lead with its products, said Rhoda Alexander, an analyst at iSuppli.
The iPad, which sold 3 million units after 80 days in the market, is expected to control three-quarters of the tablet market this year, with its share only slipping to 62% by 2012, according to iSuppli.
Like the iPad, the Galaxy Tab customizes core applications, such as email and contacts, to take advantage of the larger screen, offers Wi-Fi capabilities, and provides a hub for reading magazines, books and newspapers. It also lacks a removable battery and requires a proprietary dock to connect to a PC.
The Tab sets itself apart on size. The 7-inch screen allows for a slimmer profile than the iPad, which packs a 9.7-inch screen. Also, the Samsung device supports the latest version of Adobe Flash–something the iPad doesn’t do–enabling the Tab to show more video found on the Internet.
“It’s a truly mobile device,” Mr. Yoon said.
It features a camera on each side of the device, as well as a slot for expandable memory. It also has the capability to make phone calls, but carriers will decide whether that capability will be offered. Mr. Yoon said Samsung plans to support the device with two major software updates a year.
The Tab will run on Android 2.2, the latest version, and will have access to the Android Marketplace for a number of applications. But Gartner analyst Carolina Milanesi said she was concerned about how many apps will be designed specifically for the device. The iPad already benefits from a number of third-party apps that utilize its larger screen.
Samsung is exploring the possibility of a tablet with a 10-inch or 6-inch screen, and Mr. Yoon said the company plans to eventually launch a family of Galaxy Tab devices. Samsung has invested $200 million in advertising the Galaxy S phone around the world. The company plans to spend less promoting the Galaxy Tab, because it feels the product appeals to more of a niche audience than the more mainstream smartphone, said Samsung mobile marketing executive Younghee Lee.