Both Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 and iPad 2 are among the much spoken about tablets in the market today.
The iPad 2 was released way ahead of the Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 and is still very popular, although various other iPad models have been released. Available in black and white color variants, both are ideal choices of tablets for technology lovers and small business owners. Interestingly, although Apple smartphones and tablets are usually priced on the higher side, the iPad 2 is far more economically priced than the Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1. Below are some interesting aspects of these two tablets that are worth an analysis to help you make a good decision on which tablet you must buy.
Dimensions and Weight
Although not as long as the Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 tablet, the iPad 2 is certainly wider and thicker than its counterpart. Thus, there is no doubt that the Apple tablet is also bulkier than the Samsung Galaxy tablet, by more than 50 grams.
Verdict: The Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 tablet is, without dispute, the winner with respect to ease of holding in hand and operating it due to its more compact size and lesser weight.
Stylus
The Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 tablet is equipped with a stylus for those who do not wish to use the virtual keyboard. The stylus can also be used to launch the apps on the tablet, by tapping on their icons. Like other Apple released smartphones and tablets, the iPad 2 does not feature a stylus and can be operated only by hand.
Verdict: Once again Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 takes the upper hand with this additional, and yet, interesting feature. However, this need not be a major factor to decide that the Samsung tablet is the better of the two tablets.
Screen Display
Both iPad 2 and Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 are rated as 10-inch display tablets. However, the Samsung Galaxy tablet portrays a bigger screen than iPad 2. The diagonal screen size of Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 and iPad 2 are 10.1 inches and 9.7 inches respectively. There is also a difference in the display technologies used in the tablets. While the Samsung Galaxy tablet features a Super Clear LCD display, the iPad 2 utilizes an IPS LCD display on its backlit, glossy screen. Also, the Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 has a resolution of 2560×1600 pixels as against the 1024×768 pixel resolution of iPad 2. In addition, the Samsung tablet has a pixel density of 299ppi that is far more than the 132ppi pixel density of iPad 2. However, both tablets render 16 million colors. The iPad 2 screen also encompasses a scratch resistant glass.
Verdict: This is yet another feature where the Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 tablet emerges as the winner, with its bigger screen size, as well as better pixel resolution and density, although the iPad 2 has better screen protection.
Hardware Configuration (CPU, Graphics Processor and RAM)
The Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 tablet is loaded with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 MSM8974 chipset and a quad-core Krait processor with a clocking frequency of 2.3GHz. On the other hand, the iPad 2 is equipped with an Apple A5 chipset and a dual-core ARM Cortex-A9 processor, with a clocking frequency of 1GHz. While the Samsung Galaxy tablet features the Adreno 330 graphics processor, the Apple tablet comprises the PowerVR SGX543MP2 graphics processor. Additionally, Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 comprises a dual-channel 3GB RAM as against the 512MB RAM of iPad 2.
Verdict: With better advanced features such as a faster processor and higher inbuilt RAM, the Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1, unarguably, takes the leading edge.
External Storage and Internal Memory
Both the Samsung Galaxy and Apple tablets are available as standard versions with 16GB of internal memory each, as well as versions of 32GB and 64GB. The Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 tablet also features scope for memory expansion with a memory card slot that can accommodate a microSD, a microSDHC or a microSDXC memory card of up to 64GB memory. However, there is no scope for expansion of memory in iPad 2.
Verdict: Needless to say, the Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 tablet ranks a step ahead with its ability to provide an additional storage option that can come in handy if you wish to save large media files on your tablet.
Software
Apple’s iPad 2 functions on iOS 7.1, the latest operating system developed by Apple while Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 runs on the Jelly Bean operating system, powered by Android. This is Android’s operating system just before the latest KitKat release.
Verdict: This is one of the few features where iPad 2 wins over Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1. If you are specific about your tablet running on the latest operating system, then the iPad 2 tablet would be your best bet.
Camera
As with most tablets, these two tablets have both a front-facing camera and a rear-facing camera. The Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 tablet makes use of an 8-megapixel camera with LED flash, while the iPad 2 tablet uses a 0.7MP sensor for its rear camera. Similarly the Samsung Galaxy tablet has a 2-megapixel front-facing camera as against a VGA front-facing camera in iPad 2. Moreover, the rear-facing camera in Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 is equipped with various interesting features, such as, autofocus, geo-tagging, digital zoom and panorama. The Samsung Galaxy and Apple tablets capture videos at 1080p HD and 720p HD quality respectively.
Verdict: Avid photographers will without any doubt vote for the camera in Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1, over the camera in iPad 2, due to its better features, clarity and resolution, as well as better video recording facilities.
Connectivity
The Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 tablet hosts multiple connectivity options like Wi-Fi, mobile hotspot and Bluetooth 4.0, as well as offers microUSB and USB 2.0 slots. The iPad 2 offers the same options, although the Bluetooth option provided is of a much lower version. Additionally, the iPad 2 provides TV-Out and HDMI connectivity options.
Verdict: The iPad 2 tablet is more suitable than the Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 tablet if you wish to connect your tablet to an external device like a television.
Battery
The iPad 2 and Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 tablets use non-removable batteries of types Li-Ion and Li-Polymer respectively. The iPad 2 uses a 6,944 mAh battery as against the 8,220 mAh battery of Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1. Both batteries offer up to 10 hours of usage.
Verdict: Although the Samsung Galaxy tablet uses a more powerful battery, both tablets can be considered to be on par in respect of this feature, as they offer the same number of usage hours.
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