Smartphones are getting bigger,
tablets are getting smaller. The lines may be blurring, but sales are soaring:
this is must-have kit
Product of the year
Best tablet up to $450
Google Nexus 7: $240
The launch of the Google Nexus 7 was the
moment Google attempted to make the same mark on the tablet market that its
Android phones have made in the world of smartphones.
Google
Nexus 7, Best tablet up to $450
Comparisons with the iPad come easily but,
for two key reasons, this isn’t really a like-for-like screen. That’s
noticeably smaller than most tablets, which tend to be around the 10in mark.
Then there’s the price: at $238.5 for the 8GB version, or $298.5 for the 16GB
model, the 7 is at most half the price of the iPad.
The specification isn’t left wanting,
either. The 7in, 1280 x 800 HD screen ticks our boxes, while there’s the very
latest version of Android, Jelly Bean 4.1, as the OS. It feels solidly built
and looks smart, too.
You can have 8 or 16GB version (the latter
is $300), though neither has an SD card slot. There’s Bluetooth, NFC and Wi-Fi
inside, a front-facing camera, and access to the Google Play store of apps. The
choice is excellent though not many are yet optimized for this tablet. BBC
iPlayer is one noticeable absentee, however, although there are workarounds.
Down to core business and the smaller size
proves ideal for comfortable use – it’s very light and compact. The smaller
screen size helps make for sharp and detailed video even streamed (HD) video
from YouTube looks solid. There’s not quite the punch and color of the best
displays but we’re very happy with video performance. And it’s a similar story
with audio. File compatibility is thorough and music sounds good: Hans Zimmer
tracks are exciting and detailed, Emeli Sande’s vocals are nicely open and
subtle, while Julio Bashmore’s dance track Au Seve sounds suitably powerful.
Competitive performance at a superb
price
The Google Nexus 7 has shaken up the market
by offering a smaller sized tablet at a more affordable price, and with a
competitive level of performance. And with the Google brand name of good
measure.
Solid audio and video performance and an
increasingly thorough and reliable selection of apps and other content, make
this a genuine, affordable iPad alternative. And our Product of the Year.
Best Smartphone
Samsung Galaxy S3: $750
It took something special to take top spot
from the iPhone last year – and it has taken something even better to retain
it. The latest incarnation of Samsung’s Galaxy S range, the S3, is bigger and
better than anything before it, and confirms Samsung as Apple’s key smartphone
rival.
A
dream of a screen: the new iPhone certainly pushes it close, but the S3 has the
great benefit of its larger screen – a real joy for web browsing
The most eye-catching feature is the
screen. It’s a 4.8in HD Super AMOLED monster, with a resolution of 1280 x 720
and Android’s 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich operating system.
Inside is a quad-core 1.4Ghz processor, a
microSD card slot, support for apt-X Bluetooth, NFC and DLNA and a choice of
16, 32 ad 64GB storage. The unit packs new features, too, with S Voice, a
Sire-like voice control system, and Smart Stay, which keeps the screen on as
long as you’re looking at it. Both work effectively.
A Wolfson DAC and the addition of apt-X
Bluetooth wireless streaming show that Samsung means business. A listen to The
xx’s Coexist reveals that voices are open with plenty of room to breathe, while
there’s good weight to bass notes.
The S3 adds useful features, a bigger
screen, improved audio and video, and the perhaps the best Android experience
yet
There’s nothing wrong with the level of
detail nor the dynamic power on show, and with a decent pair of earphones in
place of the average buds included it’s clear this is a capable music device.
But it’s video and web browsing at which
the S3 really excels. Picture quality is good, delivering colorful, vivid
images that look great on that big screen. Web browsing is joy, too, with so
much screen real estate to play with.
Features and future technologies
The 8MP camera is generally easy to use and
quick to take a picture. Battery life is as good as most, while there are more
features and future technologies on this phone than any other on the market.
Its predecessor delivered a level of
performance previously unseen for an Android device and the Galaxy S3 has
successfully built on that, adding new, useful features, a bigger and better
screen, improved audio and video quality for perhaps the best Android
experience yet.
The Apple iPhone 5 drove the S3 very close,
and will do some things better for some people, but for an all-round example of
everything that a smartphone can do in 2012, and for really pushing the
boundaries of mobile technology, Samsung takes our crown.
Best tablet $450+
Apple iPad: $599
The new iPad may look similar to the iPad
2, but much has changed. Thanks to a new screen and a faster quad-core
processor, there’s plenty to get excited about with Apple’s latest-generation
tablet.
iOS
heaven: there’s no match for Apple’s interface: intuitive, fast and fluid, it’s
bursting with thousands of apps custom-made for the new iPad
Most crucial in is that screen: the Retina
Display has a mighty 2048 x 1536 resolution. Web browsing, reading, photo
editing or movie watching – all are crisper, more vibrant, downright better
experiences.
Those extra pixels make a big difference to
HD movies. Edges are sharper, fine details are clearer and better defined (but
never exaggerated), and the authentic picture grain is more, well, authentic.
Even standard-def videos look better. The
only fly in the ointment is that its 4:3 screen ratio means black bars at top
and bottom when watching widescreen films.
The Retina Display has a mighty 2048
x 1536 resolution and those extra pixels really do make a big difference
This remains the top tablet for music, too,
with impressive dynamic range, detail and rhythm. Apple doesn’t support FLAC,
but WAV is on board for those who want an uncompressed format.
There’s a bigger battery, so power lasts as
long as the iPad 2’s despite the extra processing and pixels. This does give
the tablet a little extra weight and thickness, and it takes longer to charge.
Now with AirPlay too
The addition of AirPlay to the Apple
arsenal makes the iPad even more versatile, while increasing number of remote
control apps really come in to their owns on the larger screen.
We would love to see a version that will
work with the soon to launch 4G network in the UK – and the option of a bigger
storage capacity would be great. That said, there’s no match for the iPad’s
functionality, usability and performance. So, for media consumption on the move
or at home, this is our big-screen, premium tablet of choice.
