Price: $315
Website: www.htc.com
With many new tablets opting for a large
10-inch screen, along with the increased footprint it requires, the HTC Flyer
looks like a breath of fresh air. And the digital pen it comes with gives it an
edge. However, it doesn’t come with the designed-for- tablet 3.0 Honeycomb
version of Android and it also lacks a dual-core processor. Performance is
still very good, but Android 2.3 wasn’t made for use on screens this big.
Specifications
·
OS: Android 2.3 Gingerbread
·
Screen: 7-inch LCD
·
Resolution: 600 x 1024 pixels
·
Input Capacitive: touchscreen
·
Processor: 1.5GHz
·
Qualcomm: MSM8255T
·
Memory: 1GB
·
Storage: 16/32GB, MicroSD
·
Camera: 5MP rear-facing, 1.3MP front-facing
·
Flash: No
·
Video: 720p HD
·
Wireless: 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 3.0
·
Ports: 3.5mm audio jack, Micro USB 2.0
·
Standby time: 1470 hours
·
Use time TBC
·
Size: 195 x 122 x 13mm
·
Weight: 421g
Verdict: It
has a neat pen gimmick, but the lack of Android 3.0 is an unfortunate flaw.
Price: $599
Website: www.microsoft.com
As much a Victim of Microsoft’s Hype
machine as anything, the Surface is Windows 8/RT’s flagship tablet device. While
it is a technologically solid device (a nice screen and decent processor
encased in a nice body), it unfortunately doesn’t know if it’s a laptop or a
tablet. The interface is difficult to learn and the app offerings are
non-existent.
Specifications
·
Networks: None, Wi-Fi only
·
Dimensions: 275x172x9.4mm
·
Weight: 680g
·
OS: Windows RT
·
Screen TFT capacitive: touchscreen, 16M colors
·
Resolution: 1366x768 - 148 pixels per inch
density
·
Processor: Nvidia T30 quad core at 1.3GHz
·
Memory: 2GB of RAM
·
GPU GeForce ULP
·
Storage: 32GB/64GB,
·
MicroSD slot expandable to 64GB
·
Camera: Front and back 1.2MP Video 720P
·
Wireless: wi-fi 802.11 a/b/g/n, wi-fi direct
Verdict:
Full of potential, but a device let down by its poor software, Windows 8/RT.
Price: $239
Website: www.barnesandnoble.com
Yet another bookseller getting in on the
tablet game, the B&N Nook I-{D boasts a great screen (much better than the
overrated iPad Mini) but unfortunately is hobbled by being tied to its own app
store, rather than Google Play. It’s hardware is also pretty average, but its
physical design looks great. An opportunity that went begging.
Specifications
·
Dimensions: 194.4x127.1x11.0mm
·
OS: Modified Android 4.0
·
Screen: 7-inch LCD
·
Resolution: 1440x900
·
Processor: 1.3 GHz OMAP 4470 Dual-Core Processor
·
GPU Power VR SGX544
·
RAM: 1GB
·
Storage: 8/16G B expandable via microSD
·
Cameras: N/A
·
Wireless: Wi-Fi
·
Ports: HDMI-out via proprietary socket, 3.5mm audio
·
Battery life: 10.5 hours reading, 9 hours video
Price: $599
Website: www.samsung.com
Arriving in the shadow of the third iPad,
it’s to Samsung’s credit that the Galaxy Note 10.1 isn’t completely dwarfed by
its rival. Combining a strong specification, unique usability and some
excellent features, it is one of the best devices you can buy in the
ever-growing tablet market. The problem is it is priced to target the iPad and
while it is certainly a great tablet, it’s not quite good enough to rival
Apple’s masterpiece device.
Specifications
·
OS: Android 4.0 ICS
·
Screen: 10.1-inch TFT
·
Resolution: 800 x 1280 pixels
·
Input Capacitive: touchscreen
·
Processor: 1.4GHz quad-core
·
Memory: 2GB
·
Storage: 16/32/64GB internal, MicroSD up to 64GB
·
Camera: 5MP rear-facing, 1.9MP front-facing
·
Flash: LED
·
Video: 720p HD at 30fps
·
Wireless: 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0
·
Ports: 3.5mm audio jack, Micro USB 2.0
·
Standby time: 1500 hours
·
Use time: 33 hours
·
Size: 258x 175 x9mm
·
Weight: 583g
Verdict: A
fantastic tablet but it can’t quite match up to the latest Apple iPad.
Price: $270
Website: www.storageoptions.com
While there are plenty of great Android
tablets on the market, finding one that packs the latest Android 4.0 OS at a
sub-f200 price point has been a bit more difficult. Until the release of the
Scroll Extreme Tablet, that is. Packing plenty of style, good usability and
ample features alongside its cutting-edge operating system, the icing on the
cake is its pleasingly responsive 9.7-inch touchscreen.
Specifications
·
OS: Android 4.0 ICS
·
Screen: 9.7-inch LCD
·
Resolution: 768 x 1024 pixels
·
Input Capacitive: touch screen
·
Processor: 1.2GHz Cortex-A8
·
Memory: 1GB
·
Storage: 8GB, MicroSD
·
Camera: 2MP rear-facing, 0.3MP front facing
·
Flash: No
·
Video: Yes
·
Wireless: 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi
·
Ports: 3.5mm audio jack, Micro USB 2.0
·
Standby time: TBC
·
Use time: TBC
·
Size: 243 x 189 x 9mm
·
Weight: 610g
Verdict: If
you’re after a reliable Android 4.0 tablet, then this device is hard to beat.
Price: $499
On its own merits Toshiba’s AT300 easily
stands out as a high-quality, feature-packed tablet. Its excellent usability,
decent screen, strong features and ample quad-core power all offer good value
for money, putting this device high up the list of quality Android tablets. But
with outstanding rivals such as the Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 and Google Nexus
7, the competition is very strong and Toshiba’s tablet can’t quite measure up.
Specifications
·
OS: Android 4.0 ICS
·
Screen: 10.1-inch TFT
·
Resolution: 800x 1280 pixels
·
Input Capacitive: touchscreen
·
Processor: 1.3GHz quad-core
·
Memory: 1GB
·
Storage: 16/32GB internal, Storage cards up to
32GB
·
Camera: 5MP rear-facing, 2MP front-facing
·
Flash: LED
·
Video: Yes
·
Wireless: 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 3.0
·
Ports: 3.5mm audio jack, Micro USB 20, Micro
HDMI
·
Standby time: 168 hours
·
Use time: 12 hours
·
Size: 261x179x9mm
·
Weight: 590g
Verdict: A
high-quality tablet but it can’t quite measure up to the competition.
Price: $224
The Vodafone Smart Tab 2 isn’t tenably
impressive - it has a low res screen, not much power under the hood and average
battery performance. It is unfortunately put at the same price point as its
much better rivals, such as the Kindle Fire HID, Google Nexus 7, Kobo Arc and
Wad Mini. Why pay $149 for something that feels like its two years old? Avoid.
Specifications
·
Dimensions: 192 x 122 x 11.5mm, 400g
·
Screen: 7-inch, 16x9, Capacitive TFT multi-touch
·
Resolution: 1024 x 600p at 170 PPI
·
CPU: ARM CortexA9, 1GHz
·
GPU: MTK6575 Chipset, PowerVR S6X531
·
Battery: U-Ion 3550mAh
·
Storage: Internal 4GB (user sees 1.7GB)
expandable via MicroSD to 4 + 32GB
·
Cameras: Front 0.3MP, Rear 2.0 MP no flash
·
Wireless: 802.11 b/g/n, DLNA, Bluetooth v3.0
·
Network: 3G, GPRS, EDGE
·
Ports: Micro USB (2.0)
·
Battery: Life 6hrs usage
