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Android - Where Did It Come From And Why Is It So Successful (Part 3)

8/30/2013 9:07:32 AM

Android Hardware: The Top 5 Android Tablets

Even though, from the outside, the tablet market appears to be divided up into Apple and Android devices, the dichotomy isn't actually that straightforward. On one hand, Apple is the manufacturer of its own hardware, which runs on its own proprietary software. On the other. Android is software developed by one company designed to run on other people's hardware.

The problem with this is that there's no 'default' hardware for Android. Arguably, the Google Nexus devices come close, but even those are split between two manufacturers over three tablet sizes. In reality, Android tablets aren't just competing with Apple, but with one another. In this section, we've rounded up the best Android tablets to help you try and choose the one that fits your needs best.

Google Nexus 7

In case we haven't mentioned it enough, let us remove all doubt: if you can only afford to buy one tablet, make it the Asus-built, Google-branded Nexus 7. You will have absolutely no regrets. The 16GB version can be bought for as little as $240, and for that price you get an absolutely bloat-free version of Jelly Bean running on competitive hardware - a quad-core Tegra 3 with 1GB of RAM with a 7", 1280 X 800 IPS panel screen. Meanwhile, the front-facing 1.2MP camera gives you video chat capabilities. It's basically got almost everything anyone could ever want from a tablet squeezed into a low-price, superbly compact frame. If you can afford the 32GB model it's particularly good value, but 16GB is perfectly adequate.

Google Nexus 7

Google Nexus 7

It's not perfect, although the areas of weakness are few and far between. There's no rear camera (irrelevant for anyone with a smartphone) and the lack of an SD card slot is disappointing, but other than that it's more or less ideal for anyone who wants to get a foot on the Android ladder. The only real concern is that a second iteration is expected this year, which means you're in danger of buying a tablet that won't be cutting edge for long. But until its successor is announced, we see no reason to wait.

Google Nexus 10

The main thing that might prevent you from buying a Nexus 7 is one that it simply can't get around: you want a 10.1" full tablet, rather than a mini-tablet. Well, we've got good news. The Nexus 10 is just as good as its smaller sibling, even though it's an almost entirely different tablet {one developed by Samsung) rather than just a scaled up Nexus 7.

Google Nexus 10

Google Nexus 10

Price-wise, it's arguably not be as good value as the Nexus 7, but at $479 for the 15GB model it's priced just shy of an iPad while containing far superior hardware. As well as a slightly larger screen, you get 2GB of RAM and a 1.7GHz dual-core Cortex-A15 CPU. There's also a 5MP rear camera and a 1.9MP front camera. Technically, it's beating almost every other Android tablet out there, including Samsung's own Galaxy Note 10.1. Its MicroUSB and MicroHDMI ports are sadly not joined by a MicroSD slot, but otherwise, connectivity is good. As with the Nexus 7, its version of Jelly Bean is pretty vanilla and therefore fast and simple. Easily the best 10.1" tablet around, and even if the price prevents it being the stand-out bargain that the Nexus 7 is, it's still undeniably very, very good.

Kindle Fire HD

The Kindle Fire HD is substantially more refined than its shot-in- the-dark predecessor, the Kindle Fire, and indeed, a recent price drop has left the 32GB version costing just $269 - significantly less than a 32GB Nexus 7. Not a bad start by any standard.

Kindle Fire HD

Kindle Fire HD

It's always worth pointing out that the Kindle Fire HD has a 7" color touch-screen, rather than an e-ink display like a standard Kindle. As well as either 16 or 32GB of SSD storage and 1GB of RAM, there's a fairly decent CPU in there - a dual- core ARM Cortex-A9. The screen resolution of 1280 x 800 is as good as a Nexus 7, and its dual-band Wi-Fi gives it faster network performance (in theory) than most devices of its class.

One of the reasons it costs a little less is that it runs ice Cream Sandwich rather than Jelly Bean, but that's hardly a deal-breaker. Unlike the clean-running Google devices, its version of Android is heavily customized to integrate with Amazon's services and stores. Amazon Prime subscribers get extra perks, which makes it a good choice if you're already committed to that subscription.

In many ways, the only problem with the Kindle Fire is its unashamedly low-end specs, but then it was never trying to win on tech alone. If you want a 32GB tablet, this is probably the best-priced one, and that feeds into the device's position as a strong entertainment contender. If you do buy one, that's the best reason to do so.

Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1

There's a reason Samsung are the second biggest tablet manufacturer after Apple, and it's their ability to consistently produce products as good as the Galaxy Note 10.1. The Note 10.1 comes with Ice Cream Sandwich, but can be upgraded to Jelly Bean, and both versions run Samsung's TouchWiz interface, which is one of the few which could be called better than the default Android one.

Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1

Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1

Despite a high RRP (the 16GB version retails at $599) you can actually pick a 16GB Mote 10.1 up for as little as $495, which is far more competitive considering it's got a 1.4GHz quad-core Exynos CPU and 2GB of RAM. Some of its specs are a little lower than you might expect, in particular the 1280 x 800 resolution screen and 5IVIP rear camera, but it's the Samsung S-Pen that provides the unique selling point for this over other tablets, with its split-screen multitasking and natural input features.

Although it's not head and shoulders above the competition in the way that the Nexus devices are, the Galaxy Note line does at least offer some interesting functionality not found elsewhere. Just be mindful of your timing if you're planning to buy one - an announcement regarding the Galaxy Note 2 line could appear at any moment, which would drop the price even further.

Sony Xperia Tablet Z

One of the most recently released Jelly Bean tablets, the Sony Xperia Tablet Z sees Sony stepping up its game after some fairly disastrous early attempts to crack the tablet market. It's a characteristically Sony device - which is to say, it's well-made and good looking but undeniably overpriced at $599 for a 16GB version. The $673 Sony is asking for a 32GB one is, frankly, insane.

If you can get past the price, though, it's got a lot going for it. The 10.1" screen is only 1920 x 1080, which is lower than the retina-quality screen of the Nexus 10, but still good enough to play full HD video without scaling. The 1.5GHz CPU and 2GB of RAM certainly mitigate things, and unlike other tablets it's packed with extras, like a MicroSD port, NFC, Infra-Red and even MHL TV-Out. The front camera is 2.2 megapixels, which is way above the rest of the field, while the rear camera is a more restrained 8.1 megapixels.

The front camera is 2.2 megapixels, which is way above the rest of the field, while the rear camera is a more restrained 8.1 megapixels.

The front camera is 2.2 megapixels, which is way above the rest of the field, while the rear camera is a more restrained 8.1 megapixels.

All things considered, it's one of the most fully featured Android tablets on the market right now, but the price makes it tough to recommend, especially since they've cut corners on the screen. We love the hardware but hate the price, so if the latter doesn't matter to you, it's a strong choice.

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