Samsung Galaxy Tab vs Apple iPad: Which is the Best Tablet?

Samsung took the wraps off its new Samsung Galaxy Tab Android tablet on Thursday. The Galaxy Tab is a 7-inch slate built to compete with the current tablet king, Apple's thus-far-unchallenged iPad.

Sure, there have been a couple other Android tablets on the market already (see Dell Streak), but the Galaxy Tab is the first that truly qualifies as a contender.

So how exactly does Samsung's Galaxy Tab differ from the iPad? Check out the comparison chart below for a side-by-side glimpse at the two devices' specs and see for yourself.

In a nutshell, the Galaxy Tab is smaller and lighter (though rumors suggest a couple of larger editions will debut before the year's end). It has the same speed processor but twice the RAM. Like the Apple iPad, the Samsung Galaxy Tab comes with different options for internal storage. It also, however, supports up to 32GB of expandable storage; Apple's device is limited to the internal space only.

The Galaxy Tab has two cameras -- a rear-facing 3.2-megapixel camera and a front-facing 1.3-megapixel camera for video chatting -- while the current models of the iPad have none. Samsung claims up to 7 hours of video playback for the Galaxy Tab; Apple says its iPad can last up to 10 hours.

In terms of software, the Galaxy Tab's Android 2.2 operating system gives the device a number of selling points Apple's iPad can't claim, including full-featured multitasking, support for Adobe Flash, and unrestricted access to applications (Apple is notorious for censoring all sorts of material -- ranging from political satire to swimsuit-clad women -- and also for banning apps that provide functions such as free tethering and customization of the operating system).

Samsung's Galaxy Tab is set to launch in Europe within the next few weeks, then in the U.S. shortly thereafter. Pricing and carrier information for the States is not yet available, though rumors suggest the Galaxy Tab could end up on Verizon.

 

A side-by-side image comparison of the Apple iPad and Samsung Galaxy Tab

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