Google Nexus 10 vs iPad 4

iPad still dominates the tablet market. So many Android tablets (like Motorola Xoom, ASUS transformer and Samsung Galaxy Tab) have trying to challenge iPad but all failed. Will the new Google Nexus 10 be the real iPad killer? Let's find out.

Screen
iPad 4:       9.7 inches   2048 x 1536  264 ppi
Nexus 10:  10.1 inches 2560 x 1600  300 ppi  - Winner

Pad 4 still has the same retina display as the iPad 3. It features a ingerprint-resistant coating.
I own a iPad 3, the display is simply amazing, especially when using it to view a magazine.

Nexus 10 has the highest resolution display for tablet with 300 ppi. Finally, iPad is no longer the king of the display. This is the biggest sale point for Nexus 10. It also features Corning Gorilla Glass 2 which is thinner and provides better view.

From specifications, Nexus 10 is the winner. From the hands on review, it seems like the specifications don't lie. The Nexus 10 display is gorgeous and absolutely amazing.

Processor
iPad 4:     Dual-core Apple A6X 1.5GHz
Nexus 10: Dual-core Samsung Cortex A15-based 1.7 GHz Exynos 5250 - Winner

Apple A6X is a new dual-core CPU combined with quad-core graphics. According to Apple, it is up to twice as fast as the previous-generation A5X chip.

Samsung Exynos 5250 (also called Exynos 5 Dual) is the world’s first mobile processor built on ARM’s new A15 architecture. It supports WQXGA (2560×1600) resolution, 1080p 60 FPS video and USB3.0. This CPU is also used on recently released Samsung Chromebook. 

Both processors are based on 32nm length technology which is more advanced by the previous 45nm length. Exynos 5250 has higher frequency (1.7GHz vs 1.5GHz). 

According to Benchmark Testing, Exynos 5250  handily beats A6X in all aspects by a large margin.  Exynos even beats Intel's Atom and Quad-Core Tegra 3 (Quad-Core does not mean performance is better than Dual-Core). It maybe one of the fastest mobile CPU on the market.
It is interesting that A6X is also manufactured by Samsung (it is designed by Apple). So this explains which CPU is better.

RAM
iPad 4:      1GB
Nexus 10: 2GB - Winner

The size of the RAM is important to multi-task performance. The bigger the RAM, more apps can stay in RAM so that switch will be much faster.

Sound
iPad 4:       Mono Speaker
Nexus 10: Dual Stereo Speaker - Winner
iPad 4 speaker sound is pretty good (comparing with Nexus 7). But Nexus 10 has two stereo speakers both front facing.

NFC
iPad 4:       No NFC Support
Nexus 10: 2 NFC Support

NFC is getting more and more important. It allows you easily share photos, videos, contact, web pages and more between two NFC supported device by just simply touch each other. Here is an video show how to do it.

Size
iPad 4:      241.2 x 185.7 x 9.4 mm
Nexus 10: 263.9 x 177.6 x 8.9 mm - Winner

For tablet, the most important size is the thickness. In this case, Nexus 10 is thinner than iPad 4, thanks to the thinner Corning Gorilla 2 Glass.

Weight
iPad 4:      652g
Nexus 10: 603g - Winner

One of the complain to iPad 3/4 is it is too heavy. You can not hold it for long. Nexus 10 is doing slightly better in terms of portability due to its plastic case.

Operating System

iPad 4:       iOS 6
Nexus 10: Android 4.2 - Winner

Since Android 4.1, Android already catches up with iOS in terms of the smoothness of user interface with the "Project Butter". With the introduce of Android 4.2, now it is iOS who play the role of catching up. Android 4.2 brings many new exciting new features. The most important one is the multiple user support. Each person who shares the same tablet can have their own home screen, background, widgets, apps and games – even individual high scores and levels.

Another new feature is Miracast. You can share movies, YouTube videos, and anything that’s on your screen on an HDTV. Similar to Apple's AirPlay but better since Miracast is industry standard. In the near future, Smart TV will have build in support. While Apples' AirePlay requires you buy Apple TV, which costs about 100 dollars.

Google Now is also enhanced in Android 4.2. It can provide information before you even ask. Now it can read from your Gmail and provide information like package tracking and flight information.

Google Now also supports voice command like Apple's Siri but is more useful. Here is an video show you more than 40 ways of ask Google Now.

Compared with Android 4.2, iOS 6 only brings some minor upgrades like integration with Facebook, Passport. The new Apple Map is a even setback from the Google Map. 

Applications
iPad 4:      275,000 Apps Designed for iPad - Winner
Nexus 10:  Much less Apps Designed for Tablet

This is biggest advantage of iPad over Android tablet. There are many gorgeous apps can be only found on iPad. Even the apps which has both version, the iPad version usually comes out first and looks better. One example is the must-have reading app Flipboard. It first comes to iOS and just recently comes to Android. Nexus 7 can have Flipboard but it is phone version. There is still no Flipboard for 10 inches Android tablet.

Another example is the popular game called DragonVale. Until now, it only has iOS version.

iOS Newstand app supports more magazines than Google Play Magazine, including National Geographic.

Fortunately, the good news for Android users is that the gap is reducing since the introduce of Nexus 7. There are more and more apps designed for tablet. There are some good apps only have Android version. For example, Dinosaur War.

Developers can not ignore the 1 million Nexus 7 sold for every month. With the introduce of Nexus 10, more developers will develop apps for Android tablet since there will be more users.

Design
iPad 4:      - Winner
Nexus 10:
Although the design has not been changed much since iPad2, iPad is still the most beautiful tablet. The Aluminum case feels solid and upscale. The smart cover is very convenient.

Many people find Nexus 10 is ugly, mainly due to the curved edge since people already get used to the rectangle with round corner shape for tablet. Samsung designed this way maybe to avoid being sued by Apple using the "Rectangle with round corner" patent. Actually, if you see the real thing, Nexus 10 is not bad. It is thinner and lighter than iPad 4. It also have smart cover but can not fold like iPad's.

Battery
iPad 4:     11666 mAh - Winner
Nexus 10: 9000 mAh

iPad 4 can have 10 hours of usage under Wi-Fi while Nexus 10 only have 9 hours. For standby time, I expect iPad 4 will be better than Nexus 10 according to my past experience of using Nexus 7 and iPad 3. Apple is really good at battery technology. You can leave a iPad for a month and still find it has battery. While my old Transformer Tablet can only standby for 3 days. This may be the biggest advantage against Android tablet. Hope Nexus 10 will be better than Nexus 7 in terms of standby time.

Camera
iPad 4:     5MP 1080p rear, 1.2MP 720p front - Winner
Nexus 10: 5MP 1080p rear, 1.9MP 720p front

Although Nexus 10's front camera has more pixel, I still think iPad 4's camera is a winner. iPad 4's camera has backside illumination and a f/2.4 aperture for low lit photography. According to the experiences with previous Nexus devices, camera is always a weak point. But hey, who cares about the camera on a tablet?

Price
iPad 4:      $499 (16G), $599 (32G)
Nexus 10: $399 (16G), $499 (32G) - Winner

Nexus 10 is $100 less than iPad 4 for the same storage size but the difference is smaller than the difference between Nexus 4 and iPhone 5 ($349 vs. $699 for 16G). Amazon Kindle Fire HD 8.9 has cheaper price of $299. However, its display and processor can not compare with Nexus 10 and iPad 4.
If Nexus 10 price is $349, it will be a killer (even iPad Mini costs $329). I expect Nexus 10 price will drop $50 in half year (similar to Nexus 7).

Nexus 10 will be available to purchase on Nov 13, 2012 though Google Play Store. US price is $399 for 16G, Canada price is $409 for 16G.

In summary, Nexus 10 has advantages on display, power and features provided by Android 4.2. iPad is good at battery, design and more applications.

Nexus 10 Videos

Nexus 10 Hands On

Ask Me Anything

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