TORONTO – Tech giants are not slowing down when it comes to tablet advancements, despite slower tablet sales.
Tablets are getting thinner, faster and more compatible than ever in order to stay competitive in a marketplace dominated by larger than life smartphones.
Last week, Apple and Google released updates to their tablet lineup.
Apple’s iPad Air 2 update added many of the features previously available on iPhones, including the company’s Touch ID fingerprint scanner which can be used in place of a passcode. It also has an anti-reflective coating, a first for a tablet, which makes it 56 per cent less reflective. Apple’s smaller tablet, the iPad Mini 3, also received a facelift.
Google’s new Nexus 9 tablet – built by HTC – rivals Apple’s iPad Air in thinness and weighs even less. Google also released a foldable case dubbed “keyboard folio” alongside the Nexus 9 that magnetically attaches to the device to act as a stand, keyboard and case – a feature many are calling a mix between Windows Surface Pro keyboard and Apple’s magnetic iPad covers.
But those are just the most recent additions to the tablet market.
Devices like Sony’s Xperia Z3 Tablet Compact – which features PlayStation 4 gaming on-the-go and is waterproof up to 1.5 metres – have also sparked the interest of consumers.
So how do these devices stand up to one another? Global News took a look at some of the most talked about tablets on the market right now to compare:
| iPad Air 2 | iPad Mini 3 | Nexus 9 | Galaxy Tab S | Xperia Z3 (tablet) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Screen size | 9.7 inches | 7.9 inches | 8.9 inches | 8.4 or 10.5 inches | 8 inches (Bonus: Waterproof) |
| Weight | 0.96 pounds | 0.73 pounds | 0.93 pounds | 1 pound | 0.59 pounds |
| Storage | 16, 64, 128 GB | 16, 64, 128 GB | 16, 32 GB | 16 GB (8.4 inch); 16, 32 GB, with Micro SD up to 128 GB | 16 GB |
| Operating system | iOS 8.1 | iOS 8.1 | Android 5.0 (Lollipop) | Android 4.4 (Kitkat) | Android 4.4 (KitKat) |
| CPU | A8X chip with 64‑bit, M8 motion coprocessor | A7 chip with 64‑bit, M7 motion coprocessor | Quad-core 2.3 GHz | Quad-core 1.9 GHz, Quad-core 1.3 GHz | 2.5 GHz Quad-core |
| Battery Life | Up to 10 hours of web browsing | Up to 10 hours of web browsing | Up to 9.5 hours of web browsing | Up to 12 hours of web browsing | Up to 15 hours of video playback |
| Camera | FaceTime 1.2MP HD front camera, iSight 8MP rear camera | FaceTime 1.2MP HD front camera, iSight 5MP rear camera | 1.6MP front camera, 8MP rear camera with LED flash | 2.1MP HD front camera, 8MP with LED flash rear camera | 2.2MP front camera with HD 1080p video, 8.1MP rear camera |
| Connectors | Apple 9-pin Lightning connector | Apple 9-pin Lightning connector | microUSB | USB 2.0 | microUSB, USB 2.0 |
| Price | Wi-Fi models:$549 (16GB) $659 (64GB) $769 (128GB) 4G LTE models: | Wi-Fi models:$439 (16GB) $549 (64GB) $659 (128GB) 4G LTE models: | Wi-Fi & 4G LTE models:$469.99 (16GB) $559.99 (32GB) | Wi-Fi models:$419.99 (8.4 inch, 16GB) $519.99 (10.5 inch, 16GB) | Sony has not yet set a Canadian release date for the Xperia Z3 tablet compact, but confirmed more information would be available “later this year.” |
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