Head-To-Head: New Apple iPad Vs. Google's Nexus 10
The Tablet Wars
Not even a full week after Apple unveiled its new, fourth-generation iPad , Google has come to market with a 10-inch tablet of its own.
The new Nexus 10, which is Google's first full-sized tablet offering, represents the latest of several 10-inch tablets that have gone up to bat against the iPad -- and, judging by its impressive feature set, it may be one the strongest contenders yet.
Spec for spec, here's how the two compare.
Form Factor
New iPad: 1.44 pounds; 0.37-inches thick
Nexus 10: 1.33 pounds; 0.35-inches thick
Apple's iPad rose to fame as one of the thinnest and lightest devices on the market. But, Google's Nexus 10 has it beat.
At 1.33 pounds, Google's tablet, which was actually manufactured by Samsung, is one of the lightest 10-inch tablets available today. It weighs less than both Apple's Wi-Fi-only and Wi-Fi Plus Cellular iPads, which weigh in at 1.44 pounds and 1.46 pounds, respectively.
The Nexus 10 is also about 0.02 inches thinner than both new iPad models.
Display
New iPad: 2,048-by-1,536 resolution
Nexus 10: 2,560-by-1,600 resolution
Apple's fourth-generation iPad supports the same, industry-leading Retina display that debuted with its third-generation iPad in March. Equipped with an impressive 2,048-by-1,536 pixel count, Apple's Retina display instantly became one of the best displays consumers could get their hands on.
But all that has changed with the arrival of the Nexus 10. With a 2,560-by-1,600 resolution, Google's new tablet out-shines the latest iPad when it comes to the quality of its display. According to the spec sheets, Google's Nexus 10 has about 36 more pixels per inch than the new iPad.
Google's Nexus 10 also has a slightly larger display; it measures 10 inches versus the iPad's 9.7 inches.
Processor
New iPad: Apple's A6X
Nexus 10: Samsung's Exynos 5
Inside the Nexus 10 you'll find an ARM-based Samsung Exynos 5 processor, which runs at speeds up to 1.7 GHz. Apple's fourth-generation iPad is equipped with the company's own A6X processor, which it claims has twice the CPU and graphics performance of its prior-generation A5X chip. Exact speeds for the new chip haven't been released by Apple, but Engadget pegged the figure to be somewhere around 1.3 GHz, which means the Nexus 10 would surpass the iPad in this category, as well.
Camera
New iPad: 1.2-megapixel front; 5-megapixel rear
Nexus 10: 1.9-megapixel front; 5-megapixel rear
The Nexus 10 again seems to out-do Apple's latest iPad when it comes to cameras; both sport a 5-megapixel rear-facing camera, but the Nexus 10's 1.9-megapixel front-facing camera has a slight edge, in terms of pixel count, over Apple's 1.2-megapixel camera for FaceTime.
Battery Life
New iPad: 10 Hours
Nexus 10: 9 Hours
Battery life is one of the few areas where the new iPad comes out on top. According to Apple, its fourth-generation tablet gets up to 10 hours of video playback or Web-surfing, while Google's Nexus 10 gets a slightly less impressive 9 hours.
Technically speaking, the new iPad hosts a 42.5-watt-hour lithium-polymer battery, while the Nexus 10 has a 9000 mAh lithium polymer.
Operating System
New iPad: Apple's iOS 6
Nexus 10: Google's Android Jelly Bean 4.2
The new iPad runs Apple's latest iOS 6 software, while the Nexus 10 is equipped with the latest Android release, version 4.2 "Jelly Bean." Both operating systems are close to equal when comes to app counts, with CNET reporting the number to be around 700,000.
That said, some consumers could be weary of the quality of Android apps available for Nexus 10; Google, through a note on its website, recently urged its developers to check the quality of their tablet apps before submitting them to Google Play, to ensure they don't look like stretched-out smartphone apps that have been forced to fit on tablet.
Ports
New iPad: Lightning Connector
Nexus 10: Micro USB, Micro HDMI
Users who need more robust input/output functionality should probably go with the Nexus 10. Google's tablet has both a micro USB and micro HDMI port, while the latest iPad comes with neither, offering instead the new Lightning port Apple debuted with the iPhone 5.
Price
New iPad: Starts at $499 (for 16 GB)
Nexus 10: Starts at $399 (for 1 6GB)
For cost-conscious shoppers, Google's Nexus 10 may again be a better fit. The tablet starts at $399 for a 16-GB model and is also offered in a 32-GB model for $499.
The fourth-generation iPad, by comparison, goes for $499 in a 16-GB model, $599 in a 32-GB model and $699 in a 64-GB model. Apple also offers iPads that tap into cellular networks, including a 16-GB model for $629, a 32-GB model for $729 and a 64-GB model for $829.