Apple iPad 3 (rumoured) vs Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1

The iPad 3 hasn’t even officially been announced yet it’s enjoying huge amounts of press attention owing to a series of high profile leaks which have given the world a potential glimpse of what could be on offer this March.

To get an idea of just how competitive the iPad 3 could be we’ve decided to measure against a very reliable yardstick, the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1.

So let’s see if the proposed spec of Apple’s next big thing can hold its own against Samsung's very impressive Android-based device.

Power
Rumour has it that Apple will outfit the iPad 3 with a quad-core A6 chip, which will likely be clocked to around 1GHz.

The device should have 1GB RAM too, giving it a real speed boost.
Users can also expect the device to be shipped in 16, 32 and 64GB flavours, though we wouldn’t get our hopes up for any removable storage support.

The Galaxy Tab 10.1 from Samsung runs on the dual-core 1GHz Cortex-A9 chip on offer in nVidia’s Tegra 2 T20 chipset, which also offers a ULP GeForce GPU.

The device has 1GB RAM, comes in 16, 32 and 64GB models and, as we predict for the iPad 3, offers no support at all for removable memory.

Winner – Apple iPad 3

Display
Samsung’s Galaxy Tab 10.1 features a very impressive 10.1-inch PLS TFT display with a resolution of 800x1280 pixels and offers up a pixel density of 149ppi.

The display is responsive, offers decent viewing angles and can deal with the odd scratch and scrape too, thanks to a layer of Corning’s Gorilla Glass.

Apple’s iPad 3 is rumoured to feature a 9.7-inch LED-backlit IPS TFT with a resolution of 2048x1536 pixels, twice that of the iPad 2.

Analysts predict a pixel density of around 170ppi too, which will put the device’s display up there with the best of them in terms of sharpness.

Users can expect a scratch proof coating on the device too, though we aren’t sure it will be Gorilla Glass 2 as some sources are reporting.

Winner – Apple iPad 3

Form
Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 - 256.7x175.3x8.6 mm, 560g
Apple iPad 3 - ?

Samsung’s tablet is a sleek device which is very comfortable to use, even for extended periods.

The Galaxy Tab 10.1 is very thin at just 8.6mm.

The Galaxy Tab 10.1 is crafted mainly of plastics, giving it a light feel and the device’s aesthetic is minimalist and symmetrical.

While Apple's iPad 3 is rumoured to be a wee bit thicker than the 8.6mm of its predecessor, this is apparently to allow for a larger battery.

Rumours have been circulating that the device may well offer a curved glass display too, though we aren’t sure how that will fit in with Apple’s design template.

Users can expect the device to be constructed of plastics and metal, and we would be very surprised if it didn’t share the same premium feel exuded by its forebears.

Winner – Draw