Apple’s iPad 3 is due to be announced next month, and already the Web is buzzing with rumours, leaks and supposed inside information. The device will definitely make a splash when it’s finally unveiled but how well does it compare to one of the most popular big-screened devices on the market?
We aim to find out as we compare the supposed specification of Apple’s iPad 3 with Samsung’s Galaxy Note.
Display
Samsung’s Galaxy Note features a 5.3-inch Super AMOLED screen which operates at a resolution of 800 x 1280 and offers a pixel density of 285ppi.
Samsung’s Super AMOLED screens are known for their excellent performance and that reputation is upheld in the Galaxy Note. The screen is responsive, bright and affords the device excellent battery life.
The iPad 3 is expected to maintain the same screen size as its predecessors but up the resolution, which would see the device get a 9.7-inch LED-backlit IPS TFT display operating at a resolution of 2048 x 1536.
Users can also expect a pixel density of around 264ppi, which would give the device one of the sharpest tablet displays around.
Winner – Apple iPad 3 (rumoured)
Power
There are strong rumours that the iPad 3 will include a quad-core A6 processor, but we’d be surprised if Apple ratcheted up the clock speed to more than 1GHz.
The device is also likely to see a RAM boost, with 1024MB seeming the most likely choice.
As with previous versions of the iPad, the device will almost certainly ship in 16, 32 and 64GB models, to cater for every user's need.
Don’t expect support for SD cards.
Samsung’s Galaxy Note is driven by a 1.4GHz dual-core CPU and also features a Mali-400MP GPU, which is great for gamers.
The device has 1GB RAM and comes with either 16 or 32GB of on-board storage, and users have the option of expanding that via the SD card slot, which supports cards up to 32GB.
Winner – Apple iPad 3 (rumoured)
Build
Samsung Galaxy Note - 146.9 x 83 x 9.7 mm, 178g
Apple iPad 3 (rumoured) - ?
Apple iPad 3 (rumoured) - ?
With no concrete information available regarding the build or form of the iPad 3 we’re left to speculate a little here.
There are strong rumours that the device will see a drastically overhauled design, with some parties discussing the possibility of a curved display and others a thicker tablet to accommodate a larger cell, but that remains to be seen.
What we see as a certainty is a premium device crafted from metals and plastics with minimal hardware keys (some Analysts are predicting none at all) and a clean, simple aesthetic.
We don’t expect the device to weigh considerably more than its predecessors, but the idea of some extra battery life would be a great coup for Apple.
Samsung’s Galaxy Note is a robust but lightweight device crafted largely of plastics that is very comfortable to use.
The device can easily be stashed in a bag or large pocket and we were very impressed by the design, which mirrors the minimal, attractive look of other Galaxy devices.
Camera
The Galaxy Note features a good quality 8-megapixel camera which is capable of producing some very pleasing shots.
The primary camera benefits from an LED-flash, geo-tagging, touch focus, face & smile detection and image stabilization, as well as 1080P video capture.
The device also boasts a secondary 2-megapixel camera for video-calling which performs well.
It’s fair to say that photography hasn’t been a word associated with the iPad brand and previous devices have been disappointing in that area to say the least.
Certain analysts are predicting that Apple will up its game with the iPad 3, as it did with the iPhone 4S, and we are expecting to see an 8-megapixel camera à la the iPhone 4S, which would also include the same LED flash, autofocus and other trimmings.
It also seems likely that Apple will include a superior secondary, front-facing camera in the iPad 3 to allow for high definition FaceTime use.
Winner – Apple iPad 3 (rumoured)
Software
The main strength of Apple’s mobile device portfolio lies in its software. iOS is a tremendous operating system, combining simplicity with power in an effortless way.
With no concrete details available it would be remiss of us to make baseless predictions here, but you can guarantee that the boffins at Apple have something great up their sleeves, although we suspect it'll be geared more towards content that UI changes.
What we can say for sure though is that the iPad 3 will benefit from the biggest app library on the market, with plenty of tablet-only software available and some of the best games currently out there.
The Samsung Galaxy Note runs on version 2.3.4 of Google’s Android OS, which is a fast, stable and (in the right hands) powerful piece of software.
The Android Market contains over 400,000 apps which users can draw from to get the most out of their device, and many of the apps are free-of-charge, which is not to be sniffed at.
Samsung’s TouchWiz 4.0 UI sits on top of the Android foundation and expands core functionality nicely, with social networking integration, widgets, and apps included.
It may not be everyone’s cup of tea but it’s easy to see how far Samsung’s custom overlay has come, and we take our hats off to them for their efforts.
Winner – Draw
Having weighed up the rumours, looked at the leaks and analysed the predictions we’ve made the iPad 3 the winner in this little comparison.
It looks set to include a good number of improvements over the iPad 2 which is itself the world’s leading tablet, and that is enough to get us excited about its potential.
It’s worth bearing in mind that we’re dealing with speculation here, and as such every nugget of information is subject to change, and it’s also worth noting that we aren’t writing off Samsung’s fantastic Galaxy Note, we’re just expecting the device to be dwarfed by Apple’s next tablet release.
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