Android Tablet Summer Buyer's Guide Series, Part One: High-End/Enthusiast Edition

[dgstorm]

Are you in the market to get a new Android tablet this Summer, but are confused about which one to get? With so many options, it can be a daunting task to pick the best tablet for your needs. Luckily, your friendly neighborhood Forum Founders came up with a brilliant idea! We decided to write-up a handy-dandy Android Tablet Buyer's Guide to help you out a bit. What we have done is cull our three favorite tabs from three different categories (in no particular order), and hopefully that will help you decide from the best of the bunch. The three categories we will include are the following: High-End/Enthusiast-Level Tablets, Mid-Range Tablets, & Budget-Friendly Tablets. This list is obviously not exhaustive, so if none of these tabs pique your interest, don't forget to peruse the rest of the forums to find an alternative that might suit your needs.

This will actually be broken up into a three part series, and this first one is the High-End/Enthusiast Category. Enjoy!

High-End/Enthusiast-Level Tablets: (If you want/need the best Android tablet that money can buy, or just want an Android tablet with the most bells & whistles, then this category is for you.)

Our top three tablets in this category were hard to choose, because several new entries have come forth recently. For now, we would have to go with the feature-rich Acer Iconia A510, the new Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 10.1, and the even newer Asus Transformer Infinity. These tablets offer the best power to performance ratio in the high-end category. If we had to pick a favorite from the three, the Transformer Pad Infinity would probably edge out the others, although for the price the Acer Iconia A510 packs a ton of features.

Obviously, there were some other good choices that didn't quite make it, but are worth honorable mentions. The Toshiba Excite 10 is a good product, but at retail $520 and up, was just a little too pricey to be included. Additionally, the new Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 looks like it could be a real contender, but it isn't quite available just yet. It's price could be significantly higher than the others in this category as well, with an expected retail in the $700 dollar range. It might be perfect for an even higher-end, business class, "price-is-no-object" style tablet.

Update: We just received official word that the Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 will launch on August 16th for just $499.99 for the 16GB version and $549.99 for the 32GB version. This is in stark contrast to the previous rumors suggesting a $700 pricing structure. Although we obviously haven't had a chance to actually get our hands on this tablet yet, this will more than likely be the best deal on a high-end tablet in the market. Remember that this is a tablet with the most advanced hardware features of any tablet on the planet (except the OS). Here's a recap:

• 1.4GHz quad-core Exynos processor
• 2GB of RAM
• 10.1-inch WXGA LCD display
• Samsung’s S Pen stylus system

Because of how close this was to the original posting of our Tablet Buyer's Guide, we felt it was our duty to update it and share this info with you guys!

Here's a breakdown of each of the winners:

Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 - $399 at Amazon

• Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich) OS
• 10.1-inch Multitouch 720p HD Screen (1280 x 800)
• 16GB Internal Memory
• A microSD expansion up to 32GB
• Wireless N Wi-Fi (802.11b/g/n); Bluetooth 3.0
• 1GHz Dual-Core Processor
• 1GB RAM

Acer Iconia A510 - $399 at Amazon

• 10.1” HD Multi-Touch Display: (1280 x 800) resolution, 16:10 aspect ratio
• Android™ 4.0 Operating System (Ice Cream Sandwich)
• NVIDIA® Tegra™ 3 Quad Core Mobile Processor (1.3GHz) Super 4-PLUS-1™ Quad Core with Battery Saver Core
• 1GB DDR2 Memory
• Ultra Low Power (ULP) High Performance 12-core NVIDIA® GeForce® GPU
• 32GB internal storage
• MicroSD memory slot up to 32GB
• Dolby® Mobile 3 Technology
• Stereo Speakers
• Dual-Analog Microphone
• 802.11b/g/n Wireless
• Bluetooth® 2.1+EDR
• 1- Micro USB 2.0 Port
• 1- Micro-HDMI™ Out
• 5MP Rear-Facing Camera with Auto Focus
• 1MP Front-Facing HD Camera
• Sensors:G-Sensor, E-Compass, L Sensor, Gyro-meter
• Rechargeable Lithium-ion polymer Battery
• Up to 11-hours of Video Playback via Wi-fi(1)(1) Battery life varies depending on product specifications, tablet settings and applications or features launched.
• Up to 13-hours of Video Playback one system(2) (2) Battery life varies depending on product specifications, tablet settings and applications or features launched. Video Playback on system (Not streaming Wi-fi off)

Asus Transformer Infinity - $488 at Amazon

• 10.1-inch WUXGA IPS capacitive pressure-sensing multi touch display for brilliant Full HD entertainment and intuitive navigation. 178° viewing angle (1920 x 1200) protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 2
• Powered by NVIDIA Tegra 3 4-plus-1 Quad-core processor @ 1.6Ghz with 12-core GPU
• Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich OS
• Front (2MP) and rear (8MP) cameras
• Optional Docking station with QWERTY keyboard adds additional 4.5 hours of battery life, to instantly turn the Transformer into PC mode with up to 14 hours of battery life
• Ultra-slim and light (.33" thin and 1.32lbs light) with stylish swirl design

That's it for our first in the Android Tablet Summer Buyer's Guide Series. Our next edition will be the Mid-Range category, so be looking for that next week! Also, feel free to chime in your thoughts on our choices. In many ways it's even more important to hear from you guys than from us. Share your opinion to help out all the curious consumers who don't have their favorite tablet yet.

Source: Android Tablet Summer Buyer's Guide Series, Part One: High-End/Enthusiast Edition

 

[johnomaz]

Um, what about the Galaxy Note 10.1? And how can the Nexus 7 be left off the list for budget friendly?

 

[dgstorm]

I guess you didn't really read the post. I explain that this is the first in a three part series. This first one is for the high-end category, and the others will came later.

Also, I mentioned the Galaxy Note 10.1. It doesn't have widespread availability yet, and it is going to be so much more expensive that it might require it's own category.

 

[bluefire7002]

After selling my macbook early in the year, I was in the market for a Tablet... This past wednesday I picked up the Infinity of Newegg and must say... this thing is AWESOME! the display on this thing is probably the greatest feature of this thing (along with the tegra 3)

 

[johnomaz]

I guess you didn't really read the post. I explain that this is the first in a three part series. This first one is for the high-end category, and the others will came later.

Also, I mentioned the Galaxy Note 10.1. It doesn't have widespread availability yet, and it is going to be so much more expensive that it might require it's own category.

Ya, to be honest, I'm exhausted and can barely see straight. sorry =P

 

[chickaholic]

Great idea!

Thanks DG for a super idea with this thread! I manage to somewhat keep up with the new phones but keeping up with the tablets too - well, that is just a little too much for me. And here you are to the rescue <hug>. My VZW contract has finally hit 16 mos. and I'm so ready for an upgrade from my HTC DINC (gingerbread). I live just inside a 'dead' zone adjacent to an enhanced 4G zone. The signal with my DINC is horrible but Hubby's 'ruggified' cell phone n-e-v-e-r drops a call. I'm strongly considering returning to a cell phone and purchasing a tablet for my Android splendor. I spend little time actually talking on my smart phone (hard to do anyway when you can't get 5 min. before a dropped signal aarugh.) So unless one of the VZW 4G phones with the larger screen gets better reception here, a tablet may be the perfect solution. With your help through this thread, I'm sure I'll find the perfect tablet for me.
Thx again!

 

[N4UPD]

I will be looking to buy a tablet for Christmas and hope there will be some nice black friday bargains.

 

[dgstorm]

Ya, to be honest, I'm exhausted and can barely see straight. sorry =P

Np! We've all been there.