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iPad Fourth-Generation vs. Nexus 10

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Most of the focus in the tablet wars has been on the Nexus 7 and the iPad mini, however, there is also a competition brewing this holiday season among the larger tablets from Apple and Google now that the former has introduced its new iPad fourth-generation and the latter has unveiled the Nexus 10. But how do they two tablets stack up against each other? Here, we take a look at the iPad fourth-generation versus the Nexus 10.

While the Nexus 10 had been expected, the iPad fourth-generation was a bit of a surprise as Apple only announced the iPad third-generation in March of this year. Now that the new iPad 4 has arrived, the third-generation iPad has disappeared from Apple’s website leaving only refurbished models in its place. It will be joined by the iPad mini, Apple’s new 7.9-inch iPad, on shelves this holiday season.

Read: iPad mini vs. iPad 4th Generation.

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iPad 4th generation and the Pad mini. (REUTERS/Robert Galbraith)

Trying to repeat the success of the Nexus 7, Google decided to unleash a new 10-inch Nexus tablet, dubbed the Nexus 10, which will be one of the iPad fourth-generations main competitors this holiday season and beyond.

Those looking to get a larger tablet this holiday season will likely have both on their potential list and so, in order to give consumers a good idea about what each offers, we wanted to dive in deep and take a look at how the Nexus 10 matches up against the new fourth-generation iPad.

Release Date

Since both devices have been announced, we have release dates for both the Nexus 10 and the iPad fourth-generation. Sort of.

Google’s Nexus 10 is slated to go on sale on November 13th, same day as a host of Nexus products including the Nexus 4, Google’s new Nexus smartphone. It will, at the very least, be available through Google’s Google Play Store. The 32GB Nexus 10 model will be available at Walmart. No word on other retailers as of yet.

Apple’s fourth-gen iPad is going to be officially going on sale this Friday, November 2nd, after a pre-order. The device is currently sold out through Apple’s online store though shipping delays are only a week. That release date is for the Wi-Fi only model though.

The 4G LTE model will be arriving in the middle of November though Apple has not yet specified a date about when it will be released, only saying it will ship by mid-November.

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The Nexus 10.

Design

Like the Nexus 7, the Nexus 10 employs a plastic design, reminiscent of a Samsung-made product. The plastic is said to feel rubberized which means that it’s likely a similar material and feel to the Nexus 7’s back that is already in stores. This is a Samsung product so the build quality will likely be good which means that the device will be durable, something that is necessary on a tablet that might be taken on-the-go.

As for the specifics, the Nexus 10 263.9 x 177.6 x 8.9 mm thin and weighs 603 grams.

Apple’s iPad is a little thicker than the Nexus 10 and also heavier. However, it also features a design that is made from both glass and aluminum which makes it easy to hold and extremely durable as well.

Specifics of the iPad fourth-generation are 241.2 x 185.7 x 9.4mm and 652 grams for the Wi-Fi model and for the 4G LTE model, it features the same dimensions but is a tad heavier weighing 662 grams.

Display

One of the most attractive features on the Nexus 10 is its large 10-inch display that features the highest resolution of any tablet on the planet, including the iPad. The Nexus 10’s screen has 2560 x 1600 with 300 pixels-per-inch which should translate into amazing looking video, rich text, and fantastic looking images.

Those that love to use their tablet for reading books will also benefit from the high-resolution display of the Nexus 10.

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The iPad fourth-generation features a 9.7-inch Retina Display.

This is not to say that the iPad’s Retina Display is a slouch. It’s not. It features comparable 2048 x 1536 resolution with 264 pixels-per-inch. The iPad’s display is also a little smaller than the Nexus 10’s coming in at the usual 9.7-inches.

Both will be great for content consumption, reading books and playing games.

Specs

Both the iPad fourth-generation and Nexus 10 will feature some next-generation specifications that make them extremely powerful mobile devices. One thing that shoppers will want to look at is the storage options.

Screen Shot 2012-10-31 at 4.39.42 PM

While the Nexus 10 has two options, the iPad fourth-generation offers a larger model for those that need a whole lot of space on their tablet for things like apps and photos.

Here are the Nexus 10’s specs:

  • 10.055-inch WQXGA Display with 2560 x 1600 resolution (300 ppi)
  • Samsung 1.7GHz Exynos 5 Dual-Core CPU
  • 16GB/32GB Storage
  • 5MP camera/1.9MP camera
  • 9000 mAh battery
  • 2GB of RAM

And the iPad fourth-generation’s:

  • 9.7-inch Retina Display with 2048 x 1536 resolution (264 ppi)
  • Apple dual-core A6X processor with quad-core graphics
  • 16GB/32GB/64GB Storage
  • 5MP iSight camera/FaceTime HD Camera
  • 42.5-watt battery
  • 1GB of RAM

Apple promises 10 hours of battery life for the iPad while Google says that the Nexus 10 will get up to nine hours of video playback.

Camera

Unlike the Nexus 7, the Nexus 10 will be coming with two cameras, one in the rear and one in the front. The one in the rear is a 5MP camera that shoots what appear to be decent photographs.

Here is a camera sample from the Nexus 10 from Google’s Vic Gundotra.

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Nexus 10 camera sample.

Its front facing camera is going to be 1.9MP which should mean good quality for things like video chatting.

As for the iPad fourth-generation, it will have a new front facing FaceTime HD camera capable of 1.2MP photos and 720P video and a 5MP iSight camera with autofocus, face detection, a five element lens and ƒ/2.4 aperture. Apple hasn’t released any samples but we imagine that its rear camera will be on par with the third-generation iPad’s camera.

A sample from that device can be seen below.

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iPad third-generation camera sample.

Software

The Nexus 10 will be one of the first devices to offer Google’s latest piece of Android software, joining Nexus 4 as one of the first devices to offer Android 4.2 Jelly Bean.

The software, which will have most of the same features as Android 4.1 Jelly Bean, seen in the video below, will also make some impressive additions that should make Android 4.2 Jelly Bean even better than its predecessor.

Read: Android 4.2 Jelly Bean: Everything You Need to Know.

Android 4.2 Jelly Bean will be bringing a new Quick Settings menu in the Notification bar for quick access to things like Wi-Fi and screen brightness, a new photo option called Photo Sphere which allows users to take 360 Street View-like images, a keyboard with gesture swipes, and multiple user log-ins for tablets, just to name a few. Obviously, the Nexus 10 will be able to take advantage of that last feature.

And being a Nexus device, it will always be one of the first to get Android updates from Google, assuming the company deems it compatible.

The iPad fourth-generation will come equipped with Apple’s iOS 6 operating system which was released back in September. Many of its features can be seen in the video below.

iOS 6 possesses over 200 new features from iOS 5 including Facebook integration, the new Maps application, Siri for the iPad and more. One thing that does remain missing from the iPad is a dedicated YouTube app which Apple pulled in iOS 6.

Carriers

The Nexus 10, at this point, is not going to be available on any U.S. carriers as it doesn’t feature cellular data capabilities. However, as we’ve seen with the Nexus 7, Google is not above releasing its device later with data. The Nexus 7 went months without a model with 3G connectivity and now, it will be arriving in November unlocked with cellular data.

So that doesn’t necessarily mean that the Nexus 10 will obtain cellular data connectivity but it certainly means that there is a chance that Google might decide to equip it with 3G or 4G LTE data.

Apple is offering 4G LTE connectivity with the iPad fourth-generation and it will be the first iPad to offer cellular data on AT&T, Sprint and Verizon. The previous models only offered AT&T and Verizon.

This means that it will be able to pull down speeds up to 10 times faster than 3G in areas where AT&T, Sprint or Verizon 4G LTE connectivity is available.

Of course, AT&T and Sprint both have less than 100 4G LTE locations while Verizon boasts over 400. So those looking to get a 4G LTE model iPad will want to make sure data is available in their area before buying.

Price

The Nexus 10, like the Nexus 7, will come with affordable pricing for its two storage options which includes both a 16GB model and a 32GB model. The 16GB Nexus 10 will check in with a $399 price tag, $100 cheaper than the starting price of the iPad. The larger storage option, the 32GB Nexus 10, will arrive with a $499 price tag which is the same price as the cheapest iPad.

As for Apple’s tablet, it again starts at $499 and that will net consumers a 16GB Wi-Fi only fourth-generation iPad. Here is how the rest of the options break down for the new iPad.

  • iPad 16GB Wi-Fi Only -$499
  • iPad 32GB Wi-Fi Only – $599
  • iPad 64GB Wi-Fi Only – $699

And, the 4G LTE models.

  • iPad 16GB 4G LTE – $629
  • iPad 32GB 4G LTE – $729
  • iPad 64GB 4G LTE – $829

This is the same pricing that Apple employed with the third-generation iPad.

6 Comments

6 Comments

  1. Jorden Casey

    10/31/2012 at 8:17 pm

    Two other tablets become available in November through a new site called TabletSprint – which offer some impressive features and prices, and stack up against the iPad and the new Google Nexus 10 inch tablets for nearly half the price – One model is the Novo 10 by Ainol electronics, a tabletmaker which received a CNET/CES 2012 “Tablet of the Year” award for another tablet they produced earlier this year – The Novo 10 offers a Quad Core processor and a pretty amazing 1920×1200 Liquid Crystal 10.1″ screen (like iPad Retina display) and will retail for about $269 and feature an advanced 10-Point Multi-Touch, HDMI with 1080p (HD) output to a TV, Dual Cameras, Bluetooth, WiFi, Built-In GPS, a Micro-SD Memory Card Slot, a Micro-USB port, a Strong Battery (10,000 mAh), Android 4.1 O/S (Jelly Bean) and Google Play access (400,000+ Android Software Apps). A similar model is also available in November that is produced by another Asia firm, Ramos Technology, that’s called the W30-HD, which also has many of the same features, Plus 3G built in that works with any GSM carrier (AT&T & T-Mobile) and is expected to be priced around $320. One of the only places that seem to carry these models in the U.S. so far is at TabletSprint — which also offers a few well-priced, quality 7 inch tablet models.

  2. Mark

    11/01/2012 at 12:18 am

    And the conclusion is… ?

  3. George

    11/01/2012 at 1:50 am

    the nexus 10 wipes the floor with the newest ipad but this apple apologist just couldnt bring himself to say it so just left the conclusion blank. i love it!

  4. Spyder Dan

    11/03/2012 at 7:12 am

    You know what annoys me about tablets and people making a point about No 3G or 4G connectivity? You don’t need it… it’s a huge waste!

    Doesn’t your phone have mobile WiFi hot spot capability? If it doesn’t get a real phone!

    Yeah go pay for another redundant data plan on a different device. As if your carrier isn’t gouging you enough. Pay them more, they can never be too big and bloated.

    While you’re at it go to your local gas station and tell them you’re not paying enough for your gas and you want them to raise the price more or you’re not going to fill up your tank! You get what you pay for right?

  5. chan

    11/04/2012 at 1:22 am

    Apple is good at user experience , Google is good at Technology . user experience is idea based , can be copied easily but not technology, that is the reason why other companies are coming closely to Apple in user experience . Apple doesn’t have high technology , it is not so easy to fill the gap for ex:- Maps, they failed to provide sophisticated maps like google.

  6. Lu Cypher

    11/29/2012 at 8:35 am

    People get real with this user friendly crap of apple.. Apple mobile devices are boring, you have a smart device why does it need to be dumb simple looking? You’re paying 400 plus for screens of apps..let’s be real I’m so tired of reading these comparisons an everything is apple biased.. Its not the best at anything mobile.. If you don’t know how to click some apps you’re retarded an don’t need a smart device.. Android allows you to customize your phone or tablet to how you want it to be. Stop with this fanboy crap BC you’re not doing anything for the reader at all besides making them believe everything is comparable to an iOS device .. That’s like going to BMW an asking is this like a Honda? Lol nexus 10 spec wise is far better.. Features far better price better how do you go wrong? Tired of tech blogs an the apple ryding

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