Better Than iPad 3: Top Quad-Core Tablets for 2012
Not everyone knows that the highly hyped and praised new iPad doesn't have a quad-core CPU. Although the higher resolution 2,048-b7-1,536-pixel Retina display and the 5-MP camera for 1080p HD recording, and 4G LTE support are impressive, it doesn't have the energy saving and faster and powerful quad-core chipsets of its rivals. The iPad 3's A5X processor instead just has a dual-core CPU with a quad-core graphics processing unit.
Here are the top quad-core tablets for 2012:
1. ASUS Transformer Pad Infinity
ASUSTeK Computer unveiled late last year the ASUS Eee Pad Transformer Prime, the world's first tablet with the NVIDIA Tegra 3 chip. With its newest tablet, the ASUS Transformer Pad Infinity, Asus is again living up to its name as one of the leading innovators of the mobile computing industry.
With a 1920x1200 Full HD screen that also features an ultra-bright 600 nits outdoor readable Super IPS+, SonicMaster sound technology and a metallic spun finish, the Transformer Pad Infinity is optimized for mobile entertainment.
Like its predecessors, the Transformer Pad Infinity can be transformed to a laptop, using a mobile dock. With a NVIDIA Tegra(R) 3 T33 Quad-core (Wi-Fi) CPU with 1GB RAM, the Transformer Pad Infinity runs even the most demanding Android apps without breaking a sweat, while up to 64GB of user storage and blazing 4G/LTE speed means all kinds of multimedia can be carried and downloaded with ease.
Full specs of the Transformer Pad Infinity:
* Display: 10.1" 1920 × 1200 FHD Super IPS+ screen with 178° wide viewing angle and 600 nits out door readable mod, Scratch resistant Corning Gorilla Glass 2
* OS: Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich
* Platform: NVIDIA Tegra 3 T33 Quad-core 1.6GHz (WiFi) CPU or
Qualcomm® MSM 8260A/8960 SnapdragonTM S4 Krait Dual-core 1.5Ghz
CPU(3G / LTE)
* Memory: 1 GB
* Network: Wifi/3G/ LTE
* Connectivity 802.11 b/g/n, WI-FI Direct, Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR & Bluetooth 4.0 LE
* Front Camera: 2MP
* Rear Camera: 8MP Auto focus (rear) with flash, F2.2 large aperture, backlit CMOS
* Input/Output: (a) PAD: 2-in-1 Audio Jack (Headphone / Mic-in); 1 × micro HDMI port 1 × Micro SD Card Reader ; Internal Microphone & Stereo Speaker (b) Mobile Dock: 1 × USB2.0 port ; 1 × SD Card Reader
* Battery: (a) 10 hours; 25Wh Li-polymer Battery (b) 16 hours pad with dock ; 25Wh(pad) + 22Wh(dock) Li-polymer Battery
* Size/Weight: 263 × 180.8 × 8.5 mm ; 586g (pad only)
263 × 180.8 × 8 to 10.4 mm ; 537g. (dock only)
2. Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 10.1
Samsung's Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 tablet, which was previewed at the Mobile World Congress in February, was originally slated for a March release, then pushed back the date to May 13. But Samsung is again delaying the release of its new 10.1-inch tablet in order to replace the dual-core CPU in the original design with a faster and more powerful quad-core CPU.
The new tablet is now expected to have a super-fast processor, i.e. the Samsung Exynos 4412 quad-core processor. The Galaxy Tab 10.1 in shelves today just has a 1 GHz dual-core Nvidia Tegra 2 processor. The iPad 3's A5X chip, while having a quad-core graphics processor, just has a dual-core 1 GHz CPU.
Prior delays have been attributed to Samsung's decision to have Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich built-in to the device.
Aside from the quad-core chip and the ICS software, the new tablet has a built-in universal remote control. The Smart Remote feature allows you to switch channels of your TV or Blu-ray player (doesn't have to be a Samsung set), and if you have a Samsung TV, you mirror what's playing on the TV to your tablet.
Samsung announced that that the entry level Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 will be priced at $400. The original Galaxy Tab was priced at $500 during launching, same as the iPad 3.
Here are the UPDATED features of the Galaxy Tab 2 10.1:
* Design: Tablet has rounded corners and sports a titanium silver finish on it its backside. The device is slightly thinner than previous model and slightly heavier.
* Measurements: 6.9 inches Width x 10.1 inches Height x 0.34 inches Depth. The original Tab 10.1 retained the same screen dimension although it was thicker at 0.38 inches thick.
* Weight. The new Tab weighs 1.28 pounds. Original Tab weighs 1.25 pounds.
* Screen size: 10.1-inch display size, with 1,280 by 800-pixel resolution, capable of 1080p playback at 30 frames per second.
* CPU: Exynos 4412 quad-core processor.
* Storage: 16 GB flash memory plus microSD card. The original Galaxy Tab had 16/32/64 GB flash memory variants.
* Rear camera: 3 mexapixel.
* Front camera: VGA camera (640 by 480) for video calling. The original Gab had a 2 mp fronth camera.
* Connectivity: GPS, 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth 3.0
* Platform: Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich
* Unique Features: Smart Remote (infrared port for controlling TV), Samsung Media Hub (buying music and videos), AllShare integration (for media-sharing), and 50 GB of free storage from Dropbox.
* Price: $399.99
* Availability: May or June
3. Acer Iconia Tab A510
The Acer Iconia Tab A510 is Acer's best looking and most powerful tablet to date. Acer said
the tablet's powerful NVIDIA TEGRA 3 quad-core processor manhandles HD videos, console-like gaming, 2X faster web browsing, and hardware-accelerated Flash. Meanwhile, a 5th battery-saver core efficiently deals with low-power tasks like music playback and active standby.
The Olympic Games tablet edition features the Acer and Olympic logos on the chassis to celebrate the company's sponsorship of the upcoming 2012 Olympic Games.
The new tablet comes with the full suite of PolarisTM Office 3.5, which is compatible with Microsoft Office and allows reading and editing of various document formats for mobile access to important information. The new Acer tablet also includes Acer Print, so customers have a convenient and seamless way to print wirelessly from their tablet.
Here are the full specs of the Acer Iconia Tab A510:
* Display: 10.1" inch touch screen (max 10 finger input)
* Processor: Nvidia Tegra 3 1.3 GHz Quad Core
* Memory: DDR2 1GB
* Storage: 32 GB storage
* Rear camera: 5 Megapixel with autofocus
* Front camera: 1 Megapixel
* Operating system: Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich
* Connectivity: Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n & Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR
HDMI & 1x USB 2.0 Port
* Pricing: $449.99 (U.S.)
* Availability: Pre-orders opened last month
4. Google Nexus Tablet
Google Inc. and ASUS are reportedly working on a tablet that's cheap yet powerful. Google is set to release a 7-inch tablet that could sell between $149 and $249. However, Google has postponed the May release date of the device to sometime in July in order to reach a lower price point as Nvidia's Tegra 3 SoC and DDR2 memory are expected to drop by mid-year.
Here are the unconfirmed specs of the Acer Iconia Tab A510:
* Display: 7-inch display, with 1280×800 resolution for a 215 ppi pixel density.
* Processor: quad-core Tegra 3 chip,
* RAM: 1GB DDR2 RAM,
* Storage: 8-16GB internal storage
* Connectivity: WiFi
* Operating system: Android 4.0 out of the box.
READ Apple Q2 Results Could Mean No iPad Mini, No iPhone Nano, Late Launch of iPhone 5