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Is this an iPad-killer? I know, I know – the term “iPad killer” is badly overused here in the world of tech media. But it’s tough to argue that the Samsung/Google Nexus 10 is aimed at anything but competing with Apple’s market-leading design directly. Here’s a look at the biggest and latest Nexus tablet.
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Super-high-resolution display The Nexus 10’s 10-inch screen resolution clocks in at an enormous 2560x1600 pixels, or 300 ppi. This also maintains the same aspect ratio (16:10) as the Nexus 7, which should be a boon to Android tablet app creators. Apple’s iPads follow the same pattern, although their common aspect ratio is 4:3.
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Android 4.2 The new version of Jelly Bean – included with the Nexus 10 – comes with several tablet optimizations, including multi-user support, better lock-screen widget support, and improved pull-down notifications.
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New hardware The Nexus 10 looks to be roughly comparable to the latest iPad in terms of core hardware, with both devices running dual-core CPUs clocked above 1.5GHz and quad-core GPUs. However, Samsung and Google have packed 2GB of RAM into their device instead of the iPad’s 1GB, which could help multitasking performance.
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Faster Wi-Fi, kind of. Just like Amazon did at the launch of its updated Kindle Fire tablet line, Google and Samsung say that the Nexus 10 features a sophisticated new Wi-Fi modem that can provide better connectivity. That’s all well and good, but it’s worth pointing out that this is of limited use – generally speaking, it’s the speed of the underlying connection that’s a problem, not the speed of the Wi-Fi. Also, the Nexus 10 is Wi-Fi only, with no option for mobile data.
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Size and weight The Nexus 10, while thinner than the latest iPad, has more surface area, thanks to a sizeable bezel and slightly larger screen. However, it’s lighter than the iPad, weighing in at 603 grams to the iPad’s 652.
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Price/Availability At $399 for a 16GB model and $499 for 32GB, the Nexus 10 is $100 cheaper than equivalent Wi-Fi only iPads – while that difference is unlikely to faze Apple’s devoted fan base, it could still prove tempting to new tablet buyers. The Nexus 10 will go on sale Nov. 13.
