Apps
Winner: iPad 2
While Apple’s iPad has been out almost a full year, the Xoom is the first tablet featuring Android Honeycomb, Google’s first tablet OS. As such, Apple CEO Steve Jobs made a point to say that there are roughly 65,000 apps in the App Store that are designed to natively run on the iPad 2. Google has less than 100 tablet-specific apps in its Android Market, Jobs claims. He’s definitely right about one thing: The iPad 2 has a big head start. Still, the Android Market will catch up fast, as it has on smartphones. Also, keep in mind that nearly every iPhone and Android phone app will also run on tablets — they just won’t look as good.
Google is working hard to counter some of Apple’s software advantages. A few weeks ago, CEO Eric Schmidt showed off an iMovie-like video editing program called Movie Studio. However, yesterday Apple took it one step further, unveiling iMovie for iPad as well as a new version of Garage Band, a music creation program. Google and Apple are also battling it out in the video chat space, where Google Chat with Video is now the Android equivalent of FaceTime. We look forward to spending time with all of these new apps in the near future.
Extras
Winner: Xoom
While we love Smart Covers, the Xoom offers a lot of hidden features and accessories that make it a more intriguing buy. For starters, the Xoom has a direct HDMI out (iPad will cost you $39 for an add on), a cool speaker dock that props up your screen, a standard dock that can turn your tablet into a picture frame, and a decent custom-fit case that protects and helps prop up the device. Both tablets have wireless keyboards as well. Moving internally, the Xoom has more sensors inside it than you can count. The iPad 2 may have an accelerometer, ambient light sensor, and gyroscope, but the Xoom also has a proximity sensor, digital compass, and barometer inside it. Pretty cool, right?
When it comes to connection speed, the Xoom and iPad 2 are both 3G right now, but Motorola will offer a (supposedly free) LTE 4G update if you mail in your unit. Flash support is also on the way (hopefully soon), which won’t ever be available on the iPad 2. However, the Xoom is stuck on Verizon’s network for the time being, so if you roll with another network, the iPad may be a better bet. There are Wi-Fi only versions of both devices.
Price
Winner: iPad 2
Traditionally, Apple is not a company that offers the cheapest products, but thanks to its foresight and market lead with the iPad (it’s been a year and there are still only two competitors), the folks in Cupertino have been able to lock down massive supply deals that almost ensure that the iPad 2 will remain the most affordable tablet on the market for its size and feature-set. The iPad starts out at $499 for a bare-bones 16GB Wi-Fi only unit, while the cheapest Xoom (also Wi-Fi only) costs $599, though you do get 32GB of storage for that price. Currently only the Verizon 3G model is on shelves, which costs a hefty $799. The most expensive 3G iPad (64GB storage) runs for $829. The 32GB 3G iPad 2 costs $729, or about $70 less than the 3G Xoom.
Overall
Winner: Xoom
There are a thousand ways we could reorganize this battle and give the trophy to Apple. The fact is that both of these tablets are extremely competitive and offer some unique benefits. Both claim a 10 hour battery life as well. However, despite the beautiful design of the iPad 2 and software and price advantage it currently has, we think Motorola’s Xoom is a healthy competitor and worthy of a look. If you’re an iPhone lover, chances are the iPad 2 will win your heart, but if you’re not, give them both a try. You may be surprised at some of the differences between the two units.
Disagree vehemently with us? Direct all of your fury and elation into the commenting receptacle below!
UPDATE: I’ve updated the article to reflect new benchmarking tests performed by Anandtech.
Gotta say I feel like I’m actually doing something when using my Xoom… The iPad2 just feels like it only has 1 screen. I can check email, view the weather, news, chats, look at pictures, play music I own or pandora all before even launching a single application. The Xoom just has a much better user experience in my opinion.
I love the changing wallpapers and moving icons debate….Is it really that important?? "I could move my icons but I'm running on the oldest android software because my cell maker can't afford the upgrade"!!
They don't talk about how much it will cost to "upgrade" to 4G or the downtime needed to perform the mod….
Android software experience still too unpolished to be competitive.
I am an Iphone 3GS User & I Love My IPhone & all the application it supports, but recently i was on a bike trip to the near by mountains, I was taking pictures with my Iphone & the Memory Got full,I didn't want to delete any of the Pictures i took so i tried to delete the Videos / Music that I had stored on it & Guess what I am unable to do this, Hence I was unable to take pictures for the rest of the trip.
I've Used Andriod's Phone Before & I love how i can Customized each & every aspect of it.
The main reason for me not to go for an iPad would be the same, I Don't want to depend on my Computer/ Itunes to add/ delete Videos/ Music. This is a major Let down for me & I cannot Live with that.
Those who say Andriod's not User friendly, they are lying, Andriod is as user friendly as the iOS, the only difference is that Andriod offers more customization where as Apple iOS doesn't except changing your wallpaper & moving Icons.
Lmfao u can totally tell the ratings where from an apple user…first off Ipad 2 is not anything near as good as the xoom.
The xoom wins on horsepower just because its tegra 2 processor lmfao apple nerd saying ipad. 2 has more graphics false info. Tegra 2 does not just work faster but also made from nvidia graphic leading company owns ipad. 2 speed n graphics and 1gb ram double the memory of the Ipad2, b.s about its not necessary lmfao of course its necessary for any kind/type of multitaking. Xoom wins.
Secondly, screen size wins for being 16:9 ratio period. The Ipad 2 screen 4:3 is just pointless not just on videos but just on the part that its harder to type on. Xoom wins again.
Thirdly camera obviously xoom wins with its dual led flasg n front 2m camera n rear 5m camera..BS on who's gonna need to use flash lmfao ao funny apple nerd hater, anyone who does recordings or pics flash is always necessary. xoom again wins.
Besides all nerds out there motor has made available to hack/modify/ exceed clock speed to 1.5ghz the xoom unlike the Ipad 2. Xoom again.
The only advantage of the ipad2 is the market more apps available ..
Last but not least, ipad 2 is 3g/wifi. The xoom will be don't matter if not yet apple haters but will be 4g lte/wifi speeds fastest 4g network in the world.
These are the main concerns.
Xoom with 5 wins n ipad2 with 1 = xoom winner.
This comment is terribly uneducated.
The ipad 2 A5 processor has specific abilities to run graphics 9 times faster than any other mobile operating system on the market to date. It was designed with this in mind. Just because a company makes graphics cards does not mean their processor will have magic powers. Several test have proven that the ipad 2 runs circles around the xoom in many test.
Apple is famous for their operating systems being simply designed and very swift in just about anything they do. That's why they keep things exclusive, and approve their apps wisely. As for the RAM, 512MB is sufficient for a 1GHZ duel core processor. If you need more then that, then a 1ghz processor is going to lagg anyway.
Something about the apps that this article didn't cover, is this. I had the Sony Xperia phone, and I bought a lot of android market apps. Something I noticed with the Iphone was, there are not only more apps, but 90% of them are higher quality than most things found on the android market.
I have tested the Xoom, and I can say that not only does it feel heavier, but android is just plain frustrating. Having to customize everything is way too time consuming, I'd rather have everything organized in an easy to use way then have to deal with home screens, ect.
Remember kiddies – Just because something has better hardware specifications doesn't mean it 'works better.'
You could have a BAMF computer but it won't run for crap if you have windows 95 on it.
The ipad 2 A5 processor has specific abilities to run graphics 9 times faster than any other mobile operating system on the market to date. It was designed with this in mind.
*Mobile processor on the market to date
How can xoom win in screen comparison?
At best it should be tie.
iPad has high quality IPS compared to cheap low quality TN on XOOM, which means better viewing angles.
iPad has better screen ratio of 4:3 which is more universal for doing all sort of work.
16:9 is only good for watching movies and everybody hates it.
Unfortunatily it is the chepeaset ratio to produce since TV have that format.
Xoom has better resolution.
Everybody hates it?? you mean Apple Fanboys like you!
Name one thing that looks better on 4:3 than 16:9.
The home screen looks better. Pretty much anything in portrait mode looks better. There.
Ipad is fun with Imovies and other apps. Apple make there money off apps
I OWN BOTH XOOM AND IPAD 2. IPAD 2 HAVE MORE APPS BUT MOST OF THE APPS HAVE ABOUT 15+ DIFFERENT VERSION OF THEM. MY XOOM I CAN OPEN UP MARKET MAP WEB AND YOUTUBE N THE SPEED IS NORMAL. IPAD 2 I OPEN WEB N MY YOUTUBE VIDEOS SLOW DOWN N U CAN TELL THE DIFFERENT SPEED. I LOVE XOOM U DNT NEED A COMPUTER 2 CUT IT ON EASY 2 SET UP AND FUN 2 USE. IPAD 2 MAD ME UPSET U CAN ONLY USE 1 TYPE OF VIDEO WHICH IS MPEG 4 WITH ZOOM U CAN USE ANY N EVERY TYPES OF VIDEO. N XOOM FLASH IS GREAT OMG I LOVE IT IPAD 2 NEED 2 THINK ABOUT WHAT THEY DID N REDO IT.
P.S. IPAD 2 IMOVIE IS GREAT I LOVE IT
I love reading about apple product owner's, they have tunnel vision and only seem to like apple's. Try thinking out the box for a change.
iWant iPad 2! Apple, the white one, iLike iPad. iSupport Apple. Winning! Epic Winning! there is like a billion iApps. iTunes and iStuff. iXoom is iCrap. iDont like it. iLike to be classy and Apple just know how to pull it out and rock my style. Thanks Steve. Didnt I mention theres like a billion apps… apps billions of apps IPAD Apps