Nexus 10 vs. Surface RT

Nexus 10 vs. Surface RT

Apple has owned the 10-inch tablet market. Budget slates have done well on the low end, but other full-sized tablets have been utterly dominated by the iPad. Samsung, Google, and Microsoft hope to change that. Surface RT and Nexus 10 are the most compelling full-sized iPad challengers yet.

Size

The tablets are close in size, though Surface is a bit more oblong. The Nexus 10 is thinner, but not by a wide margin.

Weight

The Nexus 10 is significantly lighter. The best argument against 10-inch tablets is that they're too heavy, so this could be an important advantage for Samsung's tablet.

Display

This is a tremendous advantage for the Nexus 10. It has the highest resolution of any commercial tablet. Images and text will be razor-sharp. 

Microsoft's ClearType (sub-pixel rendering) tech helps Surface's display to look sharper than its resolution would suggest ... but that isn't enough to put it in the same league as the Nexus 10's display.

Processor

Both tablets have great processors, so there shouldn't be any performance issues. The Nexus 10 should have the edge, with its speedy Samsung chip.

RAM

Multitasking performance will be great, as both tablets have 2 GB of random-access memory (RAM).

Storage

These numbers are deceiving. Windows RT takes up a lot of space. That leaves the 32 GB model of Surface with roughly the same amount of useable storage as the 16 GB Nexus 10. 

Unlike the Nexus 10, though, Surface has a microSD card slot. You can use it to expand its storage.

Wireless

Neither tablet offers cellular data, so you'll need to connect to Wi-Fi (or your phone's mobile hotspot) for internet access.

Battery

Take these estimates with grains of salt, but the Nexus 10 looks to have the advantage.

Camera

The Nexus 10 has far superior cameras. Both standard photography and video chat will look much sharper than they will on Surface.



Starting price

This is another big advantage for the Nexus 10. Its base model ships for US$100 less than Surface. Also remember that Surface's keyboard – its killer feature – tacks another $100 onto its price.

Intangibles

Hardware is important, but a tablet is nothing without apps. This is where both tablets stumble. 

Android's Google Play Store has all the apps you want … if you have a smartphone. There's still a shortage of quality tablet apps. Sure, those smartphone apps will run on the Nexus 10, but they might look like the Twitter app pictured above. Lots of wasted space, and an unattractive layout. 

Surface has its own issues. Windows RT is a brand new platform, and doesn't run desktop Windows software. So don't be surprised if you see some tumbleweeds blowing around. With Surface sales starting slowly, the Windows Store may not be booming anytime soon. 

The software story isn't all dismal. The Nexus 10 ships with the latest version of Android, 4.2 Jellybean. It will also receive future updates immediately. 

Despite its lack of apps, Windows RT is a bold new operating system. It's basically Windows 8 without the desktop apps. Surface also includes Microsoft Office RT, a selling point for some shoppers. 

Surface also has a couple of nifty keyboard add-ons. The Type Cover is a traditional keyboard attachment, but the Touch Cover is something new. It's like an iPad Smart Cover, only with pressure-sensitive keys. Reviews have been mixed, so you might want to try one before throwing down an extra $100.

Summing up 

 Should Apple be scared? It's hard to say. Both new 10-inch tablets have compelling hardware and exciting new operating systems. Will that be enough to attract software developers? Will customers take the plunge with a lack of tablet apps? 

It's a steep hill to climb, but the Nexus 10 may have better odds. It has a lower starting price, a rabid Android fan base, and Surface will soon be competing with its own sibling (Surface Pro).

Nexus 10 review and wallpaper

Nexus 10 

Introducing Nexus 10




Nexus 10 is the newest tablet from Google. With the world’s highest resolution tablet display, all new multi-user support, immersive HD content and the best Google apps – Nexus 10 has something for everyone.

What is Google’s Nexus 10 tablet for - is it a device simply for watching films and reading books or is it a fully fledged tablet that aims to have all the apps of Apple’s iPad? If it is the former then it makes a decent and economical purchase. If it is the latter then it’s a device that struggles to compete. And with the burgeoning success of the iPad Mini, the Nexus 7 and the Kindle Fire HD, it seems as though the momentum is in fact with 7” tablets, not a 10” beast that need two hands. And where luscious tablet apps on the iPad justify its size, that’s a struggle on the Nexus 10. Either way, in the wake of Microsoft’s new Surface it seems as though both those devices are slightly lacking. Who should want something that is only a tablet when you can have both a tablet and a laptop? It may be optimistic to say that anything yet available is perfect, but certainly the future is not what it was. In terms of the Nexus 10 itself, however, there’s plenty to like and plenty to be slightly disappointed by: its 300 pixels per inch are better than most of the internet, so pictures on most websites start to look as blurry as they do on an iPad’s 264 ppi. The web, of course, will catch up because it’s being pushed by devices such as this. Films look stunning,a lthough not as stunning as on smaller devices. With a quad core graphics processor and a dual core CPU, games too render quickly. New features allow multiple users to easily log in to the tablet and personalise the device without disrupting it for others (this will launch on 13 November) and the lock screen now features some basic notifications as well. All of this is useful but not ground-breaking, and is not in any case unique to the Nexus 10. Of more interest, perhaps, is wireless display support which allows the tablet to interact directly and intuitively with an HD TV. Like the Nexus 4, the Nexus 10 also adds gesture typing and an enhanced camera interface. While the Nexus 4’s camera is an adequate 8MP, the 5MP camera in the back and the 1.9MP cameras in the front are clearly not meant to be anybody’s main device, as you’d expect in a tablet.
Where the Nexus 10 disappoints is in a nasty cover that has none of the cleverness of Apple’s Smart Cover or Microsoft’s Type Cover for Surface. The Nexus 10’s clips on with plastic teeth and replaces the existing back panel at the top of the tablet, meaning it can’t be easily removed. It does at least activate the screen when lifted. With a 9,000mAh battery, it claims web browsing can last for up to seven hours, although in my regular use I found it lasted slightly longer. As it charges via a simple micro-USB port, there are at least no additional adaptors to lug around, in manner of the Surface of the Xoom tablets. The Nexus 7 is a handy size and a great device for using on the go; the Nexus 10 is its bigger, slightly more awkward brother. At just £319 for a 16GB version and £389 for a 32GB model, there’s a lot going for it. But it’s a functional object. As is the aim with the Nexus range, it should show manufacturers what can be done, and for what price. As an inspiration - or a bargain - it’s hard to beat. And while it lacks the pizazz of an iPad or a Samsung Galaxy Tab or Note, it also offers everything most users will want from a tablet. It doesn't, however, have the beauty of Samsung's existing Galaxy Tabs, or the apps of Apple's iPad. It, more so than the Nexus 4, feels like a tool rather than a pleasure to use. That has its place, but the market's best devices already offer more.

Manufacturer specifications
Screen 10.055” 2560 x 1600 (300 ppi)
Size W: 10.39 in (263.9 mm)
H: 6.99 in (177.6 mm)
D: 0.35 in (8.9 mm)
Weight 1.33 lbs (603 g)
Cameras 5MP (main), 1080p video 1.9MP (front), 720p video
Memory 16 GB or 32 GB (formatted capacity will be less)
CPU/GPU CPU: Dual-core A15 Eagle
GPU: Mali T604
RAM 2GB
Dual-side NFC (Android Beam)
Connectivity Micro USB
Micro HDMI
3.5mm headphone jack
Battery 9,000 mAh Lithium polymer
Standby: up to 500 hours
OS Android 4.2 (Jelly Bean)

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