iPad 2 Vs. Xoom

As the iPad 2 vs Xoom battle continues to gain momentum, we decided to see where each of them stand when pitched against each other as of today. Continue reading…

The first generation tablet PC from Apple Inc. – the iPad was a revolutionary device, not just because it was brand Apple, but also because most of the earlier attempts of introducing a tablet PC had failed to yield the desired results. Apple changed the course of history by introducing the iPad, and followed it up with the second generation iPad – the iPad 2, earlier this year to add to the luster of its amazing product line. In course of time, several tablet computers followed – noteworthy among which were Samsung Galaxy Tab, Motorola Xoom, BlackBerry PlayBook, etc.

In fact, Motorola Xoom – which is one of the main contenders of the second generation iPad, was released on 24th February, 2011. On the other hand, Apple iPad 2 was released on 11th March, 2011 (in the United States). The fact that Xoom was released a fortnight before the iPad 2 did affect its sales as all those people who were contemplating the idea of going for Xoom gave in to all the hype about iPad 2 release date, and decided to wait and see what it had in store for them. It’s been quite sometime since both Motorola Xoom and Apple iPad 2 hit the stores, and hence it’s safe to pitch them against each other to see which of them has an edge over its counterpart.

iPad 2 Vs. Xoom Comparison

Nobody needs an introduction to the iPad or iPad 2, with the rumors and speculations about the latter flooding the tech arena months before its release. If iPad 2 boasts of being a revolutionary tablet PC, Motorola Xoom boasts of being the first Android-based tablet in the tech arena with the Android 3.0 Honeycomb operating system on board. To say that both have their own positives and negatives, would be an understatement considering that the specs comparison chart given below talks more about how Xoom is better than the iPad.

Apple iPad 2 vs. Motorola Xoom Specs Chart

The dimensions that Apple iPad 2 boasts of, don’t just make it the thinnest, but also make it the lightest of the 10 inch tablets on the block. As you can see in the comparison chart above, iPad 2 sports the same 9.7-inch display with 1024 x 768-pixel resolution that graced its predecessor. On the other hand, Xoom comes with a 10.1 inch screen with 1280 x 800-pixel resolution. Even though both these devices boast of two cameras – one at the rear and one in the front, the ones on board the iPad are no match for the powerful 2 megapixel and 5 megapixel cameras that the Xoom sports. Yet another issue that you are likely to face with iPad 2 is the absence of the HDMI and USB ports, which allow Xoom users to connect it to other devices. Xoom also scores in graphics and multitasking comparison, thanks to Google’s new Android Honeycomb OS which the manufacturer has tried to make as similar to a desktop OS as possible.

The iPad 2 does boast of more built-in-storage at a maximum of 64GB, but that is easily overshadowed by the fact that Xoom has SD card expandable storage to add to its 32GB internal storage. Xoom also triumphs when it comes to memory with 1GB RAM as compared to 512MB RAM that its Apple counterpart sports. Along with the powerful RAM, the improved Chrome browser and the Honeycomb operating system give Xoom an advantage in terms of speed. One should also make a note of the fact that even though Xoom is only available with 3G connectivity as of today, Motorola has declared that upgrading to 4G network will be free for all Xoom users in the months to come.

Price Myth Debunked

The base price for iPad 2 Wi-Fi models is $499, while the same for Wi-Fi + 3G is $699. On the other hand, Xoom base model itself costs a whopping $799 without a contract. While that may give one a feeling that price is one factor wherein iPad 2 edges out Xoom, the fact is that the $799 price of Xoom comes down to $599 when you go for a 2 year contract with Verizon, which is far less as compared to 32GB iPad 2 with 3G connectivity at $729. After dispelling the price myth and going through the entire review, if iPad 2 has any advantage over Motorola Xoom, it is the fact that it comes from Apple.

On the basis of tech specs alone, one can easily say that Motorola Xoom edges out Apple iPad 2 with immense ease in this war of tablets. Virtually all the features that Xoom boasts of are better than (or at least at par with) the features of the iPad. However, one has to also take into consideration the fact that seldom do people buy a tablet on the basis of specs alone. Apple knows this very well, and that explains why Apple products are targeted at a specific group of people i.e. the Apple loyalists who just refuse to believe that there can be something better than the iDevices.