Droid Xyboard vs. iPad 2: how the specs compare
Less than a year after Motorola released the original Xoom, they are already giving us the Xoom 2 — known in the US as the Droid Xyboard. But while the original launched with hot anticipation as the first Honeycomb tablet, this sequel’s release is largely falling on deaf ears. That’s due in no small part to the original’s buggy software and hardware, which Motorola took over six months to remedy.
The original Xoom is the classic example of why you want to take tech specs with grains of salt. Its specs compared favorably to the iPad 2′s, but reviewers and customers found it to fall short overall. It was no iPad killer: the only thing it killed was the hope for a competitive tablet market in 2011.
The tablet will also come in a smaller 8.2 inch form factor, but this comparison only includes the larger Droid Xyboard 10.1.
Here’s how Motorola’s new tablet looks next to Apple’s market leader:
Design and dimensions
The most obvious difference is that the Droid Xyboard is primarily a landscape tablet, and the iPad 2 is primarily a portrait tablet. In turn, the Xoom is longer and the iPad is wider. Thickness is equal.
The Xyboard is a hair lighter, at 599 grams to the iPad’s 601 grams.
Display
The Xyboard has a slightly larger display, slightly higher resolution, and slightly higher pixel density.
Processor
Motorola switched from the NVIDIA Tegra 2 in the Xoom to a Texas Instruments OMAP 4 in the Xoom 2.
Both tablets have dual-core processors. The Xyboard is clocked slightly higher than the iPad 2.
RAM
The Xyboard doubles the iPad 2′s memory with 1GB.
Storage
The iPad presents more options for internal storage. Both tablets lack SD card support.
Battery
Be skeptical, for the Xyboard’s uptime is unconfirmed. Apple is known for giving conservative battery life estimates, while most other manufacturers list the highest number they can justify.
Camera
The cameras in the iPad 2 are cheap. The rear camera in the Xyboard is surprisingly good (for a tablet). The 1.3MP front camera in the Xyboard has higher resolution than the iPad’s primary camera.
Intangibles
Will the Xyboard get Ice Cream Sandwich? According to Motorola it will, but no firm release date has been set. The original Xoom launched without working LTE or SD card support, and it took over six months to fulfill both of those promises. Android 4.0 fans, buy with caution.
If the tech specs of these tablets look similar, intangibles are where the iPad 2 establishes its superiority. The App Store, iOS 5, and iCloud are huge boons for the iPad. iOS also has a much larger library of tablet-optimized apps than Android does.
Summing up
You get the sense that Motorola is trying to call for a re-do with the Xyboard. There is nothing revolutionary here, just slightly upgraded specs. The angular edges make for more comfortable holding, but many customers will think it’s ugly.
The biggest strike against the iPad 2 is that the iPad 3 will be here in three months. It should double its predecessor’s resolution, and have a faster A6 chip. Otherwise its app ecosystem and more mature firmware (at least for now) make it the superior choice.
The Xyboard looks good on paper, but the original Xoom looked good on paper — and we saw how that turned out. If specs are what you want, it’s trumped by the quad-core Asus Transformer Prime. The Xyboard is a niche device, lacking anything to make it stand out.
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