Asus Eee Pad Transformer PrimeThe world's first Nvidia Tegra 3 quad core tablet running Android OS 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich is here, and we've put several Primes through their paces to bring you this long term test drive and review. The Transformer Prime is Asus' second gen Android 10" tablet and it has a lot of solid specs for the price. It has an extremely bright and high contrast Super IPS+ mode with 600 nits brightness for better outdoor viewing. The tablet is supremely thin and light and features an aluminum casing that's available in champagne gold and amethyst gray. This is a WiFi-only tablet, and it has WiFi 802.11b/g/n, Bluetooth and a not very functional GPS. The Prime works with the an optional keyboard dock that turns it into a notebook style device.
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Jan. 2012
Acer Iconia Tab A200Acer's second 10.1" Android tablet is bargain priced at $329 to $349, but you get a solid name brand product for your money. It runs on a 1GHz Nvidia Tegra 2 CPU that was used in nearly every 2011 Honeycomb tablet, so it won't break any speed records, but it's perfectly adequate for web, email and gaming. The A200 is a little slimmer and lighter than the older Iconia Tab A500, and it loses the rear camera and HDMI port. It retains the full size USB host port, and that's a gem of a feature. This is a WiFi tablet with Bluetooth, GPS and a front video chat camera. It ships with Honeycomb but will receive a free downloadable upgrade to Android OS 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich.
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Jan. 2012
Toshiba Thrive 7The Toshiba Thrive 7 Inch tablet is the miniature buddy to the Toshiba Thrive 10" tablet released earlier this year. It has the same rugged look and rubbery ridged back, but some of the 10 inch model's geek chic amenities are missing, like the full size USB host port for USB peripherals and the (rare on mobile OS tablets) removable battery. The Thrive 7 runs on a dual core 1GHz Tegra 2 CPU with a gig of RAM and 16 or 32 gigs of storage. It runs Android OS 3.2 Honeycomb and is a WiFi-only tablet. It features a high resolution 1280 x 800 pixel display that's ultra-sharp.
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Dec. 2011
Samsung Galaxy Tab 7 PlusLooking for a full featured Android tablet that does more than the Nook Tablet and Kindle Fire? The Samsung Galaxy Tab 7 Plus runs Android OS 3.2 Honeycomb with all the bells and whistles, including a very fast dual core 1.2GHz CPU, dual cameras, GPS, WiFi, Bluetooth and a microSD card slot. It has Samsung's pleasing TouchWiz software and full access to Android staples like the Android Market, YouTube, Gmail and Maps.It's currently the thinnest and lightest 7" Android tablet on the market. This is a video review.
T-Mobile and Wi-Fi models
Nov. 2011
Motorola Droid XYBoard 10.1 Motorola's second gen Android tablet earns Moto a most improved award. While the XYBoard retains the first gen Motorola Xoom's bulletproof build, the new model is as thin and light as the waifish iPad 2 and Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 that it joins on Verizon's shelves. It features a sharp 10" IPS display that supports both capacitive multi-touch and the included EMR pen for precise input. The tablet runs on a 1.2GHz dual core TI CPU and has 4G LTE on Verizon's network. Other goodies include the usual dual cameras, Bluetooth, WiFi, GPS and less common features like USB host and an IR blaster with AV remote to control home theater gear.
Verizon and Wi-Fi models
Dec. 2011
Kindle FireThe Amazon Kindle Fire has stirred up a lot of interest and supposedly a large number of pre-orders. It's no wonder, Amazon is a widely known, trusted brand and their 7" tablet undercuts all other high quality tablets in terms of pricing. At $199, it doesn't require the serious economic pondering that a $500 10" tablet does, and then there's the promise of lots of content. The Fire lives up to that promise, with easy access (very easy, you know Amazon wants you to shop until your finger drops) to their huge selection of eBooks, 10,000 Amazon Prime videos, their 17 million MP3s.
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Dec. 2011
Nook TabletBarnes & Noble's second generation 7" color LCD eReader and tablet might look identical to the Nook Color, but it's all new inside. The Nook Tablet has a 1GHz dual core CPU and 16 gigs of storage, making it a perfect home for the pre-installed Netflix and Hulu Plus streaming video players. The tablet even has a mic for recording your own Nook Kids books narration and for doing video chat too. The sharp display, friendly user interface and ePUB support make this a solid Kindle Fire competitor. This is a full written review plus video review.
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Nov. 2001
T-Mobile SpringboardThis is T-Mobile's latest 7" Android Honeycomb tablet, and it's made by Huawei. This moderately priced tablet is made with quality materials and we like the metal framing and aluminum back. It has a high resolution, 1280 x 800 pixel display, a resolution that's more commonly seen in 10" tablets, and it's plenty sharp with good viewing angles. It's no slouch on computing power with a 1.2GHz dual core CPU, a gig of RAM and 16 gigs of storage. The tablet has 3G/4G on T-Mobile in the US, and it has WiFi, Bluetooth and a GPS. Dual cameras round out the feature set.
T-Mobile
Nov. 2011
Asus Eee Pad SliderKeyboard-loving Android tablet users have yet another choice. The much anticipated Asus Eee Pad Slider is finally out, and it's a theme and variation on the successful Asus Eee Pad Transformer. In terms of specs, it's the same as the Transformer and other Honeycomb tablets. You get a 1GHz Nvidia Tegra 2 CPU, a gig of RAM, 16 or 32 gigs of storage, WiFi, Bluetooth and a GPS. It has a front video chat camera and a rear 5MP camera. We love the full USB port with USB host, and the one-piece portability of this 2.1 lb. tablet that really can replace a laptop for basic tasks.
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Oct. 2011
Samsung Galaxy Tab 8.9 The Samsung Galaxy Tab 8.9 is the slightly more portable version of the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 Android Honeycomb tablet. In terms of software and hardware the two tablets are nearly identical, with the Tab 8.9 being 1.2" smaller (diagonally) and a quarter pound lighter. It runs on Android OS 3.1 Honeycomb with Samsung's pleasing TouchWiz UI customizations for tablets. The Galaxy Tab 8.9 runs on the usual NVIDIA Tegra 2 1GHz dual core CPU with a gig of RAM, and it's available in 16 and 32 gig versions. This is a WiFi 802.11b/g/n tablet, and there's currently no 3G or 4G option.
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Oct. 2011
Lenovo ThinkPad TabletThe Lenovo ThinkPad Tablet is an Android Honeycomb 3.1 tablet with a 10.1" 1280 x 800 pixel IPS Gorilla Glass display and the usual internals: 1GHz Nvidia Tegra 2 dual core CPU, a gig of RAM, plenty of internal storage, dual cameras, WiFi, Bluetooth and a GPS. What sets it apart from many Honeycomb tablets is the N-Trig Duo Sense dual digitizer. That means it's both capacitive multi-touch and it works with the optional $30 active digitizer pen. The pen is more precise than a capacitive stylus and it supports pressure sensitivity.
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Oct. 2011
Sony Tablet SSony's first Android tablet has a unique design that not only looks cool; it's the first 10" class tablet that's comfortable to hold for extended periods of time. The 9.4" TruBlack display is stunning with wide viewing angles and rich colors, and Sony includes their Crackle app for some free streaming and TV show love without having to suffer through Adobe Flash (though Flash is here if you want to). The 1.3 lb. tablet runs Android Honeycomb 3.2 with Sony custom software, and it has the usual dual cameras, gig of RAM, plenty of internal storage, WiFi, Bluetooth and a GPS. The tablet is ready to entertain you the Sony Reader app, social networking and an excellent AV remote control app with IR blaster.
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Sept. 2011
HTC JetstreamWe've waited patiently for HTC to release a 10" Android Honeycomb tablet, and now we have the Jetstream which is arguably the best but also the most expensive Honeycomb tablet on the market. The Jetstream is exclusive to AT&T, and it has 3G, 4G HSPA+ and 4G LTE. With either flavor of 4G you get rocking speeds, and the tablet's 1.5GHz dual core CPU only adds to to pleasure. Like the 7" HTC Flyer, it has a capacitive display plus an active digitizer that works with the HTC Scribe pen for precise note-taking and drawing. The tablet has 32 gigs of storage, a front video chat camera plus an impressive 1080p 8MP rear camera, GPS, dual band WiFi 9802.11n, Bluetooth 3.0 and a lovely metal casing. It handles Adobe Flash with ease and supports Netflix without hacking.
AT&T
Sept. 2011
Acer Iconia Tab A100Currently the one and only 7" Android Honeycomb tablet on the market, the Acer A100 is nonetheless a fine 7" tablet with all the power of a 10" model packed into a much more portable package. The A100 has a 1024 x 600 pixel capacitive multi-touch display, a 1GHz Nvidia Tegra 2 CPU, a gig of RAM and 8 or 16 gigs of internal storage. It runs Android OS 3.2 and has HDMI, dual cameras, a GPS, WiFi and Bluetooth. Not bad for tablet that starts at $329.
WiFi only
Aug. 2011
Vizio 8" TabletVizio has taken the TV world by storm with low prices and high quality HD TVs, and now they're after the Android tablet market. The 8" Vizio tablet sits between bargain tablets and tier 1 Android tablets in terms of price, and you get a solid set of features for just under $300. The tablet has an 8" capacitive LED backlit display, a 1GHz single core CPU, WiFi 802.11b/g/n, Bluetooth, a GPS and solid video playback skills. The Vizio has a very cool AV remote app and IR blaster that can control your home AV gear, an HDMI port and it runs Android OS 2.3 Gingerbread with newbie-friendly UI customizations.
WiFi only
Aug. 2011
Lenovo IdeaPad K1Lenovo has entered the increasingly crowded Android tablet market with their consumer-oriented IdeaPad K1. It sports the usual Honeycomb specs: a 10.1" capacitive touch screen, 1GHz Nvidia Tegra 2 dual core CPU, a gig of RAM, 32 gigs of flash storage, WiFi, Bluetooth, a GPS and dual cameras. The tablet has excellent build quality and a nice design, but the 30 bundled applications that were supposed to make the IdeaPad more user friendly instead make it stumble. Our favorite piece of software? Netflix; a rarity on Android tablets. Want to learn more? Check out our IdeaPad K1 video review.
WiFi only
Aug. 2011
Toshiba Thrive Toshiba takes their laptop expertise and applies it to this tablet. The Thrive is thicker and heavier than average, but it fits in goodies like a full size HDMI port, full USB port, SD card slot and a replaceable battery. This Android Honeycomb 3.1 tablet is otherwise standard stuff with a dual core 1GHz Nvidia Tegra 2 CPU, a gig of RAM, GPS, Bluetooth, WiFi and dual cameras. The Thrive calls to your inner MacGyver and geek: plug in a USB keyboard, access your external hard drive, view camera photos using the full size SD card slot and more.
WiFi only
July 2011
Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1The Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 is the Android tablet that's most like Apple's hyper-successful iPad 2 tablet from a design perspective. It's incredibly slim at 0.34" and light at 1.25 lbs. and we can only marvel that Samsung re-engineered it to such lithe sexiness in just a few months. At the same time we're missing some things that didn't fit in such a small chassis like a microSD card slot. The Galaxy Tab has a 10.1" vivid display that we love, the usual dual core 1GHz Tegra 2 CPU, 16 or 32 gigs of storage and dual band WiFi 802.11b/g/n. It's available in WiFi-only and Verizon 3G/4G LTE versions. The tablet runs Android OS 3.1 Honeycomb.
WiFi model and and 4G LTE on Verizon model
June 2011
HTC EVO View 4GSprint's version of the HTC Flyer with more storage and 3G EV-DO Rev. A and 4G WiMAX. The EVO View is otherwise identical to the Flyer and it has a 7" capacitive touch screen with optional pen, a single core 1.5GHz Snapdragon CPU, WiFi, Bluetooth and a GPS. It runs on Android 2.3 Gingerbread with HTC Sense software and solid pre-loaded applications.
Sprint
June 2011
HTC FlyerHTC makes excellent custom phone software that results in an compelling user experience. That's why they went with Android OS 2.3 Gingerbread rather than Honeycomb for their first tablet. Manufacturers have much more leeway when customizing the phone version of Google's Android OS. The 7" HTC Flyer tablet has all sorts of HTC Sense goodies including widgets and Friendstream as well as tablet-centric new apps like HTC Watch for videos, an ebook app and widget powered by Kobo and a notes app that's a custom version of the popular Evernote. The Flyer was the first Android tablet to have both a capacitive touch screen and an active digitizer that works with the optional HTC Scribe digital pen. You can take ink notes and doodle with pressure sensitivity. The Flyer runs on a 1.5 GHz Snapdragon CPU with 16 gigs of storage and a micro SD card slot. It has WiFi but no 3G, Bluetooth with a full set of profiles and a GPS. Front and rear cameras round out the features on this highly portable tablet.
WiFi only
May 2011
Asus Eee Pad TransformerThe Eee Pad Transformer TF101 is so named because Asus sells an optional $149 keyboard dock that turns this 10.1" Android Honeycomb tablet into a laptop of sorts, compete with keyboard, trackpad, USB port and secondary battery. The Transformer is the least expensive 10" Honeycomb tablet on the market as of May 2011, but it offers the same 1GHz dual core Tegra 2 CPU, gig of RAM, dual cameras and your choice of 16 or 32 gigs of storage. This is a WiFi-only tablet with no 3G or 4G capabilities. It has an excellent IPS capacitive display that sets it apart from the crowd, as does its low price. But are what are you missing when you pay half as much as the Motorola Xoom and LG G-Slate? Read our review to find out.
WiFi only
May 2011
LG G-SlateIn the endless parade of Android Honeycomb tablets that's just starting, the LG G-Slate stands out thanks to 4G HSPA+ and 3D video recording. We love 4G, and T-Mobile's HSPA+ network is second only to LTE for data speeds, but we could live without the gimmicky 3D video recording and dizzying complimentary 3D glasses. The G-Slate runs on the usual dual core Tegra 2 1GHz CPU and it has 32 gigs of internal storage. The 8.9" display is just a bit smaller than the Motorola Xoom and the 10" competition, but it's bright and sharp. This tablet is a quality piece, but you'll pay a pretty price for it.
T-Mobile
May 2011
Acer Iconia Tab A500Acer always manages to build a solid machine at a lower price than the tier 1 competition. They've done it again with the A500, a 10" Android Honeycomb tablet that matches most features of the Motorola Xoom, 10" Samsung Galaxy Tab and LG G-Slate. The Acer A500 runs on a dual core 1GHz Tegra 2 CPU with a gig of RAM and 16 gigs of storage. It has Bluetooth, WiFi and a GPS but no 3G (wait for the AT&T version if you need 3G). The tablet has HDMI out though it fails to play 1080p video, and it has a few value added features: a working microSD card slot and a USB host port for flash drives and the like.
WiFi only
April 2011
Motorola XoomThis 10.1" tablet is the first to hit the market with Android OS 3.0 Honeycomb that's made for tablets. The 1280 x 800 pixel capacitive display gives you plenty of room to work with, and it's very responsive to touch. The Xoom has a 1GHz dual core Tegra 2 CPU with graphics acceleration and it's plenty fast. The Xoom is available with and without a Verizon Wireless contract and it has 3G EV-DO Rev. A with a free upgrade to 4G LTE. It has WiFi 802.11b/g/n (dual band), a GPS, Bluetooth, HDMI out and front and rear cameras. The Xoom quickly became one of our favorite gadgets and it makes a great netbook replacement.
Verizon and WiFi-only versions available
Feb. 2011
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Dell Streak 7This 7" Android 2.2 tablet has a 7" multi-touch capacitive Gorilla Glass display running at 800 x 480 resolution and a dual core Tegra 2 1GHz CPU. Like the Galaxy Tab, it's a tablet that doesn't make phone calls over the cellular network; it's data-only. The Streak 7 has 4G HSPA+, WiFi 802.11b/g/n, Bluetooth and a GPS that works with Google Maps and Navigation. It's a bit less expensive than the Samsung Tab, but makes some concessions in display quality and battery life.
T-Mobile
Feb. 2011
Samsung Galaxy TabThe first Android tablet that's a viable iPad opponent, the Galaxy Tab is offered by all 4 major US carriers and has a lot to love. The Tab has a 7" capacitive display running at 1024 x 600 and Android OS 2.2 Froyo. Like the Galaxy S phones, the Tab runs on a 1GHz Hummingbird CPU with GPU, has 512 megs of RAM, lots of storage, WiFi 802.11b/g/n, Bluetooth and a GPS. All Galaxy Tab models have 3G data but US versions cannot make calls over the cellular network. We review the T-Mobile, AT&T, Sprint and Verizon versions.
AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, Verizon and US Cellular
Dec. 2010
Dell StreakWe confess, we've got a little crush on the big Dell Streak. With a 5" super-sharp display, Android and full phone capabilities, this is a very versatile smartphone and tablet. It edges out the more expensive Galaxy Tab on portability and unlike the US Tab, the Dell can do voice calls too. The Streak has 3G HSDPA 7.2Mbps, a 1GHz Snapdragon CPU, 16 gigs of storage courtesy of a bundled microSD card and both front and rear cameras. The rear shooter is 5 megapixels with a dual LED flash, and the Streak has a GPS with compass, WiFi and Bluetooth. The Streak is gorgeous looking and it boasts high quality materials including a metal back cover and Gorilla Glass. If you're looking for a pocket computer and Internet tool first and a voice phone second, the Streak is well worth a look.
AT&T
Nov. 2010
Barnes & Noble Nook ColorThough B&N intends this 7" Android tablet to be an eReader, it's also a capable and hackable Android tablet with a sharp display, decent CPU and WiFi.
