Transformer Pad 300 or Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 10.1?

[JLevin]

Any opinions on which to buy? I hear the Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 is out in a little over a week.

 

[bsweetness]

That all depends on what you want.

OS
TF300 - ICS (nearly stock)
Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 - ICS with TouchWhiz

OS Updates
Asus has a track record of providing the fastest updates of any manufacturer.
Samsung is mediocre at best, although they've improved from being absolutely abysmal.

Processor
TF300 - Tegra 3 quad-core processor clocked at 1200MHz
Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 - dual-core processor clocked at 1000MHz
(and both have 1GB of RAM to go along with that)

Internal Memory (at $399)
TF300 - 32GB
Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 - 16GB

Expandable Memory
Both have a microSD slot.

Ports
TF300 - Proprietary, microHDMI, 3.5mm headphone jack
Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 - microUSB, 3.5mm headphone jack

Connectivity
TF300 - WiFi, Bluetooth 3.0, 3G/4G coming at an unanounced date
Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 - WiFi, Bluetooth 3.0, 3G/4G available at launch

Cameras
TF300 - 8MP rear with F2.2 aperture and back-lit sensor, 1080p video recording. 1.3MP front.
Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 - 3MP rear, 720p video recording. 0.3MP front.

Battery Life
No one can say for certain yet, but I'd venture to say the Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 might see marginally better battery life. But that's unknown at this point. The battery life on the TF300 is very good.

Screen Quality
Resolution is the same on both, but based on their previous products, the quality of the display is probably going to be a little better on the Galaxy Tab 2 10.1. Displays are something Samsung does very well.


Then of course, in the TF300's corner is the keyboard dock that not only adds a full keyboard and trackpad, but also a full size USB port, a full size SD card slot, and five hours of additional battery life. The Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 will have keyboards and other accessories, but none as innovative and useful as the keyboard docks the Transformer line has.

For me, it's the TF300 all the way. It has better specs (most notably the processor), better proven support, plus there's the sexy keyboard dock. The Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 just doesn't offer anything that's beyond the TF300 at the same price point. In fact, in most respects, it offers less. The screen and the battery life would have to absolutely blow the TF300 away for it to be a viable option in my opinion, and it's not likely to be all that much better in either of those.

 

[Cartman13]

Thanks for the comparision bsweetness!

Do any one know if it would be possible to use a Vodafone 3g USB Dongle/Stick, via an usb adapter, on the tf300 tablet?

 

[rushmore]

I suggest another option with the Acer A510:

1. Better sound quality and speaker placement
2. USB host on the tablet and can trickle charge with any USB (need charger for normal fast charge).
3. Battery life is several hours better and equal to the 300 even with the dock attached.
4. Acer stated updates will be more frequent than the past and have already published a full update since the tab released two weeks ago.
5. Built better and more comfortable to hold

That said, the 300 rocks and the only real option if you want the keyboard dock. The Prime's wimpy wifi nulls it for me. 300 has great wifi (equal to or a little better than the A510).

Added: Android tabs have come a long way since the dark days of the Viewsonic Gtablet.

 

[theoldfarter]

I read elsewhere, that the Tab 2 also has a microSD port.

 

[bsweetness]

I read elsewhere, that the Tab 2 also has a microSD port.

Maybe you read it in my post above.

 

[theoldfarter]

lol. Look what happens when I don't take my Meds.

 

[sporttrac986]

That all depends on what you want.

OS
TF300 - ICS (nearly stock)
Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 - ICS with TouchWhiz

OS Updates
Asus has a track record of providing the fastest updates of any manufacturer.
Samsung is mediocre at best, although they've improved from being absolutely abysmal.

Processor
TF300 - Tegra 3 quad-core processor clocked at 1200MHz
Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 - dual-core processor clocked at 1000MHz
(and both have 1GB of RAM to go along with that)

Internal Memory (at $399)
TF300 - 32GB
Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 - 16GB

Expandable Memory
Both have a microSD slot.

Ports
TF300 - Proprietary, microHDMI, 3.5mm headphone jack
Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 - microUSB, 3.5mm headphone jack

Connectivity
TF300 - WiFi, Bluetooth 3.0, 3G/4G coming at an unanounced date
Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 - WiFi, Bluetooth 3.0, 3G/4G available at launch

Cameras
TF300 - 8MP rear with F2.2 aperture and back-lit sensor, 1080p video recording. 1.3MP front.
Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 - 3MP rear, 720p video recording. 0.3MP front.

Battery Life
No one can say for certain yet, but I'd venture to say the Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 might see marginally better battery life. But that's unknown at this point. The battery life on the TF300 is very good.

Screen Quality
Resolution is the same on both, but based on their previous products, the quality of the display is probably going to be a little better on the Galaxy Tab 2 10.1. Displays are something Samsung does very well.


Then of course, in the TF300's corner is the keyboard dock that not only adds a full keyboard and trackpad, but also a full size USB port, a full size SD card slot, and five hours of additional battery life. The Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 will have keyboards and other accessories, but none as innovative and useful as the keyboard docks the Transformer line has.

For me, it's the TF300 all the way. It has better specs (most notably the processor), better proven support, plus there's the sexy keyboard dock. The Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 just doesn't offer anything that's beyond the TF300 at the same price point. In fact, in most respects, it offers less. The screen and the battery life would have to absolutely blow the TF300 away for it to be a viable option in my opinion, and it's not likely to be all that much better in either of those.

Has ASUS made any tablets that are 3G/4G?
I would like to get the TF700 in 3G/4G, but I could take the 300. But, so far all I have read about either, is that "it's coming". Has it been officially announced for either/both?

 

[bsweetness]

Has ASUS made any tablets that are 3G/4G?
I would like to get the TF700 in 3G/4G, but I could take the 300. But, so far all I have read about either, is that "it's coming". Has it been officially announced for either/both?

As far as I know, Asus hasn't released any tablets with a cellular radio yet. I believe the 300 will be the first. They've officially said there will be 3G/4G 300s coming, but there hasn't been any specific dates or time frames. The 700 is rumored for a summer release (maybe early fall), but I haven't seen any information on it having a 3G/4G option or not. If they're doing it for the 300, I'd be surprised if the 700 didn't see that option at some point.

 

[bsweetness]

Engadget's Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 review is up. As I thought, there's no reason to go with it over the TF300. The last paragraph of the review really says it all:

When ASUS, for instance, set out to create a cheaper alternative to the Transformer Prime, it compromised slightly on battery life and settled for a thicker, heavier design, but the Transformer Pad TF300 is nonetheless similar where it counts: like its big brother, it has an IPS display, quad-core Tegra 3 chip and an excellent camera. The 10-inch Galaxy Tab 2 actually costs more than the TF300, even though it packs last year's specs and a hopelessly crippled shooter. If you have $400 to spend, you could buy an iPad 2 or the new Transformer and enjoy comparable (if not longer) battery life, along with smoother graphics and an improved imaging experience. Assuming you were going to ignore that camera anyway, you can't exactly go wrong with the 10.1, but you could also do a lot better.

 

[cookie365]

As far as I know, Asus hasn't released any tablets with a cellular radio yet. I believe the 300 will be the first. They've officially said there will be 3G/4G 300s coming, but there hasn't been any specific dates or time frames. The 700 is rumored for a summer release (maybe early fall), but I haven't seen any information on it having a 3G/4G option or not. If they're doing it for the 300, I'd be surprised if the 700 didn't see that option at some point.

Some online stores in mainland Europe are offering it, e.g.
ASUS Transformer Pad TF300TG - Android 4.0 - PLATINUM Multimdia & Service

And I've seen a Danish site listing it too.

Though I don't know if they actually have stock or if they're for pre-order.

 

[bsweetness]

Has ASUS made any tablets that are 3G/4G?
I would like to get the TF700 in 3G/4G, but I could take the 300. But, so far all I have read about either, is that "it's coming". Has it been officially announced for either/both?

No release date, but it looks like a 3G/4G version of the TF300 is on the way for AT&T:

ASUS Transformer Pad TF300TL hits the FCC with AT&T-friendly LTE

Given that the current versions of the Tegra 3 don't play nicely with LTE, I'll be curious to see what chip it gets.