Tablet Wars: How the BlackBerry PlayBook Measures Up

When Research in Motion introduced its PlayBook tablet Monday, it was diving into a market already dominated by Apple’s iPad.

But there’s other competition too, either already on the market or soon to be: The 5-inch Dell Streak is available now, and Samsung’s 7-inch Galaxy Tab isn’t.

Since the iPad started shipping in April, Apple has sold more than 3 million devices. In June, Dell introduced the Streak, a device billed as a tablet but priced like a phone. Samsung hopes to bring its tablet, the Galaxy Tab to market in time for holiday-season shopping.

RIM announced its latest device, the 7-inch PlayBook, at its developer conference Monday.

The PlayBook won’t be available till early next year. But it’s not too soon to see how its promised specs stack up with the main competitors it will face when it comes out.

• Tablet


• Apple iPad


• BlackBerry PlayBook


• Samsung Galaxy Tab


• Dell Streak

• Display


• 9.7 inches, 1024 x 768 pixels


• 7 inches, 1024 x 600 pixels


• 7 inches, 1024 x 600 pixels


• 5 inches, 800 x 480 pixels

• Processor


• 1 GHz Apple A4


• 1 GHz dual-core


• 1 GHz ‘Hummingbird’


• 1 GHz Snapdragon QSD280

• Weight


• 1.5 lbs


• 0.9 lbs


• 0.8 lbs


• 0.48 lbs

• Dimensions (H x W x D)


• 9.5″ x 7.4″ x 0.5″


• 5.1″ x 7.6″ x 0.4″


• 7.5″ x 4.7″ x 0.4″


• 6″ x 3.1″ x 0.4″

• Storage Options


• 16 GB, 32 GB, 64 GB


• 16 GB, 32 GB


• 16 GB, 32 GB


• 16 GB microSD card

• Camera


• no camera


• 5 MP rear camera, 3 MP front camera, video recording


• 3 MP rear camera, 1.3 MP front camera, video recording


• 5 MP rear camera, VGA front camera, video recording

• Operating System


• Apple iOS


• QNX


• Android 2.2


• Android 1.6

• Connectivity


• Wi-Fi, 3G (AT&T, no contract required), Bluetooth


• Wi-Fi, Bluetooth


• Wi-Fi, 3G (on AT&T, Verizon, Sprint, T-Mobile, with contracts), Bluetooth


• Wi-Fi, 3G (on AT&T, with contract), Bluetooth

• Flash support


• No Flash support


• Supports Flash 10.1


• Supports Flash 10.1


• No Flash support (Flash software updates could come later)

• Battery life*


• 10 hrs surfing web on Wi-Fi, watching video or listening to music


• N/A


• 4,000 mAh rated for 7 hrs movie playback


• 1,530 mAh battery, rated for up to 9.8 hrs talk time

• Price


• $500-$700 (for Wi-Fi only). $630-$830 for Wi-Fi + 3G


• N/A


• N/A


• $560 with no contract, $300 with 2-year contract

• Availability


• Shipping since April


• Early 2011


• Late 2010


• Shipping since August

• Apps


• iPad + iPhone apps through Apple App Store


• New app store will be launched by RIM


• Android Market Apps


• Android Market Apps

*Battery life� as specified by the manufacturer

See Also:

• Kno Creates 14-inch Tablet for Students


• RIM Unveils Tethered Tablet, the BlackBerry PlayBook


• How the Tablet Will Change the World


• Build Your Own Tablet for $400


• Samsung Introduces 7-Inch Tablet to Rival iPad


• Dell’s Streak Tablet Is Priced Like a Phone

Photo: BlackBerry PlayBook/Research In Motion

Full story at http://feeds.wired.com/~r/GearFactor/~3/SI-K1fg4RZk/