Apple iPad 2 faces heat from LG's 3D capable G-Slate

Apple's recently launched iPad 2 with its thinner and lighter frame has pushed the Android 3.0 or Honeycomb tablets at bay.

iPad 2's trump card has been its ergonomically optimized design and a faster processor under its hood. And surprisingly, its external features which includes a slender figure, has been sufficient enough to give the Android bunch the shivers.

However, can Apple's iPad 2 give LG's G-Slate an Android 3.0 tablet which throws in a 3D card a run for its money.

LG launched its tablet G-Slate in February which will be available on T-Mobile Network this spring.

LG threw in the gauntlet by adding 3D video recording and playback capability to its flagship tablet G-Slate. However, users have to use a 3D glass to watch the 3D videos. The launch squashed earlier hopes that LG would launch the tablet with glasses-free 3D capability. LG launched the first glasses-free 3D phone the LG Optimus 3D a few weeks after the G-Slate.

OS

iPad 2 runs on the latest version of iOS, the iOS 4.3, which ushers in a faster browsing experience and enhanced AirPlay features. Top Tech Reviews reported that iOS 4.3, brings an enhanced version of Apple's Nitro JavaScript which allows iOS-based devices to run JavaScript at faster rate. LG G-Slate optimizes on Android 3.0 or Honeycomb by tapping into the operating system's 3D capability. Android 3.0 also brings in the benefits of multi-tasking and a new customizable widget system.

Display

Apple's iPad 2 sports a 9.7-inch screen with 1024x768 screen resolution. G-Slate offers a completely new form factor with an 8.9-inch display; it offers a screen resolution of 1280x720. LG has positioned its tablet between the 7-inch and 10-inch form factor. iPad 2 sports a lighter and a thinner frame, as it weighs 1.3 pounds and is 0.34 inches thin. LG has however not revealed the vital statistics of it tablet but in the press release it cited that the tablet is sleek and lightweight. However, it offers better screen resolution than iPad 2 which would be a treat when watching 3D content.

Processor

The iPad 2 is powered by the new A5 system-on-a-chip, a dual-core 1GHz chip. Courtesy the processor iPad 2 is touted to be extremely fast. LG's G-Slate is powered by the NVIDIA Tegra 2 dual-core chip. Earlier reports had surmised that LG-Slate will be powered by NVIDIA's Tegra 2 3D processor which was slated to be showcased at the Mobile World Congress.

Camera

Apple has been derided for offering poor quality cameras. It sports a front-facing VGA camera and a rear camera - specifications of which have not been revealed. Engadget's Joshua Topolsky said: Let's just put this out there: the iPad 2 cameras are really pretty bad. He said that the cameras are good enough for chat but are not worthy to take still shots unlike Motorola Xoom's 5 MP rear camera. However, LG G-slate comes loaded with 3 cameras, a rear facing Stereoscopic video recorder that enables capturing 3D videos at 1080p. It also has a rear-facing 5MP camera and a front-facing 2 MP camera. The iPad 2 rear-camera offers 720p in video capture ability.

Both iPad 2 and G-Slate offer 720p native video playback capacity. However, LG Slate also supports 3D video playback at 1080p through an HDMI output.

The iPad 2 comes in 16 GB, 32 GB and 64GB configuration while LG Slate comes in only 32 GB. The RAM specifications for both the tablets have not been revealed. Forbes, citing an Apple employee, claims that iPad 2 offers 512 MB. However the current breed of Android tablets sport 1GB RAM like Motorola Xoom, going by which it is plausible that LG G-Slate will also sport 1GB in RAM.

On the battery front iPad 2 returns 10 hours in battery life while G-Slate's battery life has not been revealed.

Here is a comparison between iPad 2 and LG's G-Slate: