iPad 3 Release: Top 5 Android Rivals Ready to Challenge New Apple Tablet

Apple's new toy, the iPad 3 (or iPad HD, according to some), is expected to make a splash on March 7. Whenever the next iPad is unveiled, the device will be going up against a host of other tablets all running Android. It is inevitable, the next iPad will face stiffer competition from, and probably might not be as successful as the previous versions, but one thing is certain, 2012 will be one interesting year when it comes to tablets.

We're going to take a look at 5 tablets that in our eyes, are good enough to give the next iPad a serious run for its money. These tablets are the best of what's available from Android stable, so if you want an Android tablet, you can't go wrong with the following:

Asus Transformer Prime HD

There were many Android tablets before Asus took charge and released the first Transformer tablet, and while the devices were ok to use, they weren’t up to scratch. Recently, Asus upped the ante with the Transformer Prime, making it the best Android tablet on the market. The device, which is able to transform from a tablet into a laptop (hence “transformer”) packs a stunning 10.1-inch display, an 8-megapixel rear-facing camera, 1.2-megapixel front-facing camera, NVIDIA Tegra 3 Quad-core CPU, and Android 3.2 Honeycomb. Its successor is the Asus Transformer Prime HD, which looks a lot like the previous version, but boasts of higher resolution display.

Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1

Samsung's best and greatest tablet is in for some stiff competition when the next Apple iPad escapes from the labs at Apple. This sleek looking beauty is the bigger brother of the Samsung Galaxy Note, which is a smartphone with a 5-inch display along with stylus support. With Android 4.0 at the helm, stylus support and a beefy 1.4GHz dual core processor, the Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 is more than capable to compete head to head with Apple's upcoming beast.

Asus Transformer Pad Infinity

Another beauty from Asus. You can't go wrong with a tablet that supports full on 1080p HD playback with a gorgeous looking 10.1-inch display. The resolution here is a whopping 1920x1200, something that is rivaling desktop computers. On the inside lies a dual core processor and a powerful GPU. Lovely stuff.

Acer Iconia Tab A510

Another quad core powerhouse here, but this time it is from Acer. This device has been overshadowed by others and we do not know why. It is poised to become one of the best of the pack if Acer is able to make it deliver on what the spec sheet says it can do. With Android 4.0, a quad core processor, and minor customizations to the OS, Acer could be playing with a winner.

Sony Tablet P

Since eating up Ericsson shares in the mobile business both companies shared, the Sony branded products that followed looked immensely promising. Here comes the Sony Tablet P, the latest from the company and it looks great. This device is packing two screens, and it is able to be folded much like the Kyocera Echo that was released sometime in 2011 on Sprint. It makes into our list due to its uniqueness and the fact that it supports the Sony PlayStation Suite. With the PS Suite, users will be able to play certain PlayStation games right on the device. We've seen it in action, nothing impressive but for serious PlayStation fans looking for a tablet, this is the tablet to buy.

(reported by Vamien McKalin, edited by Surojit Chatterjee)

MUST READ - New iPad Release Name Confusion: Why Not iPad HD or iPad 3?

MUST READ - New iPad First Impressions: How Does it Compare to iPad 2?

MUST READ - New iPad Release: What We Expected and What We Got