iPad 3 Vs. Android Tablets: 5 Reasons Why Apple Could Be In Dire Straits

The new iPad from Apple has finally arrived with more improved features. Although the new device will run on Apple’s next-generation iOS 5.1, it still has a mountain to climb when compared to the new and upcoming Android tablets that will feature Android 4.0 or Ice Cream Sandwich. Apart from just the operating system, there are a host of reasons why Apple can’t afford to breathe freely.

Let us compare the features of the iPad and Android tablets.

Flash Integration: While some may argue that Flash is a dying breed, it is still one of the most popular ways to watch and experience rich dynamic content on the web. Most of the world’s most popular sites still employ Flash somehow.

Although according to tech enthusiasts, HTML 5, which Apple employs, is the most open API in the world, most users, and especially developers and designers, need access to this format in reality. Apple thus far has failed to convince their content providers to develop a support for iOS devices that will compete with and will be an alternative to Adobe Flash. The hard reality, however, is that the Flash is still one of the most important features on the planet at the moment.

Size Matters: Android tablets are far more advanced when size of the tablets is concerned. Android tablets come in a wide variety of shapes and sizes, with 5.3-inch being the smallest for the Samsung Galaxy Note and 10-inch the biggest size. What Android has done here is that it has successfully provided customers with a wide range of choices.

The iPad, on the other hand, comes only in one size with dimensions at 9.56 x 7.47 x .5 inches.

Syncing Not Necessary: What Apple has done over the years, when it asked its customers to constantly sync their devices with the iTunes to update, sync content and more, is that they have forced their customers to stay within the Apple ecosystem. Most of them have relieved themselves of the problem by either changing to Android or, more popularly, by hardcore Apple fans, jailbreaking their devices that will allow greater customization. However, a new update anytime from iTunes will easily put chains on this freedom and will again force the users to go through the monotonous process.

However, as far as Android tablets are concerned you can directly purchase apps from the Android Market (Google Play now), download them on your PC or Laptop and send them to your tablet without the need to sync it to your computer every time. Moreover, you can also put widgets of all sizes on the immense number of home-screens.

Improved Notification: Although the notification system in Apple has improved with the arrival of iOS 5.1, it still has a long way to go as compared to the notification system of Android-based tablets. Moreover, the coming of Android 4.0 or Ice Cream Sandwich has raised the standards even higher and could also spell danger for Apple.

Currently, there is a constant bar across the bottom of the Android-based tablets, which allows you to access recently used apps, go back, go home and to access the settings wherever you happen to be in the operating system. Very frankly, Android tablets provide you with the ability to control the notifications that you receive on your device. You will feel more comfortable and at ease knowing that your usage and messages have been placed discreetly at the bottom part of the screen.

Multitasking: Although it may be a debatable statement to make, Apple doesn’t offer true multitasking abilities which are necessary in our day-to-day life, and this is one of its biggest downsides. The only reason why Apple deprives its users of such a feature is mainly because of the device’s battery issues, as the new iPad’s impressive hardware is more than capable of handling such situations.

Although most of the Android tablets run on a dual-core processor, there will be a time when dual-cores will be completely conquered by quad-cores and then with the power of Android 4.0, multitasking will become more effective. However, the latest Ice Cream Sandwich enables you to access the multitasking panel with just a single tap and close them with just a flick of the finger.