The BlackBerry PlayBook has finally been released and we have yet to see how popular it will become. But how does it compare to the very popular iPad 2? Let’s take a look at their specs and decide which one best suits your needs. They’re both high-quality, top of the line tablets, but they have some big differences which set them apart.
We’re going to start by taking a look at their design. The biggest difference we can clearly see is that the PlayBook is much smaller than the iPad 2, because it features a 7-inch screen, while the iPad 2 comes with a 9.7-inch display. Their dimensions are as follows: BlackBerry PlayBook – 194 x 130 x 10 mm and 400g in weight, iPad 2 – 241.2 x 185.7 x 8.8 mm, 613 g. The iPad 2 is thinner, but it also weighs more than the BlackBerry PlayBook. If you want extra portability, then you should probably choose the BlackBerry PlayBook, although the iPad 2 is not bad either.
Let’s head on to the display category. As stated before, the iPad 2′s screen (9.7-inches) is larger than the BlackBerry PlayBook’s (7-inches). But what about the display resolution? The PlayBook features a 1024 x 600 pixel resolution, while the iPad 2 comes with a 1024 x 768 pixel resolution, so the difference is barely noticeable, but let’s remember that the iPad 2 has the bigger screen.
As far as the cameras are concerned, we notice that the iPad 2 features two cameras, as opposed to the first iPad which came with no cameras whatsoever. It doesn’t impress in this category, though, because it’s only got a 0.7MP rear-facing camera and another VGA front-facing camera for video calling and it’s capable of 720p video capture. The PlayBook tablet, on the other hand, comes installed with a 5-megapixel rear camera, capable of 1080p video capture, and another 3-megapixel camera up front. So, the BlackBerry PlayBook clearly wins in the camera department.
Going on to the processor, a crucial element when deciding to purchase a tablet, we find that the BlackBerry slate comes installed with a 1GHz Cortex A9 dual-core processor and 1GB of RAM, while the iPad 2 comes equipped with a 1GHz A5 dual-core chip and 512MB of RAM. No difference in terms of internal storage, though, because both tablets come in three flavors: 16GB, 32GB, and 64GB.
Regarding software, it’s entirely your choice, because the two slates feature completely different operating systems. The BlackBerry PlayBook is running on the QNX-based BlackBerry Tablet OS, with true multitasking and a user-friendly interface. The iPad 2 is based on Apple’s iOS 4.3, with tons of available apps. It’s up to you to decide which OS best suits your needs and tastes.
Finally, let’s see what connectivity options these two tablets feature. Both tablets are compatible with Bluetooth, WiFi, and 3G. As for availability and pricing, the iPad 2 starts at $499 for the 16GB WiFi version, $599 for the 32GB WiFi model, and $699 for the 64GB WiFi version, while the BlackBerry PlayBook comes at the same prices. So it’s going to be a matter of personal taste on this one.
Wrap-up
The two slates are slightly different, especially when it comes to screen size, overall dimensions, cameras, and software installed. If you want more portability, then you should probably choose the PlayBook tablet. Since the prices are the same for both slates, it’s going to be a tough call, it’s a matter of personal taste, after all.
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