7 Tablets That Put the iPad to Shame

4. Samsung Galaxy Tab 8.0

The Microsoft vs. Apple PC wars of the 1990s have been replaced in the modern day by the mobile marketplace clash between Apple and Samsung. The Galaxy S III was the first singular device to topple the iPhone in terms of sales, and the South Korean manufacturer has been rolling out a line of tablets designed to do the same.

While there is little difference between the iPad Mini and Galaxy Tab 8.0 in terms of specs and performance, the Galaxy Tab’s success is about what it offers that the iPad Mini cannot. Both devices are lightweight and incredibly portable, but the Galaxy Tab offers a far superior display and has additional features that Apple has yet to adopt on its iPad lineup.

Chief among those extra features are the Samsung S-Pen, otherwise known as a stylus pen to the Average Joe, expandable memory, and an IR blaster.

Like the Galaxy line of smartphones, the Galaxy Tab has a built-in IR Blaster that allows users to control televisions with their tablet. The expandable memory card slot is another feature iPads lack, and then there’s the S-Pen.

The latest models feature an S-Pen that not only allows for more creativity and capacitive control over the touch screen, but also feature pressure sensitive functions that allow different for different uses.

Pros: Specs to match any competitor in the small tablet market. Features that others lack such as S-Pen, IR blaster, and expandable memory.

Cons: Other iPad Mini competitors have better pricing points and, in some cases, better designs than the Galaxy Tab for the same price.