The first “real” competition to the original iPad was the 7-inch Android-based Samsung Galaxy Tab, and it looks like the first “real” competition to the iPad 2 will be the Galaxy Tab 10.1, a Honeycomb tablet boasting a 10.1-inch, 1280×800 display, a 1GHz dual-core CPU, dual-antenna WiFi, a 3MP back-facing camera and a 2MP webcam that starts at prices of just $499… all in a form factor that Samsung claims is both thinner and lighter than the iPad 2.
Well, except it turns out that Samsung’s claims about a thinner iPad 2? They appear to not be true.
Fritz Nelson of InformationWeek ended up getting a couple comparison shots between the Galaxy Tab 10.1 and the iPad 2, and found that contrary to Samsung’s claims, the Galaxy Tab was still slightly thicker.
It’s possible that the unit on display was a prototype, so maybe the Galaxy Tab 10.1 is thinner than the iPad 2. But my guess is it’s all a marketing lie, considering the fact that Samsung’s also been busted for hiring actors to pretend to be fans of the Galaxy Tab.
Who really cares? Honestly, if buying a tablet with Android installed on it isn’t going to dissuade you — and it should, given the execrable history of past Android devices being updated to later, more feature-rich versions of the OS by their manufacturers — a matter of a couple millimeters and a couple of actors isn’t going to cure you of your delusions either.
John Brownlee is a writer for Fast Company, and a contributing writer here at CoM. He has also written for Wired, Playboy, Boing Boing, Popular Mechanics, VentureBeat, and Gizmodo. He lives in Boston with his wife and two parakeets. You can follow him here on Twitter.
122 responses to “Debunked: Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 Is Thinner Than iPad 2”
So you have not held the item in your hand and you have not measured it. And you write for Cult Of Mac.
Sure, you’re a reliable source.
I think we should wait until they start selling and put a vernier caliper to it, eh? Also, I think your ungracious jibes at Android are unwarranted. I know a fair number of Android users who love their phones, as much as I love my iPhone. To call them deluded smacks of nothing short of bigotry, and to think I thought CoM was above such gestures.
Umm….. yeah. Is this supposed to convince me to buy an iPad instead?
i.e. Cult Of Mac hopes galaxy tab to be thicker tha ipad2. John Brownlee… that’s why you write for Cult Of Mac!!! Because you don’t know much more than me abount galaxy tab 10.1… :))
I have the first gen Galaxy Tab. It stinks – the problem – as near as I can tell – the OS.
Being able to “update” and OS without having to buy a whole new device is an advantage not as you see it as a bad thing.
Did you click through the link? If so, you can see the photos from an Information Week article backing up what is being stated. Maybe Information Week are Apple whores, but I think if you have a problem, yell at IW.
Yeah, that was a puzzling statement. Maybe Brownlee meant the opposite?
So maybe instead of hiring actors, like a few companies have, why don’t they go to places where people actually want to test and use these devices to get real, honest, and viable feed back on it? It really is depressing that companies still try to “TRICK” you into thinking their products are awesome with actors. I love actors for TV shows, movies, and even video games (which, yes I play.) but please get real people for these ads as we don’t want to be lied to about something being good when it’s not.
Wow. It’s incredible how Apple Fanboys can’t accept a better device. I mean seriously, the allure of the Ipad 2 was it’s form factor and now that a competitor has beat it – it’s now time to slam the OS. The OS is hands down better than iOS in every way. Few Examples: notifications, multi-tasking, functionality, etc.
yeah, I re-read that three times- makes no sense… Apple totally does this and it is one of the things I love about them- I am still using and perfectly happy with my 3Gs for this very reason! Plus I know my Android friends get just as excited about their OS updates so even if he meant the opposite then the statement makes no sense to me…
yeah, I re-read that three times- makes no sense… Apple totally does this and it is one of the things I love about them- I am still using and perfectly happy with my 3Gs for this very reason! Plus I know my Android friends get just as excited about their OS updates so even if he meant the opposite then the statement makes no sense to me…
Vernier??? Why not a dial? ;)
A pic on a carpet is ridiculous, something I could never say about those Apple Fanboys.;)
Anyway, a surface plate with dial indicator would have to be employed. Someone drop by with both pads….
.2 mm equals .008″
Yes 8 thousandths of an inch. about 3 human hairs worth.
WTF
And I am with You Trublesun…not the writer of this article…
you know you want to.
Numbers people… How many iPads were sold on the first day? How long is the current wait time to obtain one? If you don’t have an iPad, well you don’t have an iPad.
And why where that many sold? Ingenious marketing strategy that replaces logic with emotion.
http://technoglobes.com/2011/0…
I have an iPad 2 and yet I still want an android tablet. Why? Why not. I like android a damn sight more than apple but at the time of the iPad 2 release there wasn’t a viable opponent. Yeah the doom was out but honeycomb is a bit too buggy for me so I’m going to see what the hp touchpad has in store. It’s a shame that people don’t understand that some of us want more of an option than just apple.
“it’s all a marketing lie”
That’s rich coming from apple fans. . . . has Apple ever been truthful? NO!
I’m a tech junkie, but even I started lately thinking in terms of “get a life”. I’m seriously getting tired of all the tech “news reports” and even more so of rumors….
your logic is correct, if I don’t have an iPad, well I don’t have an iPad and i’m ok with that.
It isn’t even if it is “better” or not–that’s subjective. It’s that they just can’t STFU about any other product and always talk shit about every other company. They just can’t stand anyone else liking a non-Apple product.
Does that sound like any “groups” you’ve ever heard of? Like cults? Fundamental religious groups? You know, the ones showing up to your door trying to convince you that “their way” is the right way and the only way. . .
And they think they aren’t brain washed or in a RDF. News flash Apple Fans, anyone who can’t let others enjoy “other things” and is compelled to point out the “error” of using/doing something other than then what you do is brain washed and living in a RDF–call it a cult, religion, addiction, or just good old hard core belief, it’s all the same thing.
GET A GRIP. Not everyone likes the same thing or believes the same.
If you want to stop all the “apple hate” then STFU about other products and companies and just enjoy what you like. . . and pass that on to your messiah.
“as we don’t want to be lied to about something being good when it’s not.” you mean like apple does.
not really. I just spent a couple hours with my friends iPad 2 . All hype. we got bored quick and then spent most of the time on youtube.
You forget something. How long is the wait? Sure that’s important. But equally is ‘how many folks are willing to wait that long to get it’
There were lines days later when folks had no clue if a store was getting more. But they were willing to show up and wait.
Show me lines like that for anything else at the moment. I doubt you can. In part because half the announced stuff has yet to be released and in part because as John notes, software based upgrades have been a joke with some of the other systems. No one wants to spend that much on something that will stay stuck where it is.
The ‘Fanboys’ haven’t seen clear evidence that it is ‘a better device’. And the consumers, which is where the numbers really come from, haven’t had an issue with Apple’s version of notifications, multi-tasking etc. They are concerned with price and being able to do what they want to do. And the ipad and ipad 2 have fit both issues for them. in Droves
Almost every commercials uses actors. That’s just the way the game works. Hell even when it is a recognized ‘spokesperson’ you should doubt if they have first hand knowledge of what they are talking about. They very likely don’t. Like the ‘ad’ I saw for some reversal mortgage company with Henry Winkler. I highly doubt that he has had to join such a program or even has a clear understanding of how reverse mortgages work. He was picked because they are targeting folks from his age who will remember him from back in the day. But he’s reading a script written by someone that told him a few facts (and perhaps not all of them) about what he was talking about so he could sound knowledgable.
boredom is always on you, not anything else or someone else. Why not just say; “I don’t like it.” At least, then you have some legs to stand on.
Better for you and not for others; that is why there is choice.
And, what is wrong with great marketing. I believe Android has done excellent with marketing as well as Apple. How else are these companies going to sell their stuff to us?
Marketing is suppose to ‘convey’; why else market? It is all part of competition. May the best marketing campaign win.
Tech rumors are light and slow compared to financial rumors. At least, I suppose, you don’t make your life on news and rumors.
Why do android fans want to come to Cult of Mac and insult people? Get a life. So what someone doesn’t like your device of choice.
The Samsung Galaxy is a true competitor to the iPad 2 but the Galaxy may be at a disadvantage because the iPad has become venerable like Microsoft Office. The iPad 2 and other tablets can be obtained online at http://www.digitalundivide.com
you really have no idea what venerable means do you…
Exactly. We really enjoy our Apple products. STFU to you too.
Funny how someone could go about calling the Samsung tablet a “better” device with so much conviction when it would appear that not even the Samsung execs holding the non-functionals unit have used it themselves.
You talk about Fanboys, but look at the seething nerd rage of those who are always brandishing the next non-Apple tablet that they are so convicted is “superior”. I know a few people like that. They grew up somehow developing a personality relying on owning gadgets with better measurements on some intangible factors to give them a superiority complex. It is so ingrained into their self-confidence and identity that they simply cannot accept millions of people love their iOS devices maybe simply because they are beautiful and functional and easy to use. It is as if there was a great injustice existing in the world when everyday people don’t agree with their tech-savvy definition over with is ‘superior’ and should alone have the right to consumer’s money if people weren’t so much more dumber than they are.
Well guess what, normal people don’t see what the big deal about the purported missing ‘functionalities’ is when we use our Apple products for art, business, education, science and entertainment and don’t worry about the devices; especially when those who froth in the mouth over how much better their Android devices and by extension they themselves are don’t really seem to be particularly more intelligent or productive because of said ‘functionalities’ and mostly use their Droids to troll on gadget blogs anyway.
This writer is an idiot. What a waste of time reading this.
I hope John Brownlee isn’t getting paid for this gig. He’s about as much of an expert on Tablets as Gilbert Godfrey is an expert on insurance!
I’m proudly a “delusional” android fan who refuses to support locked down overpriced “trendy” apple products. Even more than that though, I’m proud to be set apart from you (the author of the article). At least I realize that both OS’s have strong points and negative points, and I wouldn’t ever try to say everyone who owns Apple products is delusional. However, if you caught me with any of Apple’s current offerings, you might check me into a mental hospital because something has severely changed in my head. I also won’t say I won’t ever own an Apple product, but I definitely won’t own any of their current offerings.
So you do admit that Apple lies too. Got it. Will quote you in future posts on the internet.
all of you need to stfu. android or apple, it doesn’t matter. the fact that any one even has to debate the merits of their personal preference and opinion makes all of the fans of any platform simply stupid.
apple, pc, android all of them have their strong suits and weak points. i use a combination of all three for different purposes. i have found all of them to contribute to productivity and utility with an even amount of conviction. apple is very user and IT dummy friendly. windows is the broadest platform and very functional with enterprise oriented platforms. android appears to me as a hybrid platform of the best of both many different computing platforms.
at the end of all of this, one thing is clear. we have too much time and emotion invested into such a non-essential matter. if the author of this article wants to write a biased article, more power to him for being an unequivocal moron for choosing an aspect that doesn’t cover a balanced perspective.
but, hey journalism isn’t about balance anymore. it’s all about bias today. and everyone wants to live and die by their personal bias’s. no wonder the world is falling apart.
great article!!!! short and informative!
I really don’t understand why people make such a big deal about thickness! I can understand it with phones because you want to put them in your pockets…but your never going to put a tablet in your pocket so who cares how thin it is? In all honesty, I would prefer some thickness to my tablet so i know it’s solid and comfortable to hold. The thing I’m most upset about, is that samsung decided to sacrifice a really nice back facing camera/hd video capture/design just so it can out do the thinness of the ipad 2! >:O
“The Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 has been revised – how Samsung managed to do it so quick we can’t tell but the Tab 10.1 now measures 256.6 x 172.9 x 8.6 mm. It used to be 10.9mm thick and a bit lighter – now both the Tab 10.1 and Tab 8.9 are thinner and lighter than the iPad 2. You can check how those three compare in our blog.”
I guess “Tai M” could be an adequate response to the question the IW author poses in the title…
Well, I guess you know more than the average Joe out buying an iPad this week (internationally)? At least the average Joe will have access to 65K apps versus your (maybe) 100 at this point. I wonder who is set “apart”, at this point.
Has Apple ever said that the users in their ads are real people? No. That’s the difference.
LOL — yeah, forget the 9x better graphics performance, the dual core A5 CPU, LOL — apparently ALL we iPad 2 owners need is form factor. WTF are you on?
Don’t bother posting links or facts supporting your comment… Though if you do actually provide some I will read it, otherwise STFU.
Apple products are only good and reliable in the beginning. In due time, their performance and hardware wear out rather quickly and you have to pay The apple techies a hefty amount of fee just for them to tell you what is wrong with it. It’s apple, no need for me or anyone for that matter to pay to know what’s wrong with it. IT’S bleeding APPLE!! Jobs may come up with all these nifty designs for his products, but their longetivity is one big question mark.
I make a shit load of money and have them both which allows for true appeciation of technology and versatility of healthy competition. Who cares about the smallest dimension of what is thinner, and screen is larger, the truth is, if you need to complain call back to a pager, carry some quaters for a public phone, haha. As if thats enough there is always pencil and paer, smoke signals, cb radio… quit your bitchen and embrace you live in world with endless possibilities, geeze!
I’m set apart from the author in that I realize one device isn’t going to the best choice for all people. It’s really a simple concept too many people fail to understand. I don’t want to be locked into the Apple ecosystem. I don’t know why so few Apple fans can’t at least respect that.
In reference to apps, how long has a popular Apple tablet been on the market? There obviously is going to be a considerable advantage for Apple in that area, considering there have been few if any decent android tablets offered previous to the last few months.
It also seems interesting that so few Apple supporters on here can see into the future. “You only have 100 at most apps right now” etc. Good thing I’m not purchasing a tablet until it meets my expectations, which is why I still don’t own an android or apple tablet yet. That will most likely change this summer when solid Android products come out, which will also give developers time to work on more apps.
Apple products do not equal the perfect product for every person, just as android products don’t. If you can’t see that, or if you can’t accept that, you truly fit the definition of “fanboy”.
I have been an apple user us8 and adopted osx as my main machine at 10.2, I have also been IOS user since iphone 1 which was ground braking at the time, but IOS is showing its age and most unbiased users would recognize that the lastest versions of andriod have come of age and offer a far more functional modern and feature rich operating environment, unless apple is planning a complete revision of IOS for v5 it is starting to look and feel like os9 would as a desktop OS today. Extreme bias in articles like this diminish the credibility of all works by the John Brownlee
submitted from my 2011 macbook pro.
people please….until recently there has been no mobile OS that has come close to scratching apple IOS….until Android came in…an open source friendly OS. apple disciples keep talking about ease of use nd all…try sending a picture or music thru microsd….yea u cant, multi tasking is supposed to make life easier yet no 1 is stressing that thee IOSes lack, not to talk of flash player….is it that the name ‘apple’ is worth $200 alone? cos even as it is beautiful (it really is), can that worth so much?? jeez ipad 1 didnt even have a cam and yet people shoved it under the rug? now the whole media is bickering about 0.2mm. Look im happy samsung is so much in d lime light cos it shows how nervous steve jobs and all d apple disciples are. well if u happy to b ripped off then choose Apple I-watever and become I-broke, if not try a device with android
John, even if you live in Berlin (I am German and love Berlin) I have to say your review is more like a yellow press article. But that seems to be ok because its Cult of Mac, LoL. But to be more objective, maybe you check out the other reports that actually relate to the new updated measurements and features of the newer Samsung 10.1. I have compared the iPAD 1 and 2 in the last months against the ‘top’ Android 10″ tablets. And I care about design, usability and the hardware specs. The iPAD 2 is good, but will get competition down the road. I returned mine and using a XOOM right now which beats the IPAD2 in a lot of areas except weight and measurement. Until I get my hands on the new Samsung Galaxy.
What a load of nonsense, both the article and the majority of the comments are biased and idiotic. I own an android 2.2 phone and an Ipad 1 and 2, all great bits of kit the OS being pretty inconsequential. People need to focus on function and a little bit of form. The only thing I will say is that dual core processors are becoming essential if you want to use any device for business.
I think that Android is a growing platform. Unfortunately, because of the open source software model that it adopted from the start, there hasn’t been a whole lot of commercial or brand-name support for the platform.
Apple, on the other hand, had a huge following to begin with and had a headstart; they put their products out in the market first, and it paid off in dividends.
Android is becoming more standardized right now. I think that what Google wanted was to get the platform out as fast as possible in order to capture some of the market. Now they are tightening down on the regulations, and I think that it can become a great operating system.
This is the first time I have visited this site and from what appears to be uninformed rumour and vindictive partisan bias it will be the last. Fortunately there are some sites that just present the real facts in an unbiased way.
Hmm, even I can lift the left edge of an Ipad up to make the right edge lower for the picture! Am I mistaken? It looks to me like the Ipad is not ‘on the level’ so to speak!!
u have installed all of them 65K apps ?? how many do u use ? can u play flash games and videos right from that dingy so called browser ?
You talk about not wanting to be in a closed Eco System Jjjj.
What you dont realize are the benifits of being in a closed eco system.
Your apps available are more clean, and safer VS the possiblity of installing malware apps from Google marketplace.
Apps written for the iOS platform work perfectly on all apple devices unlike apps you find on Google Marketplace.
If you were to run an app on a 10″ device, you could end up seeing a smaller version of it, or a lower res version.
The problem is developers have a harder time, building Android based apps for sooo many different devices.
With iOS developers, they just need to concentrate on a few set of devices, and it all Works..
You speak about the need for an Open system. You think you live in one?
Freedom is nothing but an illusion friend.
Buy a Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 Smart Case,Well now you can pick up your very own for a few cents under $15