This year is going to be the year of the touchscreen tablet, of that there can be no doubt.
While tablet PCs have been around for yonks, only now are they becoming the desirable, usable and functional devices that we've always wanted them to be – and it's about time too.
The iPad is currently the most obvious example of how tablets are going mainstream, but that's not to say that all tablets released from now on are guaranteed to be super awesome.
Check out TechRadar's tablet buyers guide video:
So allow us to walk you through the best tablets currently on sale, along with the sexy tablets that are set to tickle your fingertips later in 2011.
Asus Eee Pad Transformer
Specs: Android 3.0, Nvidia Tegra 2 dual-core CPU, 10.1-inch capacitive display at 1280x800, full-size keyboard dock, card reader, HDMI-out, rear-facing camera, front-facing camera
What we think: Asus is keeping all its bases covered by offering a variety of different tablet options, and waiting to see what people buy. The Eee Pad Transformer comes with a keyboard dock and the whole package costs just £429 - a veritable bargain. Definitely the best Android tablet of the current crop.
Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1
UK release date: July 2011
Specs: Android 3.0, 1GHz dual core CPU, 1GB RAM, 16GB/32GB storage, 10.1-inch capacitive screen at 1280x800 (WXGA), 3MP rear-facing camera, 2MP front-facing camera, 3G, 599g.
What we think: as an out-and-out tablet, the Galaxy Tab 10.1 is currently unrivalled. It matches the performance of the other Honeycomb Tegra 2-based tablets while beating the pants off them in the portability stakes. This tablet is the lightest and thinnest 10-inch tablet in the world - and yep that includes the iPad 2. So unless that keyboard dock above is a serious draw for you, this is currently the one to watch.
Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1V
Specs: Android 3.0, 1GHz dual core CPU, 1GB RAM, 16GB/32GB storage, 10.1-inch capacitive screen at 1280x800 (WXGA), 3MP rear-facing camera, 2MP front-facing camera, 3G, 599g.
What we think: The new Galaxy Tab 10.1V is a real corker. It's a good size, it's powerful, responsive, lightweight and has an excellent 8MP camera. Not to be confused with Samsung's forthcoming similarly-named Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 - this one is a Vodafone exclusive product and will hit the shelves this summer.
UPDATE: This tablet is no longer scheduled to go on sale in the UK. Samsung and Vodafone will instead be selling the revised
Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 Motorola Xoom
Specs: Android 3.0, Nvidia Tegra 2 dual-core CPU, 1GB RAM, 32GB Flash storage, 10.1-inch capacitive LCD at 1280x800, proximity sensor, ambient light sensor, barometer, gyroscope, 5MP rear-facing camera, 2MP front-facing camera, 3G, 730g.
What we think: The Motorola Xoom is one of the second-generation Android tablets that the tech world is getting very excited about. Packing Nvidia's super-powerful Tegra 2 chip and running the tablet-friendly Android 3.0 OS, the Xoom is going to be big.
BlackBerry Playbook
Specs: BlackBerry Tablet OS (QNX), 1GHz Cortex A9 dual core CPU, 1GB RAM, 7-inch capacitive LCD at 1024x600, 3MP front-facing camera, 5MP rear-facing camera, 400g.
What we think: The BlackBerry PlayBook is designed to be mobile and business-friendly. That means, at 130x194mm, the device is small enough to hold with one hand, slip in a laptop bag side pouch, and even carry around all day to meetings. The problem's start, though, with the lack of an email app, the dependence on owning a BlackBerry smartphone and a terminal lack of apps. The Playbook is powerful and has brilliant multitasking capabilities, but for now it's one to watch rather than one to buy.
LG Optimus Pad
Specs: Android 3.0, 1GHz Tegra 2 CPU, 1GB RAM, 32GB storage, 8.9-inch capacitive screen at 1024x768, 2x 5MP rear-facing cameras for 3D capture, 2MP front-facing camera, phone-friendly 3G, 630g.
What we think: The Optimus Pad is a super-looking tablet and has the USP of having dual 5MP rear-firing cameras for 3D image capture. Add to that dual-core Tegra 2 CPU, a decent screen and Android 3.0 and you've got an exciting tablet on your hands. But pricing could be this tablet's Achilles heel – it's going to be pricey.
HTC Flyer
Specs: Android 2.3, 1.5GHz single-core Snapdragon, 1GB RAM, 32GB memory, 7-inch capacitive LCD at 1024x600, 5MP camera, 3MP front-facing camera, phone-call-friendly 3G, 415g.
What we think: HTC has decided to release it's first tablet running on Android Gingerbread (2.3), which will upset some purists that only believe these tablets should run on Honeycomb. However, it does come with a new version of HTC Sense with dual-pane windows which works well with videos and email. As a single-core device in a dual-core world, though, will the Flyer be good enough?
Samsung Galaxy Tab GT-P1000
UK release date: October 2010
Specs: Android 2.2, 1 GHz Cortex A8 CPU, 512MB RAM, 16GB/32GB, 7-inch capacitive LCD at 1024x600, 3.2MP rear-facing camera, 1.3MP front-facing camera, phone-call-friendly 3G, 380g.
What we think: While the Galaxy Tab promised the world, it didn't quite deliver the tablet experience we were hoping for. As the first big-name tablet to take on the iPad, it failed to live up to its billing. That said, user response has been positive, and despite a high asking price of over £500 SIM-free, this is about as good as it gets out of the current crop of Android 2.2 tablets. A Wi-Fi only model is imminent.
Viewsonic ViewPad 7
UK release date: October 2010
Specs: Android 2.2, Qualcomm MSM 7227 600MHz CPU, 512MB RAM, 512MB storage, 7-inch capacitive LCD at 800x480, 3MP rear-facing camera, VGA front-facing camera, phone call-friendly 3G, 375g.
What we think: Not technically built by Viewsonic, this tablet is also available under various different titles. Essentially it's a Chinese-built OEM device, but you'd be wrong if you think that means it's not very good. It is. It's responsive, it's a nice size and it's usable. The problem is that it should cost £200, not £400.
Advent Vega
UK release date: November 2010
Specs: Android 2.2 (sans Android Market), 1GHz Nvidia Tegra CPU, 512MG RAM, 512MB storage, capacitive LCD at 1024x600, 1.3MP rear-facing camera, no 3G, 700g.
What we think: At £250, the Advent Vega comes in at a very attractive price - it's probably the best tablet for those on a very tight budget. And actually, it isn't half bad. It's responsive, it's not too heavy, it runs Android without breaking a sweat. The problem is that without 3G connectivity there's no Android Market access. There's also no Home button, and the other hardware buttons are fiddly as hell.
ExoPC Slate
UK release date: October 2010
Specs: Intel Atom N450 1.66GHz CPU, 2GB RAM, 23GB/64GB, 11.6-inch capacitive LCD at 1366x768, 1.3MP front-facing camera, 950g.
What we think: While the list is dominated by Android tablets, let's not forget poor old Windows 7. It's in no way a touch-friendly operating system, but that doesn't mean there isn't some decent hardware out there doing its best. The ExoPC Slate is the best Windows tablets at present, and so if you MUST have Windows on your tablet, this is currently the one to get.
HP TouchPad
UK release date: Out now!
Specs: webOS 3.0, 1.2GHz dual-core Snapdragon CPU, 1GB RAM, 16GB, 32GB storage, 9.7-inch capacitive screen at 1024x768, 1.3MP front-facing camera, 740g.
What we think:The HP TouchPad is less polished than the iPad, with a smaller range of impressive third-party apps. Yes, it's got features that the iPad lacks, but so do the Android tablets, and they have a bigger app selection, too. The interface appears more polished than many Android tablets, but in operation that doesn't really stand up. It's also lagging behind in many hardware features, such as HDMI output.
Notion Ink Adam Tablet
UK release date: Summer 2011
Specs: Android 2.3, Nvidia Tegra 250, Cortex A9 dual-core CPU, 1GB RAM, 1GB SLC, 10.1-inch capacitive display at 1024x600, optional Qi display, 3.2MP swivel camera, 3G, 2x USB, accelerometer, ambient light sensor, compass, 726g.
What we think: The Notion Ink Adam Tablet is maybe the most anticipated tablet of them all. While it runs on Android 2.3, the Bangalore-based company has built its own complex interface on top called Eden. The hardware specs are impressive on paper, and it looks like this could to be one of 2011's hottest products. Or, it could be an absolute disaster... we'll find out soon enough.
Asus Eee Pad MeMo
UK release date: Summer 2011
Specs: Android 3.0, Qualcomm Snapdragon 1.2GHz CPU, 512MB RAM, 7-inch capacitive display, 64GB Flash storage, rear-facing camera, front-facing camera, mini-HDMI out.
What we think: We don't know much about the Asus Eee Pad yet. What we do know is that there are four models, of which the MeMo is at the bottom end. We also know that Asus is taking its time with these Eee Pads, so we can be fairly confident that when they finally go on sale, they'll be good.
Asus Eee Pad Slider
UK release date: Summer 2011
Specs: Android 3.0, Nvidia Tegra 2 dual-core CPU, slide-out keyboard, 10.1-inch capacitive display at 1280x800, card reader, HDMI-out, rear-facing camera, front-facing camera.
What we think: At 10.1-inches, the Eee Pad Slider is bigger than the MeMo, and Asus thinks it's big enough to warrant a slide-out keyboard. It's the netbook of the new generation, if you will. It's also the first Android tablet we've seen with a feature like this, though it's not a new concept. Typing on a touchscreen can be a pain, so including a proper keyboard is a nice idea – though how useful it ends up being remains to be seen.
Acer Iconia Tab A500
UK release date: Summer 2011
Specs: Android 3.0, Nvidia Tegra 2 dual-core CPU, 1GB RAM, 10.1 capacitive screen, 5MP rear-facing camera, 3G.
What we think: As Acer's flagship tablet we were expecting big things from the A500 but from what we saw at MWC it doesn't look like the A500 is as high-end as we were expecting it to be. It's still a powerful Tegra 2-powered Honeycomb tablet though, so if it has an attractive price, this could be one to watch.
Acer Iconia Tab A100
UK release date: April 2011
Specs: Android 3.0, Nvidia Tegra 2 dual-core CPU, 7-inch capacitive screen at 1024x600, 5MP rear-facing camera, 2MP front-facing camera, 3G.
What we think: The A100 is the little brother to the Acer Iconia Tab A500, and we have high hopes for it. While it doesn't have the high-flying specs of some of the other tablets on this page, we expect this 7-inch tablet to carry a more modest price.
Viewsonic ViewPad 10s
UK release date: Spring 2011
Specs: Android 2.2 (with Tap UI), Nvidia Tegra 2, Cortex A9, 512MB RAM, 16GB Flash memory, 10.1-inch capacitive LCD at 1024x600.
What we think: While the original ViewPad 10 was an absolute dog, the 10s looks a lot better simply because Android 2.2 replaces the dual-booting Windows 7 and Android 1.6. Already released as the Viewsonic G Tablet in the US, the 10s boasts decent hardware specs and a custom overlay on top of Android 2.2. Providing it's priced sensibly, this could be an attractive purchase when it goes on sale.
Dell Streak 7, Dell Streak 10
UK release date: Summer 2011?
Specs: Android 2.2, 7-inch capacitive LCD, 1.3MP front-facing camera, 16GB storage.
What we think: Dell is expanding its range of Android products after it launched its 5-inch phone/tablet lovechild last year. On the way is the 7-inch Dell Streak 7 and the 10.1-inch Dell Streak 10 - and if the original is anything to go by, these tablets will be excellent.
And our pick of the hottest up-and-coming tablets is….
Amazon Kindle Fire
After months of speculation, the
Amazon Kindle Fire has been officially announced at an event in New York, marking the first time the company has entered the tablet market proper. The successor to the Amazon Kindle is a 7-inch device that comes with Android, albeit a version that has been heavily altered by Amazon to make the best use of the company's e-shopping spine. The screen is an IPS display that's made from Gorilla Glass, it houses dual-core processor, and weighs in at 14.6 ounces. There is a tablet-optimised shopping app on board - this is said to comprise simplified and streamlined pages, so it is easier to buy stuff on than the actual Amazon website.
Come back for our full Amazon Kindle Fire review very soon!
