Tablet PC vendors are expected to bring forward their launch schedules as early as the end of March in order to compete against Apple's iPad 2, according to sources from tablet PC players.
Since most vendors expected Apple to launch iPad 2 in the second quarter, Apple's strategy of launching the device in early March has messed up its competitors' plans for their tablet PCs, causing them to rush to launch their tablet PCs into the channel, the sources noted.
The sources pointed out that since Apple also reduced the price of its first-generation iPad by about US$100, even if the players launch their tablet PC models, they are likely to face a disadvantage over pricing.
With Apple already occupying most of the available touchscreen capacity, the sources believe the supply chain will face great competition from downstream players to secure touch panel supply capacity in the future.
| Tablet PC specifications comparison |
| | Apple | Motorola | Samsung | HP | RIM | HTC | LG |
| Name | iPad 2 | Xoom | Galaxy Tab 10.1 | TouchPad | PlayBook | Flyer | G-Slate |
| Price (US$) | 499 (starting) | 600 (starting) | N/A | N/A | N/A | 900 | N/A |
| Launch date | Mar 11 | Already available | April | April | N/A | April | N/A |
| OS | iOS 4.3 | Android 3.0 | Android 3.0 | WebOS 3.0 | Blackberry Tablet OS (QXN) | Android 3.0 and HTC Sense | Android 3.0 |
| Processor | Dual-core A5 1GHz | Dual-core Nvidia Tegra 2 1GHz | Dual-core 1GHz | Dual-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 1.2GHz | Dual-core Cortex A9 1GHz | Qualcomm Snapdragon 1.5GHz | Dual-core 1GHz |
| RAM | Unknown | 1GB | 1GB | 1GB | 1GB | 1GB | 1GB |
| Memory (GB) | 16/32/64 | 32 | 16/32 | 16/32 | 16/32/64 | 32 | 32 |
| Expansion memory | Unknown | 32GB MicroSD | 32GB MicroSD | MicroUSB | N/A | MicroSD, SD 2.0 | 32GB MicroSD |
| Thickness (mm) | 8.8 | 12.9 | 8.49 | 14 | 9.7 | 13.2 | 9.2 |
| Weight (g) | 600 | 730 | 599 | 740 | 400 | 420 | 730 |
| Display (inch) | 9.7 | 10.1 | 10.1 | 9.7 | 7 | 7 | 8.9 |
| Resolution | 1024 by 768 | 1280 by 800 | 1280 by 800 | 1024 by 768 | 1024 by 600 | 1024 by 600 | 1280 by 768 |
| Rear cam (megapixels) | HD 720p | 5 | 8 | N/A | 5 | 5 | 5 |
| Front cam (megapixels) | VGA | 2 | 2 | 1.3 | 3 | 1.3 | 2 |
| Wireless | 3G | 3G with free grade to 4G | 3G, 4G | 3G | 3G, 4G | 3G, 3.5G | |
| Wi-Fi | 802.11 a/b/g/n | 802.11 a/b/g/n | 802.11 a/b/g/n | 802.11 b/g/n | 802.11 a/b/g/n | 802.11 a/b/g/n | 802.11 a/b/g/n |
| Bluetooth | 2.1+EDR | 2.1+EDR | 2.1+EDR | 2.1+EDR | 2.1+EDR | 2.1+A2DR | 2.1+EDR |
| Accelerometer | 3-axis | 3-axis | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| USB | N/A | USB 2.0 | USB 2.0 | USB 2.0 | USB 2.0 | USB 3.0 | USB 2.0 |
| GPS | Yes | A-GPS | A-GPS | A-GPS | N/A | A-GPS | A-GPS |
| Applications | App Store | Android Market | Android Market | Yes | Yes | Android Market | Android Market |
*Note: HTC Flyer price referenced from Amazon Germany website
Source: Industry sources, compiled by Digitimes, March 2011