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So how does the new Samsung 7.7 galaxy Tab shape up against the equally up-to-the-minute iPad 3?

Samsung  Galaxy Tab 7.7

The Hardware

This one comes with a 1.4GHz dual core Samsung Exynos CPU as well as 1Gb of RAM and 16Gb of ROM. The Galaxy Tab 7.7 sports a 7.7 inch Super AMOLED Plus screen which can generate a resolution of 1280x800 and a razor-sharp pixel density of 196dpi. The Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.7 is a nicely designed gadget and boasts built-in GPS, WI-FI connectivity, Bluetooth 3.0, a three-megapixel rear-facing camera and a two-megapixel front-facing camera. Storage wise, the new Sammy has a 16Gb capacity which can be expanded with a microSD card. Moreover, the Galaxy Tab 7.7 can also be used to make phone calls!

The Software

The Galaxy Tab 7.7 comes with an OS almost identical to that found on the 7.0 Plus, 8.9 and 10.1 Tabs. The device runs Android 3.2 Honeycomb, and an Ice Cream Sandwich update should be available soon. The new Galaxy Tab also comes preloaded with Samsung’s own TouchWiz UX overlay.

The Design

Weighing in at just 335g and 7.9mm slim, the Galaxy Tab 7.7 is even thinner than the iPad 2. The 7.7 also boasts a sleek buttonless design that makes it quite an attention grabber.

The Battery

To run this monster, Samsung has plumbed in a 5100mAh battery that can last for between eight and nine hours of heavy usage, or up to 12 hours of moderate usage,without needing a recharge, an impressive achievement for a gizmo with such a slim profile.

Verdict

The Galaxy Tab 7.7 gets almost everything right: its size and dimensions are perfect, it’s lightweight and it boasts a terrific battery life, a fast processor and a quite gorgeous display.  We would, however, recommend that you wait for the Ice Cream Sandwich update before splashing out on this one.

iPad 3

The Hardware

This is the one that rabid Apple “fanboys” (and girls) the world over have been waiting for. The all-new iPad 3 (officially called The New iPad) boasts a hugely impressive screen which, it is claimed, is the best ever seen on a tablet. The iPad 3’s 9.7-inch Apple Retina display features 3.1million pixels and an amazing resolution of 264ppi, making it seem like a mini LCD television. Edges are super smooth and text is sharp as a needle, making e-books, websites and documents so much easier on the eye. Apple have also equipped this terrific new tablet with an improved A5X dual-core chip and a quad-core GPU, which makes the already pretty slick iPad menu swiping and HD video run smoother than ever before. On the downside though, although the swish new screen can process high-definition images, the iPad camera hasn’t received any upgrade this time around and is a mere five-megapixel job borrowed from the iPhone 4S. Worry not though, as the camera can still record video in full HD.

The Software

Unfortunately, Siri hasn’t yet brought its dulcet tones to the new iPad, although there is Voice Dictation to check out. With this facility, you can produce text by dictating instead of typing. It’s the ultimate hands-free experience!

The Design

The iPad 3 looks almost exactly same as the iPad 2, however it’s slightly thicker and heavier than its predecessor.

The Battery

With a bigger battery, Apple claims that the iPad 3 can last for a full ten hours of casual WI-FI surfing or nine hours if you’re streaming cellular data. The Retina display definitely sucks a lot of juice though.

Verdict

The iPad 3 has no competitors so far in terms of its sumptuously high-definition display. Unfortunately, some users are reporting that the screen can get rather hot after a long session in use. The Voice Dictation function also doesn’t work particularly well and makes a fair amount of mistakes. Still, everything else chugs along perfectly.