The Best Wifi Tablet May Not Be What You’re Expecting

Choosing the best wifi tablet isn’t as easy as it used to be. The Android system has given Apple a win for its money, and Google Play is finally starting to catch up to the App store in its offerings. (Perhaps: it depends on whom you ask.) And with the breakout success of the Kindle Fire, the Samsung Galaxy vs. Apple iPad debate has expanded into a much larger — and more thought provoking — discussion by tech geeks and tablet “noobs” about which product is best suited to our needs.

So which IS better: iPad or tablet? It’s not easy picking the best wifi tablet, but we’re going to give it a shot.

Samsung Galaxy vs. Apple iPad: The Definitive Pros and Cons List

Kindle fire vs. Acer Iconia vs. Samsung Galaxy vs. Apple iPad: so many to choose from, so little time. To help you make your decision about the best wifi tablet for you, we’ve delved into the list of attributes of each — everything from storage to pixels to the battery life of tablets. This way you can choose the product suited to your needs, without spending hours looking up lists on the Internet.

Operating system: The Apple iPad runs on iOS, the standard Apple system. Since Apple won’t license it out to competitors, only Apple products use it. The Galaxy runs off Google’s Android operating system, which is Linux-based. Android software is open-source software, meaning anyone can use it or modify it. So which system is better: the iPad or the tablet? It depends on whether you like to play with your software. The Galaxy uses a more adaptable operating system, so you can customize it to you.

Battery: The battery life of a tablet is not, on average, as long as that of an iPad. (Remember all that customizing you did? It eats at your battery.) Just like with your phone, if you play with the tablet for too long, the battery will drop dead on you. If long battery life is important to you, choose an iPad.

Digital display. The iPad has more pixels. More pixels mean a better retina display. If you value a crisp, clear screen, then the iPad is the best wifi tablet for you.

Applications, widgets and accessories. This used to be iPad, hands down – but the Galaxy has been catching up quickly. Google play is offering more and more app and widgets – including Netflix and Skype. The Samsung Galaxy Note comes with a cool, thin stylus, making it easier to write on the screen. Overall, it’s much easier to multi-task on a Samsung Galaxy vs. an Apple iPad… but of course, all that multi-tasking leads to a shorter battery life of the tablet you’re using. And the Apple store still offers more apps than Google Play. Additionally, it’s much, much easier synching your online music and movie purchases on an iPad than it is synching your iTunes to an Android tablet.

Overall happiness. When it comes to customer satisfaction, it’s easier to tell which is better, the iPad or a tablet that runs on Android. The answer is overwhelmingly the iPad. It makes sense: PC users can switch to any company and have the same functionality. A Dell isn’t much different from a Gateway, right? But Mac users love their Macs — period. And iPad users are consistently more satisfied with their choices than those who purchase Android tablets.

In the battle of the Samsung Galaxy vs. Apple iPad, Apple takes the lead — but maybe not for long. As Samsung continues to improve its functionality and app offerings, we may just see a day where the best wifi tablet isn’t an Apple at all. But for now? Apple reigns supreme.