Blackberry Playbook vs Apple iPad
Which tablet device is better for you – the Blackberry Playbook or the Apple iPad? Take a look at our comparison below:
Screen Size
The iPad has a larger screen and higher resolution. The Playbook does have a higher pixel density but the larger screen means that the iPad wins here.
Winner: Apple iPad
- Playbook: 7-inch display with 1024 x 600 resolution
- iPad: 9.7-inch display with 1024 x 768 resolution
Processor
The Blackberry Playbook’s ARM Cortex A9 processor is the next stage in technology advancement when compared with Apple’s A4 processor.
Winner: Blackberry Playbook
- Playbook: two core processors running at 1GHz
- iPad: only one core processor running at 1GHz
Portability
When it comes to portability there’s no doubt that the Playbook wins hands-down. It’s smaller, thinner and weights less than two-thirds the weight of the iPad.
Winner: Blackberry Playbook
- Playbook: 130mm in width, 10mm in depth. Weighs 0.9lb
- iPad: 242.8mm in width, 13.4mm in depth. Weighs 1.6lb
Connectivity
At this moment in time the iPad is the better connected device as it has 3G capabilities. However, this could change for future Playbook models as they will have 3G functionality and are likely to be carrier-independent. There’s also the possibility of a 4G Playbook.
Winner: Apple iPad
- Playbook: the first generation only runs on Wi-Fi networks
- iPad: runs on both Wi-Fi and 3G networks
Camera
There’s no comparison here. The iPad doesn’t even contain a camera whereas the Playbook contains two highly impressive video cameras.
Winner: Blackberry Playbook
- Playbook: A 3-megapixel camera on the front for video-conferencing, and a 5-megapixel camera on the other side
- iPad: No camera
Applications
On the applications front it’s always hard to compete with Apple given their Apple App Store. The one ray of hope for Blackberry is that they have promised to support Adobe Flash and this may help to close the gap on the iPad.
Winner: Apple iPad
- Playbook: Developers have to start from scratch
- iPad: There are currently over 25,000 iPad-optimized apps available to choose from
The Verdict
Blackberry has put together a superb tablet in the form of the Playbook, managing to outperform the iPad in a number of categories. Most notably the Playbook is smaller so has better portability, it’s lighter, contains two cameras, perfect for Skype calls and video-conferencing, and has a a dual-core processor, significantly superior to the iPad.
The iPad wins when it comes to connectivity with its 3G capabilities and its number of applications. The bigger screen will also appeal to certain users, particularly those into gaming.
Blackberry Playbook Price
Blackberry are yet to release the price of the Playbook but as is so often the case a number of rumours and leaks have surfaced over the past couple of months.
These rumours suggest that the price will be lower than that of Apple’s iPad.
One of the strongest rumours has come from Mobility Insider which suggests that the price will be between £250 and £380. Initially we would expect the price to be at the upper end of the scale but towards the end of 2011 you could almost certainly expect prices of less than £300.
We’ll update this page as soon as more information becomes available!
