Back in 2010, many people weren’t familiar with aPads, ePads, or Wowpads, also known as “iPad clones.” Some who bought these devices concluded that the aPads lacked the touch or feel of the iPad. A good number of people also acknowledged that aPads aren’t user-friendly due to poor documentation, problems accessing the Android Market, “resistive” touch screen, and lack of just-in-time (JIT) support.
In the past few months, just before the release of the iPad 2, there has been a wave of new Android tablets from Asia that have capacitive screens, faster processors, and other cool features that make these devices stand out.
These aPads are becoming more popular since the release of tablets running Android 2.2 and above from original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) such as Motorola, Asus, Dell and Samsung. I can now speak apples to apples when comparing an aPad clone to OEM Android tablets out there.
I also dare to compare the new aPad with Applie’s iPad2 and RIM’s Blackberry Playbook.
This new wave of devices has the following strong selling points.
Price: Android Tablet PCs are still the least expensive units on the market compared to OEM versions (Dell, Samsung and Motorola). An online retailer had a rugged Android 2.2 pad that was selling for just $79. Units with capacitive screens start at around $189.99
The rule of thumb is that you can get 2 premium apads or epads for the price of an OEM Android tablet.
Size: Most OEM Android tablets come in 7-inch or smaller models. There are few 10-inch models like the Motorola Xoom in retail stores. I’m sure the OEMs will produce units with a larger screen, but expect the price to be higher. However, there are plenty of pads in various sizes: 7-inch, 8-inch, and 10.1-inch tablets.
Some people who love to read ebooks will go for 7 inch apads, gamer or movie viewer will go for 10.1 aPad units.
More accessories in the box: Most aPads come with all the accessories in the box. The aPads I’ve tested come with male and female USB cables, a carrying case, a Mini HDMI cable, and a screen protector. This won’t be the case for OEM models – expect to buy the HDMI cable and screen protector for another $50 or so.
More connectivity ports: Most aPads are generous when it comes to external ports. The aPad Flytouch II and III models come with 2 USB ports and 2 microSD cards, an Ethernet port, and an HDMI out port. The HaiPad M7/Dropad A8 comes with 2 USB ports and an HDMI port (The HDMI experience with the HaiPad unit is amazing – 1080P!).
However, OEM units have the following features that will always appeal to customers: better marketing exposure, better documentation, better Q&A controls (although most people may not agree with Q&As due to lots of in-store returns) and easier access to customer support.
Finally, the manufacturers of aPads and other devices are improving their products and continually adding features without waiting for a big product launch by the OEMs. We can take advantage of this and enjoy the new technology before everyone else; at least I watched movies on my aPads via HDMI at least 6 months before the release of iPad2.
