Apple iPad 2 vs LG Optimus Pad

When Apple releases a new product, it becomes an instant media frenzy as news, views, reviews and specs start floating online in no time. Apple's latest creation the iPad 2 is now launched and all eyes are turned to the iPad successor to learn more about this sleek new tablet device.

We put it up against another newly launched tablet device, the LG Optimus Pad, an Android Honeycomb powered tablet that looks more than able to give a run for money to Apple iPad 2 when it goes on general sale in the first quarter of the year. So, without further ado, let's begin!

Operating System
Apple's iPad 2 comes with the latest version of iOS, version 4.3, which includes a raft of improvements and new features, such as the extension of AirPlay privileges to third-party developers, personal hotspot functionality and new and improved soft keyboard support, but at its core the OS is still very much the same, user-friendly piece of software that it has always been.

Conversely the LG Optimus Pad's Android 3.0 OS has undergone an overhaul to make it 100 per cent tablet-friendly, including its new 'holographic' looking UI and persistent system bar, which will keep you up-to-date with the latest notifications.

While both platforms have their merits, we're more excited about what Google is trying to achieve with Honeycomb and the open ethos of the OS leaves a lot more room for modification and growth.

Winner - LG Optimus Pad

Connectivity
The Optimus Pad comes with plenty of connectivity options, including a micro USB port, HDMI-out, SD card slot, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi b,g,n & DLNA and HSDPA and HSUPA, so you'll have no problem connecting to the outside world or getting content onto your tablet and off again.

Apple's take on the subject of connectivity is a little more closed affair, as the iPad 2 features only Bluetooth, Wi-Fi b,g,n, mirrored HDMI-out and HSDPA and HSUPA, so you'll be fine connecting to the web or streaming your media to your big-screen display, but you'll have to rely solely on iTunes to get third-party content onto your device in the first place.

Winner - LG Optimus Pad

Display
Apple's iPad 2 features the same stunning 9.7-inch LED-backlit IPS display as the original iPad, and is a joy to use. It comes with support for multi-touch gestures (which have been expanded in version 4.3 of iOS) and is scratch and fingerprint resistant, and also features an oleophobic coating to prevent the oil in your skin from messing up your screen!

The Optimus Pad features a similarly well-appointed display, which measure 8.9-inches but boasts one impressive feature that the iPad 2 does not: 3D support! While the addition of 3D is a nice novelty it isn't a massive draw for us (with its current level of support) but it's a nice, future proof feature to have.

Winner - Draw

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