The Gap

In the smartphone world there are a variety of smartphones that all include high-end features and, to a degree, work very similarly. The iPhone was long considered to be at the top of the pile in terms of usability and it probably still is, but the HTC Desire HD and Galaxy S show that the gap is much, much closer than ever before. For most people these phones will feel very similar in use and I could name five or six phones that fit the category of offering all of the latest features with more than a hint of natural navigation built in.

The tablet market is, however, very different at this time. There are already countless tablets on the market and a trip to the most unlikely of shops will bring up budget Android models ranging from as low as ¬£70. Toys R Us, Robert Dyas, Next and countless other retailers of non-technical goods now sell budget Android tablets and I have little doubt that millions of people will receive one at Christmas. It is likely that many will end up in a drawer once people have realised how well they work (‘well’ is the wrong word here) and some lucky people may also receive an iPad or a Samsung Galaxy Tab.

The fact is that the high-end tablet market is way ahead of the rest and there is an argument that the high-end iPad is way ahead of the high-end Galaxy Tab. As much as I believe that the Android software and smartphone hardware is quickly catching up to the iPhone and iOS, I can still see a clear gap between. All of the Android tablets and the iPad. The Galaxy Tab is the best of the Android bunch, but there are still usability problems that make it feel like a computer when the iPad feels like a tool that just does what I need. I have talked about the iPad a lot recently and don’t mean to bore you, but over the past few days have quickly found myself writing almost all of my freelance work on it, doing research, browsing the web most of the time and playing games in preference to the iPhone 4 every time.

My time with the Galaxy Tab was positive, but not to the level I have felt with the iPad and it still felt like a computer rather than a tool that is there to do what I need it to without any hassle at all. There is currently a gap between the iPad and the Galaxy Tab and a cavernous between these two and the rest of the market. The PlayBook and HP Slate may have an impact, but some serious work is needed to catch up, and that is before iPad 2 comes out. I want competition in every mobile market, but it feels like a one way street in the tablet world at the moment.