Motorola Xoom vs. Samsung Galaxy Tab

This is more of a personal post and not a review. I'm thinking to get one of those android tablets, but can't decide which one. There is quite a buzz going on with tablet computers these days and with summer coming up, a tablet will be a great addition to have on vocations.

So let's get started.

I'll start by comparing the designs and dimensions of the two devices.

Galaxy 10.1 Front:












Xoom Front:

Galaxy 10.1 Side:

Xoom Side:

Galaxy 10.1 Rear:

Motorola Rear:

-	Galaxy 10.1	Xoom
Width	246.2mm	249.1mm
Height	170.4mm	167.8mm
Depth	10.99mm	12.9mm
Weight	589g	708-730g

In terms of design both devices look almost identical making the "what looks better" decision easy. The dimensions are also very similar, although the Xoom is 2mm thicker, but 2mm is barely noticeable. There is a big difference in weight with the Xoom weighing 110 grams more than the Galaxy. I can't say much about built quality since I don't have the models on hand right now. I've found some details Googling about it and found that Motorola used aluminum for the Xoom with soft touch (I don't know what that is, probably the soft plastic parts of the device?) and Samsung , according to some reviews I've read, used plastic for the entire body making it lighter than the Xoom.

Let's move on to the hardware part of the comparison.

	Galaxy 10.1	Xoom
Processor	1 GHz Tegra 2 Dual Core	1 Ghz Tegra 2 Dual Core
Memory	1 GB DDR2 RAM	1 GB DDR2 RAM
Internal Storage	up to 32GB	32GB
External Storage	N/A	microSD (after software update)
Display	10.1" WXGA 1280x800	10.1" WXGA 1280x800 (150 pixels / inch)
Connectivity	WiFi, Bluetooth, HSPA, EDGE/GPRS	WiFi, Bluetooth, HSDPA, EDGE/GSM
Camera	8MP with LED flash (rear), 2MP front facing	5MP Dual Led Flash (rear), 2MP front facing
Input	Multi-touch Screen	Multi-touch Screen
GPS	YES	YES
Battery	6860mAh up to 10hr continuous usage	6500mAh up to 10hr continuous usage (WiFi)
OS	Android 3.0 Honeycomb	Android 3.0 Honeycomb
Sensors	Gyroscope, Accelerometer, Digital Compass, Proximity	Gyroscope, Accelerometer, Barometer, Digital Compass, Proximity
Video	1080p@30fps playback+capture	720p playback+capture
Audio	MP3, ACC, AAC+, eAAC+, OGG, MIDI, AMR-NB/WB, Surround sound speakers, 3.5mm Jack	AAC, H.263, H.264, MP3, MPEG-4, ACC+ Enhanced, OGG, MIDI, AMR NB, AAC+, 3.5mm Jack
Connectors	Samsung PDMI-like proprietary interface	Micro USB, HDMI out

Well hello there! Both devices are almost identical again in terms of hardware! This makes it difficult to decide which one to get. Same processors, same amount of memory, same displays. I haven't found an indication of an external memory slot for the Galaxy 10.1. Maybe they forgot to mention that on their site. The cameras are more than sufficient on both devices since MPs don't play much of a role while having a pin-hole sized lens. Battery life is rated up to 10hrs for both devices under continuous usage. Well... now what? Same everything... but how about pricing?

	Galaxy 10.1	Xoom
16 GB 3G+Wifi	-	-
32 GB 3G+Wifi	-	$799.99 (~560€)
16 GB WiFi Only	$499 (~350€)	-
32 GB WiFi Only	$599 (~420€)	$599 (~420€)

Now we can see a "big difference". The Xoom with 3G+WiFi comes @ $800 USD which makes it very expensive compared to the...well I haven't found a Galaxy 10.1 3G price tag anywhere, but I'll bet with all the similarities in design, hardware and software, the Galaxy's price will be in the same range for the 32GB 3G model.

Conclusion:
I don't care about 3G personally, so I'll be looking for the WiFi only models and since both 32GB models are priced, again identically... getting either of them is basically the same thing. There is one thing that will make me get the Xoom over the Galaxy 10.1. The fact, if it is true, that the Galaxy 10.1 doesn't possess an external memory slot.

I would also like to hear your thoughts about it, so don't be shy and post a comment or two. :)