IFA consumer electronics show 2010 Tablet PCs at IFA 2010

Samsung Galaxy Tab

The 7-inch Samsung Galaxy Tab is Samsung's answer to the Apple iPad.

Samsung's Galaxy Tab has been rumoured for the past weeks but we had to wait until IFA 2010 to actually see the Tab in the flesh. This 7-inch Android tablet PC is the first model from a major manufacturer to rival Apple's iPad. With a 1GHz processor and either 16GB or 32GB storage capacity the Galaxy Tab rarely feels sluggish when navigating through the apps of Android 2.2 (Froyo). 

In our hands-on time with the Galaxy Tab at Samsung's booth we really felt that it showed off Android's strengths admirably. Google Maps navigation benefited from the crisp, clear 7-inch screen, and fullscreen video playback demonstrated the Galaxy Tab's strengths as a multimedia tablet. 

In some areas the Galaxy Tab is clearly more advanced than the iPad: the web browser can play Flash content including videos, there are both front and rear-facing cameras for video calling, and there's a 3Mp camera with flash.

And the Tab can make phone calls too, thanks to its 3G and Wi-Fi connectivity. There's a micro SD card slot which can be used to expand the Tab's memory by up to 32GB. The Galaxy Tab doesn't have an HDMI socket for outputting high-definition video to a TV, but there are docks available which do.

For more details of the Samsung Galaxy, and our first impressions of this capable tablet PC, watch our First Look video below. Alternatively, check out our First Look review of the Apple iPad.

Samsung Galaxy Tab prices

In the UK, both Vodafone and Three have confirmed that the Samsung Galaxy Tab will be available on their networks.

Three has also revealed pricing information for the Samsung Galaxy Tab:

• Sim-only: One-month rolling voice and data contracts
• Pay-monthly: SIM10 and SIM15 packages from £10 per month for 100 any network minutes, 2,000 Three-to-Three minutes, 3,000 texts and 1GB data
• Pay-monthly data-only tariffs: 1GB data for £7.50 or 5GB data for £15

Toshiba Folio 100

The Toshiba Folio 100 runs Android 2.2

Toshiba has also launched a tablet PC running Android 2.2 at IFA 2010. The Toshiba Folio 100 is a 10.1-inch capacitive touchscreen tablet - larger than the Apple iPad - and weighing 760g, double that of the Samsung Galaxy Tab.

Inside the Folio 100 is an Nvidia Tegra 2 processor and 16GB of storage capacity, expandable via the built-in SD card slot.

According to Toshiba, the Folio 100's battery should last for at least seven hours, based on 65% web browsing, 10% video playback and 25% standby time.

The Toshiba Folio 100 supports Flash 10.1 for browser-based video playback.

For photography the Folio 100 has a 1.3Mp webcam, which can also be used for video calls. The launch model has built-in wi-fi, but no 3G connectivity. This will be added to a future model. Unlike Samsung's Galaxy Tab, the Folio 100 has an HDMI port for outputting high-definition video to a compatible TV.

The Toshiba Folio 100 will be available to buy in the UK later in 2010 for £329, less than the equivalent iPad model.

Viewsonic Viewpad 100 and Viewpad 7 tablets

While most of the newly announced tablet PCs run Google's Android operating system, Viewsonic is the first to offer a tablet capable of running both Windows 7 and Android. The 10-inch Viewpad 100 can dual-boot between the two operating systems and take advantage of the strengths of each one. It has a netbook-like spec including a 1.66GHz processor, 1GB of Ram and a 16GB solid-state drive (SSD).

Users familiar with Windows will be able to take advantage of their favourite software running on the Viewpad 100. Other features such as the two USB ports can also be useful under Windows, such as for connecting digital cameras, printers, USB keyboards and mice. 

Although the Viewpad runs Android, it's not the latest version, just version 1.6, so you won't get all the advanced apps such as Google Maps Navigation available on Android 2.2.

The Viewpad 100 is set to launch in the UK priced at around £500, but for £150 less Viewsonic also has a 7-inch tablet running Android 2.2.