How Nokia Lumia 2520 tablet measures up against iPad Air

Yesterday, Apple launched a new iPad, the iPad Air. Earlier in the day, Nokia too had launched its first tablet the Lumia 2520 which runs on Windows RT 8.1. Of course, while Apple’s iPad Air is a more refined version of its hugely popular iPad lineup, the Nokia Lumia 2520 marks the Finnish company’s first foray into an already competitive tablet market. So how has Nokia done with its offering, and how do the two devices measure up against each other? We take a look at the specs head to head. Size, dimensions and form: The iPad Air still has the 9.7-inch screen (diagonally) but is considerably thinner and lighter than the iPad 4. In fact, if Apple’s ad is to be believed it is thinner than a pencil. The iPad Air weighs only one pound (which is 0.45 kg), and according to Apple, this is the lightest full-sized tablet in the market. Apple has also reduced the bezel on the side (it’s apparently 43 percent narrower than the previous version), which makes the iPad Air only 7.5 mm thick, lesser than the iPad 4 which was 9.4 mm. The screen resolution is still the same at 264 pixels per inch. [caption id=“attachment_1189195” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Stephen Elop of Nokia and Tim Cook of Apple display the newly launched devices: Reuters composite image[/caption] The Nokia 2520, for its part, has a bigger screen than the iPad Air, measuring 10.1 inches diagonally. The display is full HD 1920x1080-pixel (which translates to about 218 pixels per inch). So in terms of picture quality at least, the iPad Air is clearly the winner. However Nokia has a ClearBlack Display filter, which they promise will make it easier to read the tablet outdoors. Camera and Battery life: Nokia as always brings its best game to the hardware front, and here again they have not disappointed. It packs a 6.7-megapixel rear camera with ZEISS optics and a 2-megapixel front-facing camera. Although not everyone uses their tablet to take pictures, one can always find a use for a good camera. The iPad Air, on the other hand, has a fairly standard 5MP camera, while the front camera is 1.2MP. So here, Nokia is clearly ahead. Like we said however, camera quality is hardly likely to be the decider in the final choice of which device to buy. Operating system: Here is what is likely to be the most crucial factor going against the 2520. The device runs on Windows 8.1 RT, which is a stripped down version of the Windows 8.1 operating system. According to the Windows site, the OS is designed for thin and light PCs that use ARM processors. Features include the full suite of Microsoft Office for free as well as other Microsoft apps, such as Mail, Xbox Music, and SkyDrive, pre-installed. But can this really compete with the much lauded iOS 7 with its colourful interface and improved notifications? Unlikely, especially given the wealth of applications that are available for iOS as opposed to Windows. Lets face it, they only got Instagram yesterday. Also, in what is possibly a move to counter the lure of free Microsoft Office, Apple is also giving away its Office alternative, called iWork away for free. Processor and storage: The iPad Air also comes with the new A7 chip like the iPhone 5s, and Apple says that the tablet is eight times faster than before. The chip is 64-bit which allows for faster processing. The chip, while faster will only make a significant difference when developers make more 64-bit apps. Like the iPhone 5s, the iPad Air has the M7 motion co-processor. it comes in 16GB, 32 GB, 64 GB and 128 GB versions. As far as Wi-Fi is concerned, the iPad Air has MIMO (multiple-input and multiple-output) wireless technology which uses multiple antennas at both the transmitter and receiver for better connectivity. However it is still using the 802.11n standard, and not the latest Wi-Fi 802.11n ac version. The Lumia 2520 for its part comes with the 2.2GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 processor, which is Qualcomm’s latest and most powerful processor backed with 2GB of RAM. However the A7 chip has been blowing its competition out of the war in recent tests.  In terms of storage, the Nokia device comes with 32GB inbuilt storage, expandable up to 32GB via microSD card. Battery life: Apple says that the iPad Air comes with 10 hours of battery life, while the Nokia 2520 has 11 hours. The Lumia 2520 will also work with a $149 Surface-style attachment called the Power Keyboard, which gives the device up to five more hours of battery life.