iPad 4 Vs. Nexus 10: Google's Tablet The First To Match The iPad, Says Consumer Reports

Deciding which tablet got harder this year with the introduction of more quality non-iPad options. The Apple iPad 4 is still considered a premium 10-inch tablet, but the Google Nexus 10 comes about as close as an Android tablet as ever gotten. 

In the latest tablet ratings from Consumer Reports, the Nexus 10 actually ranked as high as the the iPad 4 in Wi-Fi models. This makes it the first tablet to do so since the iPad's debut back in 2010. Consumer Reports states that the Nexus 10 essentially equaled the iPad 4 in most categories except battery life, which fell short of the iPad's. 

Here's a look at what the two tablets offer underneath their hoods. 

The Apple iPad 4 comes with a 9.7-inch Retina display that has 264 pixels per inch (ppi) and an dual-core A6X processor. The iPad 4 also has a 5-megapixel rear-facing camera and a 1.2-megapixel front-facing camera that allows for FaceTime HD. The iPad 4 weighs in at around 1.45 pounds and comes in 16GB, 32GB, and 64GB models. The iPad 4 starts at $499, and increases $100 for every increase in storage size. 

The Google Nexus 10 has a slightly larger 10.1-inch display that has 300 ppi. Developed by Samsung, the Nexus 10 has dual-core Exynos 5 processor. The rear-facing camera on the Nexus 10 shoots at 5 megapixels, and the front-facing camera will take pictures at 1.9 megapixels. 

The Nexus 10 is also lighter and cheaper, weighing around 1.32 pounds, and costing $399 for the 16GB model. The Nexus 10 is only available in one other option, the 32GB model, that costs $499. 

From the outset, Google's Nexus 10 tablet seems to have the edge on the iPad 4, but there's far more to consider. The Apple App store offers far more tablet-optimized apps than Google Play, meaning that your actual tablet experience will be more robust on the iPad 4. Unless developers really crank out apps for the Nexus 10, it just might be worth it to fork over an extra $100 in order to get the most use your tablet. Of course, be sure to weigh the benefits of whether you want to immerse yourself in the Android ecosystem or the iOS world.