News about the imminent release of the second generation Nexus 10 -- Google's follow up to its successful 10-inch tablet from last year -- has been a little thin on the ground, although the device has been rumored for some time now. The impending release was all but confirmed back at the end of October when a listing for the new model temporarily appeared in Google Play.
The listing seemed to confirm the specs that had been under debate: 10.1-inch 2560 x 1600 screen, a quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 processor, 32GB of storage, 9,500 mAh battery and 3GB of RAM along with KitKat as the OS. The latest speculation suggests that the tablet could be released on November 21st. This date was first reported by Ubergizmo (on a page intriguingly entitled Nexus 10 2 Release Dates Confirmed By Google), although the page was subsequently removed.
Being a 10-inch device, the Nexus 10 is an obvious competitor to the Surface 2, but how do the two stack up against each other? The Surface 2 has a slightly larger screen, but the Nexus 10 does boast a higher resolution. The available storage space is identical, but the Surface does benefit from the ability to extend storage through the use of a USB drive.
Price could be the deciding factor for anyone undecided about which 10-incher to go for. Nothing is yet known about the pricing for the Nexus, but it is likely to be in line with the first generation model -- $399 for a 16GB model and $499 for 32GB.
But there are plenty of other things to consider as well. Obviously there is the operating system to take into account. Android tablets are extremely popular, but they are not for everyone. At the same time, the entry-level Surface 2 comes with Windows 8.1 RT which has a rather more limited range of apps than regular Windows.
In Surface's favor, there is a far more familiar desktop-like experience, and with the keyboard covers the device is essentially a cheap laptop. It is going to be interesting to see how the two fare against each other. The Nexus 10 already has a solid grounding to work off, but Surface 2 is proving more popular than its predecessor.
Which device meets your mobile computing needs better? Are you tempted by a new Nexus 10, or is a Surface 2 of more interest? Perhaps you'd prefer to splash the cash and opt for a Surface Pro 2 -- or would you go as far as buying two devices?
