iPad 2 tops Consumer Reports tablet ratings

“So far, Apple is leading the tablet market in both quality and price, which is unusual for a company whose products are usually premium priced,” said Paul Reynolds, Electronics Editor at Consumer Reports. “However, it’s likely we’ll see more competitive pricing in tablets as other models begin to hit the market.”

The consumer watch-dog said the iPad’s closest competitor is the Motorola Xoom. Consumer Reports tested tablets from Archos, Dell, Motorola, Samsung, and ViewSonic, as well as a number of models from Apple.

The tablets were test using 17 criteria, including touch-screen responsiveness, versatility, portability, screen glare, and ease of use. The end result was that the iPad 2 with Wi-Fi + 3G (32G), topped the Ratings, scoring Excellent in nearly every category. The first-generation iPad, $580, also outscored many of the other models tested but tied with the Motorola Xoom, $800, according to Consumer Reports.

The iPad 2 really ran away with the battery test. When playing a movie, it lasted 12.2 hours compared to the lowest rated Archos, which lasted only 3.8 hours.