iPad 2 tops Consumer Reports tablet test

After testing the 10 most-promising tablet computers, US-based Consumer Reports has crowned iPad 2 the winner.

The lab tests included other devices such as the Motorola Xoom, which is being hailed as the closest rival to iPad 2, as well as tablets from Archos, Dell, Motorola, Samsung and ViewSonic.

Each tablet was evaluated on 17 criteria, including touch-screen responsiveness, versatility, portability, screen glare, and ease of use.

"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."

iPad 2 (Wi-Fi, 3G, 32G) topped the ratings, scoring ‘Excellent’ in nearly every category.

The first-generation iPad also outscored many of the other models, said the report.

The biggest performance gap in all 10 models was found in the battery-life test. This was measured by playing the same video clip continually on each tablet until the battery ran down.

"The top-scoring iPad 2 lasted 12.2 hours, but one of the lowest rated, the Dell Streak 7 lasted just 3.8 hours,” said Consumer Reports.