Apple iPad Air 2 vs. Samsung Galaxy Tab S – Specifications, Features And Price Showdown

Apple iPad Air 2 has recently been unveiled alongside the compact version iPad Mini 3 on October 16. Meanwhile, the Samsung Galaxy Tab S was released in July. Readers who are interested in the Samsung Galaxy Tab S (10.5-inch) or the latest Apple iPad Air 2 (9.7-inch) tablets should check out this comparison.

Display, Design And Size

The Samsung Galaxy Tab S features a whopping 10.5-inch Super AMOLED display with an impressive 2,560 x 1,600 pixels resolution. The Apple iPad Air 2, on the other hand, comes with a relatively inferior 9.7-inch LED-backlit IPS LCD display bundled with 1,536 x 2,048 pixels resolution. The pixel strength of the Galaxy Tab S stands at 288 ppi, while the iPad Air 2 settles for 264 ppi.

Moving on to the design, the Galaxy Tab S looks similar to the flagship Galaxy S5 smartphone with the same dimpled/perforated rear and soft-touch panel, according to CNet. The site also opines that the current design is a good improvement from the shiny, plastic-looking Tab models released earlier. Nonetheless, the stand out aspect of the Tab S is the display. The company has introduced the Super AMOLED display technology for the first time in tablets via 2014 Galaxy Tab S line of devices. The WQXGA (2,560 x 1,600 pixels) Super AMOLED display can render more than 90% of Adobe RGB colour range. Plus, the contrast ratio of the device is clocked at an impressive 100,000:1 ratio. This combination provides stellar viewing experience when compared to any other device, writes Tech Times.

The iPad Air 2, on the other hand, is very much similar to the original iPad Air. Meaning, the tablet sports the famous aluminium chassis. This provides the premium look to the Air 2, when compared to the abundance of polycarbonate chassis prevalent in other tablets. The highlight of Air 2, however, is that the tablet is 18 percent thinner at 0.24-inch when compared to its predecessor, says Tech Radar.

Speaking of size, the Samsung tablet comes with a thickness and weight of 0.26-inch and 465 g respectively, while Apple device is 0.24-inch thick and weighs 437 g. Hence the Apple iPad Air 2 is both thinner and lighter than the Tab S.

Hardware, Software And Memory

The Wi-Fi only variant of the Samsung Galaxy Tab S is powered by an octa-core (Exynos 5) Cortex-A7 processor, clocked at a combination of four 1.9 GHz cores and four 1.3 GHz cores and it houses a solid 3 GB of RAM. Plus, the LTE version of the Tab S is powered by a quad-core (Qualcomm Snapdragon 800) Krait 400 processor, clocked at 2.3 GHz. The iPad Air 2, on the other hand, is powered by a relatively inferior dual-core (Apple A8) processor and it comes with only 1 GB of RAM. However, Apple says the A8 processor can offer up to 40 percent better CPU performance than the predecessor iPad Air.

Furthermore, the iPad Air 2 runs on iOS 8.1, while the Tab S runs on Android v4.4.2 KitKat OS along with Samsung TouchWiz UI. The Tab S comes with 16 GB and 32 GB of internal storage options, while the iPad Air 2 offers 16 GB, 64 GB and 128 GB storage. Furthermore, the Tab S supports microSD card for expansion up to 128 GB, while the iPad Air 2 doesn't.

Camera And Battery

Both the tablets sport the same 8 MP primary camera unit. While the Galaxy Tab S houses a 2.1 MP shooter at the front, the Apple device settles for 1.2 MP. The improved "iSight" camera in the Air 2 provides better image quality and low-light performance than its predecessor. Additional camera aspects include a burst mode, time-lapse and slo-mo options, according to Tech Radar.

The Samsung device features a solid Li-Ion 7900 mAh battery with Ultra Power Saving mode, which can provide up to 11 hours of talk time. According to Apple, the Air 2 can provide up to 10 hours of battery life, similar to the predecessor. Nonetheless, the company has not disclosed the battery spec yet.

Misc

1. Both the tablets come in LTE and non-LTE (Wi-Fi only) models. Plus, both the devices support Fingerprint sensor (aka Touch ID). This sensor can be utilised to unlock the tablet as well as for making mobile payments. In the case of Apple, the payment system uses the brand new Apple Pay service by striking a deal with Visa, MasterCard and AMEX, according to Tech Radar.

2. The iPad Air 2 comes in "Gold" shade in addition to Space Gray and Silver options. Meanwhile, the Galaxy Tab S comes in Titanium Bronze and Dazzling White hues.

Price

The Samsung Galaxy Tab S 10.5-inch (16 GB, non-LTE) model is priced at AU$539.85 in Yatango and US$497.99 in Amazon. The latest Apple iPad Air 2 tablet's 16 GB, 64 GB and 128 GB models, on the other hand, are priced at US$499, US$599 and US$699 respectively.

Also Read

1. Apple iPad Mini 3 vs. iPad Mini 2: Should You Upgrade? - [Read]

2. Apple iPad Air 2 vs. iPad Air: Should You Upgrade? - [Read]

3. HTC Desire Eye vs. Xiaomi Mi4 - Specifications, Features And Price Comparison - [Read]