File Picture Illustration of Samsung Electronics' Galaxy Tab and Apple's iPad in Seoul
IN PHOTO: Samsung Electronics' Galaxy Tab (front) and Apple's iPad are seen in Seoul, in this May 13, 2013 file picture illustration. REUTERS

Apple launched the iPad Air towards the last quarter of 2013. The iPad Air sports the much touted Retina display which takes the viewing experience to a whole new level. The Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 10.1, on the other hand, was released in the third quarter of 2013. This tablet was received with positive reviews from users and critics alike.

For readers who are planning to buy the Apple iPad Air or the Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 10.1, here is a specification and price comparison in Australia.

Display and Size

The Apple iPad Air comes with a 9.7-inch display, while the Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 (10.1) features a slightly bigger 10.1-inch display. The iPad Air packs a superior resolution of 2,048 x 1,536 pixels, while the Galaxy Tab 3 10.1 comes with a relatively lower 1,280 x 800 pixel resolution.

The dimensions of the iPad Air are 9.45 x 6.67 x 0.30 inches. It weighs much lesser than the Tab 3 at 478 g. Meanwhile, the Galaxy Tab 3 10.1's dimensions are 9.57 x 6.93 x 0.31 inches. It weighs 512 g.

Hardware and Software

The iPad Air runs on the Apple's iOS 7 software, but is upgradable to iOS 7.1.1. On the other hand, the Galaxy Tab 3 runs on Android v4.2.2 (Jelly Bean).

The iPad Air is powered by a dual-core Cyclone (Apple A7 with 64-bit architecture) processor clocked at 1.4 GHz. It houses a 1 GB of RAM. The Tab 3, on the other hand, is powered by dual-core (Intel Atom Z2560 chipset) processor clocked at 1.6 GHz. It houses the same 1 GB of RAM.

Memory

The iPad Air comes with a built-in storage of 16, 32, 64 and 128 GB. Meanwhile, the Galaxy Tab 3 10.1 comes with 16 and 32 GB of internal storage options. Notably, the 32-GB variant is not widely available. In addition, the Tab 3 provides microSD card support for expansion up to 64 GB, while the iPad Air doesn't.

Camera

The iPad Air houses a 5-MP rear-facing camera and a 1.2-MP front-facing camera. Meanwhile, the Tab 3 10.1 houses a 3-MP rear-facing camera and a 1.3-MP front-facing camera. In addition, the iPad Air camera supports HDR, geo tagging, autofocus, digital image stabilisation, face detection and digital zoom. The Galaxy Tab 3 10.1 also supports geo tagging as well as panorama and night mode. However, the distinct feature of the device is its video calling capability.

Battery

The Apple iPad Air comes with a superior non-removable 8,820-mAh battery unit. Meanwhile, the Tab 3 10.1 houses a much lesser Li-ion 6,800-mAh battery that is not user replaceable.

Connectivity

Both tablets support Bluetooth 4.0, Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n 5 GHz and USB charging.

Colour

The iPad Air comes in space grey and silver shades. Meanwhile, the Galaxy Tab 3 comes in white, brown, red, and black shades. It is worth noting that red and black shades are not widely available.

Price

The Apple iPad Air 16 GB (Wi-Fi) is priced at AU$589.95, while the iPad Air 16 GB (4G) is priced at AU$729.95. The Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 (10.1) 4G LTE 16 GB is priced at AU$489.95 in Australia.