Apple has just unwrap the new 11 - inch iPad Air 6 , but how does it compare to the Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 ? The Samsung tablet is one of thebest Android tabletsaround , after all .
While you might assume that both are pretty evenly matched , the iPad Air 6 pulls off from theSamsung Galaxy Tab S9not only in terms of sheer exponent but accoutrement , and importantly , it ’s tawdry than the contend tablet too .
However , the Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 has a flock going for it , not only with unique IP68 junk and water resistance but also GenAI - powered tools in the form of Galaxy AI .
Here ’s how the two lozenge equate to help you resolve which is good for your needs .
The iPad Air 6 is more powerful
Both the Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 and iPad Air 6 are imposingly muscular tablets at the top of their various game , but the iPad Air 6 cope to flake off away with the inclusion body of Apple ’s screen background - spirit level M2 chipset .
Previously the chipset of choice of the2022 iPad Pro range , Apple claims that the new chipset is 50 % faster than that of theM1 - enabled iPad Airfrom 2022 , and that was already one of the most knock-down tablets around . It mean that the fresh iPad can take advantage of cabinet - tier games like Assassin ’s Creed Mirage when it becomes available on the App Store in the amount months .
That does n’t mean that the Tab S9 is a slouch , disport a custom chipset dubbed theSnapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy , but it ’s no longer the fastest chipset around with the launching of theSnapdragon 8 Gen 3just a few month after the Tab S9 was unwrap . It ’s still more than enough to power the premium Android tablet experience , but it ca n’t compete with the Apple M2 .
The Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 is dust and water-resistant
The Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 separates itself not only from the iPad Air 6 but practically every other lozenge on the market with an impressive IP68 dust and water system resistance rating .
While many tablets could hold up a splash of urine , the Tab S9 can take a misstep to the beach and remain totally unhurt – an impressive feat of engineering from Samsung , that ’s for sure .
The iPad Air , on the other paw , has no official dust or water impedance , so we ’d keep it far away from swim pool and the corresponding to be dependable .
The Galaxy Tab S9 has better AI features
AI is the gravid cant of 2024 with GenAI capableness now seem in various flagship smartphones . Galaxy AIwas the star of theGalaxy S24launch earlier this yr , but do n’t take over that it ’s only on the S24 range of mountains ; surveil a wider rollout of Samsung ’s OneUI 6.1 update , the Tab S9 now has GenAI capableness .
It ’s not just one or two of the key Galaxy AI have either , with the Tab S9 gas much every lineament usable on the Galaxy S24 including the power to rewrite text and email , on - machine translation , transcription capability , site summarization and even the GenAI - powered pic redaction tools .
Both tablets have great accessory support
The core tab experience is one thing , but if you want a sincerely various bit of tech that can double up up as a sketch pad or even a laptop computer , accessory are key . The unspoilt news show is that both the iPad Air 6 and Galaxy Tab S9 proffer accompaniment for high - terminal accessories including styluses and keyboard covers .
lease ’s start up with the iPad Air ; as with the 2022 variant , the iPad Air 2024 offers support for the second - gen Apple Pencil and the first - gen Magic Keyboard . While it does n’t quite extend to the new variants of the accessories , presently exclusive to the iPad Pro range , the experience from the Apple Pencil 2 and Magic Keyboard is for certain a high-pitched - end one that we prize during the review process .
The Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 also boasts support for Samsung ’s S Pen stylus and a keyboard grammatical case that go in a similar room to the iPad Air ’s appurtenance , essentially turning the tablet into a laptop . If anything , Samsung ’s execution is a little secure with DeX support turning the pad of paper UI into something akin to Windows 11 for a reliable multitasking experience .
The iPad Air is much cheaper
Despite the various similarities between the two top - end tablets , Apple ’s iPad Air is actually tawdry than the competing Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 – and by quite a bit too .
While the iPad Air comes in at £ 599/$599 with 128 GB of storage , the Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 take up at £ 799/$799 with the same 128 GB of warehousing , get to it £ 200/$200 more . The catch ? The Tab S9 come with a stylus in the boxwood , while the Apple Pencil 2 is an optional appurtenance .
If you ’re interested in either , you may buy the Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 now following its launching in August 2023 , while the iPad Air – both 11- and 13 - inch models – are available to pre - order now in the lead of discharge on 15 May 2024 .
