Apple iPad Air 11-inch (M2) / Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra

Apple iPad Air 11-inch (M2): 11-inch iPad Air (M2), 2024; Wi-Fi and Wi-Fi + Cellular (A2899, A2903); 128 GB, 256 GB, 512 GB, 1 TB. The 13-inch iPad Air (M2) and the M3 and M4 iPad Air models are separate.

Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra: Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra Wi-Fi (SM-X910); 12 GB + 256 GB, 12 GB + 512 GB or 16 GB + 1 TB. The 5G version (SM-X916B), Tab S9, Tab S9+ and Tab S10 Ultra are separate.

SpecificationApple iPad Air 11-inch (M2)Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra
Release year20242023
Display11-inch Liquid Retina, LED-backlit IPS; 2360 × 1640 pixels, 264 ppi; 500 nits; P3 wide colour, True Tone

Full lamination and anti-reflective coating remove the gap between glass and panel to reduce reflections. The display is 60 Hz; there is no ProMotion.

Apple		14.6-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X; 60–120 Hz; Vision Booster

Because the screen corners are rounded, Samsung also gives the visible area as 14.5 inches. Vision Booster adjusts colour and contrast in bright conditions.

Samsung
ChipApple M2; 8-core CPU (4 performance, 4 efficiency), 9-core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine Apple—
Memory8 GB RAM

It is the same on all storage options.

Apple		—
Storage128 GB, 256 GB, 512 GB or 1 TB Apple—
CamerasRear 12 MP wide (ƒ/1.8, 4K 60 fps video); front 12 MP landscape Center Stage camera (ƒ/2.0)

Because the front camera sits on the long edge, your face is centred in video calls when the tablet is in a keyboard; Center Stage follows you as you move.

Apple		—
Pencil and accessoriesApple Pencil Pro and Apple Pencil (USB-C); magnetic Pencil connector; Smart Connector

Apple Pencil Pro adds squeeze and barrel-roll gestures; Apple Pencil 2 is not listed as compatible with this model.

Apple		—
USB-CCharging, DisplayPort and USB 3 (up to 10 Gb/s)

Suitable for an external display and fast SSDs; it is not Thunderbolt.

Apple		—
WirelessWi-Fi 6E (2×2 MIMO); Bluetooth 5.3; 5G (sub-6 GHz) and eSIM only on the cellular model AppleWi-Fi 6E; Bluetooth 5.3 Samsung
Battery28.93 Wh lithium-polymer; up to 10 hours web or video on Wi-Fi

Web browsing on mobile data drops to up to 9 hours.

Apple		11,200 mAh (typical) Samsung
Audio and securityLandscape stereo speakers, dual microphones; Touch ID in the top button Apple—
Size and weight247.6 × 178.5 × 6.1 mm; 462 g Apple208.6 × 326.4 × 5.5 mm; 732 g (Wi-Fi) Samsung
Processor—Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy Samsung
Memory and storage—12 GB + 256 GB, 12 GB + 512 GB or 16 GB + 1 TB; microSD up to 1 TB

16 GB of memory comes only with the 1 TB storage version.

Samsung
Rear cameras—13 MP autofocus wide + 8 MP ultra-wide Samsung
Front cameras—12 MP wide + 12 MP ultra-wide Samsung
Cooling—Vapor chamber Samsung
Audio—Four speakers tuned by AKG; Dolby Atmos Samsung
S Pen—Bluetooth Low Energy S Pen included in the box Samsung
Dust and water—IP68 for the tablet and S Pen

According to Samsung it withstands fresh water at 1.5 m for up to 30 minutes; it is not advised for use at the beach or in a pool.

Samsung
Security—In-display fingerprint reader; Samsung Knox Samsung
Launch software—Android 13

This is the version the tablet launched with, not the current version.

Samsung
Colours—Beige, Graphite Samsung