Apple iPad Air 11-inch (M2) / Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 (Wi-Fi, 8 GB / 128 GB)

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 (Wi-Fi, 8 GB / 128 GB): Galaxy Tab S9 11-inch Wi-Fi, SM-X710 (8 GB / 128 GB); Graphite and Beige. The 5G version, Tab S9+ and Tab S9 Ultra are separate models.

SpecificationApple iPad Air 11-inch (M2)Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 (Wi-Fi, 8 GB / 128 GB)
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		11-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X; 60–120 Hz

120 Hz makes scrolling and S Pen drawing smoother; it drops to 60 Hz when content is static.

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		Rear 13 MP AF; front 12 MP ultra-wide Samsung
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 Apple—
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		8400 mAh (typical)

No charging adapter is included in the box.

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 Apple254.3 × 165.8 × 5.9 mm; 498 g (Wi-Fi) Samsung
Processor—Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy Samsung
Memory and storage—8 GB RAM, 128 GB storage; microSD up to 1 TB (sold separately) Samsung
S Pen—Bluetooth LE S Pen in the box; IP68

The S Pen attaches magnetically to the back of the tablet and charges there; Bluetooth LE enables remote-control gestures.

Samsung
Durability—Tablet and S Pen IP68

IP68 describes dust-tightness and water immersion resistance under set conditions; it is not recommended for beach or pool use.

Samsung
Audio—Quad stereo speakers tuned by AKG; Dolby Atmos Samsung
Connectivity—Wi-Fi 6E; Wi-Fi Direct; Bluetooth 5.3

The 6 GHz band requires a Wi-Fi 6E router.

Samsung
Operating system—Shipped with Android 13 Samsung
Colours—Beige, Graphite Samsung