Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 (Wi-Fi, 8 GB / 128 GB) / Apple iPad Air (5th generation) Wi‑Fi

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.

Apple iPad Air (5th generation) Wi‑Fi: iPad Air (5th generation, 2022), Wi‑Fi model; 64 GB or 256 GB. The Wi‑Fi + Cellular version (such as A2589) adds 5G and nano-SIM/eSIM and is 1 g heavier. The 4th generation (A14) and the M2 6th generation are separate models.

SpecificationSamsung Galaxy Tab S9 (Wi-Fi, 8 GB / 128 GB)Apple iPad Air (5th generation) Wi‑Fi
Release year20232022
Display11-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		10.9-inch Liquid Retina, LED-backlit IPS; 2360 × 1640 pixels, 264 ppi; P3 wide colour, True Tone; 500 nits

Full lamination and the anti-reflective coating (1.8% reflectivity) remove the gap between glass and panel and reduce reflections. The spec page does not list a refresh rate and there is no ProMotion. Because of the rounded corners, the screen measures 10.86 inches as a rectangle.

Apple
ProcessorQualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy Samsung—
Memory and storage8 GB RAM, 128 GB storage; microSD up to 1 TB (sold separately) Samsung—
CamerasRear 13 MP AF; front 12 MP ultra-wide Samsung—
Battery8400 mAh (typical)

No charging adapter is included in the box.

Samsung		28.6 Wh built-in lithium-polymer; up to 10 hours of web or video on Wi‑Fi

A 20 W USB-C adapter and a 1 metre USB-C cable are in the box.

Apple
S PenBluetooth 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		—
DurabilityTablet 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		—
AudioQuad stereo speakers tuned by AKG; Dolby Atmos SamsungStereo speakers; dual microphones

There is no headphone jack.

Apple
ConnectivityWi-Fi 6E; Wi-Fi Direct; Bluetooth 5.3

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

Samsung		—
Operating systemShipped with Android 13 Samsung—
Size and weight254.3 × 165.8 × 5.9 mm; 498 g (Wi-Fi) Samsung247.6 × 178.5 × 6.1 mm; 461 g Apple
ColoursBeige, Graphite Samsung—
Chip—Apple M1: 8-core CPU (4 performance + 4 efficiency), 8-core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine; 8 GB RAM

The same chip was used in 2020–2021 Macs; the tablet runs iPadOS and cannot install macOS apps. The media engine accelerates H.264 and HEVC decode/encode in hardware.

Apple
Storage—64 GB or 256 GB

There is no 128 GB option and no memory card slot.

Apple
Rear camera and video—12 MP Wide, ƒ/1.8, autofocus with Focus Pixels; 4K video at 24/25/30/60 fps, 1080p slo-mo at 120/240 fps

There is no flash; Smart HDR 3 and extended dynamic range video up to 30 fps are supported.

Apple
Front camera—12 MP Ultra Wide, 122° field of view, ƒ/2.4; Centre Stage

Centre Stage automatically pans and zooms the frame as people move during video calls.

Apple
USB-C and external display—USB-C: charging, DisplayPort, USB 3.1 Gen 2 (up to 10 Gb/s); one external display up to 6K at 60 Hz

Thunderbolt is not supported; transfers from external drives and card readers are limited to 10 Gb/s.

Apple
Accessories—Apple Pencil (2nd generation) and Apple Pencil (USB-C); Smart Connector (Magic Keyboard, Smart Keyboard Folio)

The 2nd-generation Pencil attaches magnetically to the side edge and charges there.

Apple
Authentication—Touch ID in the top button

There is no Face ID.

Apple
Wireless—Wi‑Fi 6 (802.11ax), simultaneous dual band, HT80 with MIMO; Bluetooth 5.0 Apple
Sensors—Touch ID, three-axis gyro, accelerometer, barometer, ambient light sensor Apple