Apple iPad Air 13-inch (M3) / Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 (11-inch, Wi-Fi)

Apple iPad Air 13-inch (M3): 13-inch Wi-Fi or Wi-Fi + Cellular (A3267/A3269); 128 GB–1 TB; 8 GB RAM; Blue, Purple, Starlight, Space Grey

Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 (11-inch, Wi-Fi): Galaxy Tab S8 11-inch; Wi-Fi and 5G versions, 8/12 GB RAM + 128/256 GB storage (options vary by market). The Galaxy Tab S8+ (12.4-inch) and Tab S8 Ultra (14.6-inch) are separate models with different display types and batteries.

SpecificationApple iPad Air 13-inch (M3)Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 (11-inch, Wi-Fi)
Release year20252022
Display13-inch Liquid Retina, LED-backlit IPS; 2732 × 2048, 264 ppi; 600 nits

Fully laminated with an anti-reflective coating; P3 wide colour and True Tone. Apple does not list a refresh rate; there is no ProMotion and the screen is 60 Hz.

Apple		11-inch 2560 × 1600 (WQXGA), 276 ppi LTPS TFT; up to 120Hz

LTPS TFT is an LCD panel type; unlike the AMOLED displays on the Tab S8+ and Ultra it uses a backlight. The adaptive refresh rate drops when content is still and can be locked to 60 Hz in settings. Rounded corners and the camera hole make the visible area slightly smaller than 11 inches.

Samsung
ChipApple M3; 8-core CPU (4 performance, 4 efficiency), 9-core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine

The GPU supports hardware-accelerated ray tracing; the Media Engine handles ProRes and AV1 decoding in hardware.

Apple		—
Memory8 GB Apple—
Storage128 GB, 256 GB, 512 GB, 1 TB Apple—
Rear camera12 MP wide, ƒ/1.8; 4K 60 fps video Apple—
Front camera12 MP landscape Center Stage, ƒ/2.0

Because the camera sits on the long edge, your face stays centred in video calls with the tablet in landscape on a keyboard; Center Stage adjusts the framing to follow you.

Apple		—
AudioLandscape stereo speakers; dual microphones Apple—
AuthenticationTouch ID in the top button Apple—
Pencil and accessoriesApple Pencil Pro and Apple Pencil (USB-C), Pencil hover; Smart Connector

Pencil hover previews where a stroke will land before the pencil touches the screen.

Apple		—
USB-CCharging, DisplayPort, USB 3 (up to 10 Gb/s); one external display up to 6K at 60 Hz Apple—
WirelessWi-Fi 6E (2×2 MIMO), Bluetooth 5.3; 5G (sub-6 GHz) and eSIM only on the Cellular model Apple—
Battery36.59 Wh; up to 10 hours of web or video on Wi-Fi

Web browsing on mobile data is rated at up to 9 hours.

Apple		—
Size and weight280.6 × 214.9 × 6.1 mm; Wi-Fi 616 g, Cellular 617 g Apple165.3 × 253.8 × 6.3 mm; 503 g (Wi-Fi), 507 g (5G) Samsung
In the boxiPad Air, 1 m USB-C cable, 20 W USB-C adapter

The adapter is listed on the Australian spec page; it may not be included in some countries.

Apple		—
Processor—4 nm 64-bit octa-core processor

Samsung’s spec table does not name the chip; Tom’s Guide lists it as the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 in its test unit.

Samsung
Memory and storage—8/12 GB + 128/256 GB; microSD up to 1 TB

Memory and storage options vary by market, model and colour; the microSD card is sold separately.

Samsung
Battery and charging—8,000 mAh (typical); Super Fast Charging 2.0 (up to 45W)

Chargers are sold separately; the box includes the S Pen and a USB-C cable. 45W speed needs a compatible adapter.

Samsung
Operating system—Android 12.0 at launch Samsung
S Pen and accessories—S Pen (BLE, in box); compatible with Book Cover Keyboard and Keyboard Slim

The S Pen charges wirelessly when attached to the magnetic strip on the back. Keyboard covers attach to the contact pins on the edge and are sold separately.

Samsung
Cameras—Rear: 13MP AF + 6MP Ultra-Wide + Flash; front: 12MP (Ultra-Wide); 4K @ 30fps recording

The front camera sits on the long edge, suited to landscape video calls.

Samsung
Sound—Quad Stereo Speakers with Sound by AKG, Dolby Atmos; 3 microphones

There is no 3.5 mm headphone jack; wired headphones need USB-C or a USB-C to 3.5 mm adapter.

Samsung
Connectivity—Wi-Fi 6E (802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax), Wi-Fi Direct, Bluetooth 5.2; USB Type-C (USB 3.2); 5G/LTE on cellular model only

Wi-Fi 6E’s 6 GHz band needs a compatible router and depends on regional availability. Tom’s Guide confirms DisplayPort video output over USB-C.

Samsung
Security—Fingerprint with Side Key; Samsung Knox including Knox Vault Samsung
Colours—Graphite, Silver, Pink Gold

Colour availability varies by market and carrier.

Samsung