Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra / Apple iPad Air (4th generation) Wi-Fi

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.

Apple iPad Air (4th generation) Wi-Fi: iPad Air (4th generation, 2020), Wi-Fi model; 64 GB or 256 GB. The Wi-Fi + Cellular model (A2324) adds LTE, eSIM and GPS and is 2 g heavier. The iPad Air 5 (M1) and iPad Air 3 are separate models.

SpecificationSamsung Galaxy Tab S9 UltraApple iPad Air (4th generation) Wi-Fi
Release year20232020
Display14.6-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		10.9-inch Liquid Retina, LED-backlit IPS; 2360 × 1640 pixels, 264 ppi; wide colour (P3), True Tone; fully laminated, antireflective coating (1.8% reflectivity); 500 nits

Full lamination removes the gap between glass and panel, so the Apple Pencil tip looks closer to the line and reflections drop. True Tone adjusts white balance to ambient light. The refresh rate is 60 Hz; ProMotion is reserved for the iPad Pro.

Apple
ProcessorSnapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy Samsung—
Memory and storage12 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 cameras13 MP autofocus wide + 8 MP ultra-wide Samsung—
Front cameras12 MP wide + 12 MP ultra-wide Samsung—
Battery11,200 mAh (typical) Samsung—
CoolingVapor chamber Samsung—
AudioFour speakers tuned by AKG; Dolby Atmos SamsungStereo speakers (landscape), dual microphones Apple
S PenBluetooth Low Energy S Pen included in the box Samsung—
Dust and waterIP68 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		—
WirelessWi-Fi 6E; Bluetooth 5.3 SamsungWi-Fi 6 (802.11ax), simultaneous dual band 2.4/5 GHz, HT80 MIMO; Bluetooth 5.0

The Wi-Fi model has no built-in GPS; location comes from Wi-Fi networks.

Apple
SecurityIn-display fingerprint reader; Samsung Knox Samsung—
Size and weight208.6 × 326.4 × 5.5 mm; 732 g (Wi-Fi) Samsung247.6 × 178.5 × 6.1 mm; 458 g (Wi-Fi) Apple
Launch softwareAndroid 13

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

Samsung		—
ColoursBeige, Graphite Samsung—
Chip—A14 Bionic, 64-bit architecture, Neural Engine Apple
Storage—64 GB or 256 GB

Capacity is chosen at purchase; there is no memory card slot.

Apple
Rear camera and video—12 MP Wide, ƒ/1.8, five-element lens, autofocus with Focus Pixels, Smart HDR 3; 4K 24/30/60 fps, 1080p 120/240 fps slow motion Apple
Front camera—7 MP FaceTime HD, ƒ/2.2; 1080p 60 fps video; Retina Flash Apple
Authentication—Touch ID in the top button Apple
Pencil and keyboard—Apple Pencil (2nd generation) and Apple Pencil (USB-C) support; magnetic connector and Smart Connector

The Apple Pencil (2nd generation) pairs and charges when attached to the magnetic connector on the side. The Smart Connector links keyboards that need no separate charging or Bluetooth.

Apple
Port—USB-C

USB-C is used for charging, connecting to a computer and, with suitable accessories, for external displays or storage.

Apple
Battery and charging—28.6 Wh lithium-polymer; up to 10 hours of web or video on Wi-Fi; 20 W USB-C power adapter and 1 m USB-C cable in the box Apple
Sensors—Touch ID, three-axis gyro, accelerometer, barometer, ambient light sensor Apple