This has been a booming year for tablets as we got to see plenty of them from several popular brands such as Apple and Samsung. Right after the release of Samsung’s Galaxy Tab S8, Apple wowed us by unveiling their latest iPad Air 5. With the looks of it, Air 5 is packing plenty of performance improvements from its predecessor, making it one of the most powerful Apple tablets currently out there. That being said, Tab S8 is also a worthy android alternative that outshines the competition in many aspects. In this article, we compare them head-on to figure out which of these tablets should be your next pick. So without further ado, let’s get started.
Processor
Performance-wise, both of these tablets pack a lot of punch. Galaxy Tab S8 is powered by Qualcomm’s high-end Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chip, which can also be seen on plenty of flagship Android smartphones. Together with the Android 12 operating system, you can expect a decent user experience for both entertainment and productivity. Ipad Air 5, on the other hand, is equipped with Apple’s M1 silicone that has already made its name for raw CPU and GPU performance. Needless to say, this capable chip can handle plenty of intensive tasks, including portable video editing and graphics-intensive 3D games. The iPadOS is also significantly more optimized and offers seamless connectivity with the rest of your Apple devices.
Display
However, Tab S8 has a bigger and more fluid screen compared to the iPad Air 5. With a native resolution of 1600 x 2560p, the 11-inch Tab S8 can hit up to 120Hz of refresh rate right out of the box. The result? On-screen contents appear more responsive, and the overall user experience feels smoother. You are stuck with 60Hz on the iPad Air 5 which has a display resolution of 2360 x 1640p. We also want to mention its wider DCI-P3 color coverage that will make the color appear vibrant. Both of them are rocking LCD panels, and having an OLED option would have been really nice.
Camera System
While you can care less about the camera aspect of a tablet, due to the ongoing demand for a work-from-home lifestyle and remote working, the camera certainly helps. We were expecting to see a similar camera setup to the iPad Pro M1 on the latest iPad Air 5. Instead, we have got a 7-megapixel front and 12-megapixel rear camera. Thankfully, the front sensor supports the Center Stage feature, which is really helpful during face timing and virtual meetings. Galaxy Tab S8 in this arena has really surprised us! On the rear, you get a dual-camera setup comprising a 13-megapixel main and a 6-megapixel ultrawide. The 12-megapixel sensor on the front supports both ultra-wide and Samsung’s “Auto-Framing” technology, which is more or less similar to that of Apple’s Center Stage.
Battery
Backup is also an important factor when it comes to these portable devices. So far, the internal battery of the iPad Air 5 is reported to be quite similar to the earliest version. So you can expect 20Watts of fast charging and 10 Hours of Backup as per Apple’s statement. The A15 Bionic chip will definitely help you save up some juice due to its enhanced optimization. In contrast, the Tab S8 has an 8000 milliampere battery onboard, supporting up to 45Watts fast-charging that will surely last for quite a while.
Price
Priced at around 599 dollars, the Air 5 might just be the most affordable way of getting your hands on an M1 device. At this range, you get 64GB of storage and 5 color options. Samsung’s Galaxy Tab S8 retails for about 699 dollars and comes with 128GB of internal storage.
Final Verdict
“So which should be your go-to tablet? We rather leave that to you. Go for the iPad Air 5 if you are in for that A15 bionic at a reasonable price. It will also make sense if you are deep into that Apple ecosystem. And if you want to spend a little extra, the Galaxy Tab S8 has plenty of goodies to offer.“
