The Apple iPad Air 2 released in October and will be another big hit for the company. One of its main competitors comes from Samsung in the form of the Galaxy Tab S 10.5, which arrived in the summer. If you have yet to make up your mind between these two tablets then our iPad Air 2 vs. Samsung Galaxy Tab S 10.5 specs rundown could help you out.
The iPad Air 2 runs Apple’s iOS while the Galaxy Tab S 10.5 runs the Android operating system, so if you have a definite preference of either platform that’s already a big deciding factor. If not however, it’s worth breaking down the specs of each to see what they bring to the tablet and how they stand up against each other.
Processors
The iPad Air 2 has a 1.5GHz Apple A8X triple-core 64-bit processor and PowerVR GXA6850 graphics. The Galaxy Tab S 10.5 has an Exynos 5420 octa-core processor (4 cores at 1.9GHz and 4 at 1.3GHz) and Mali-T628 MP6 GPU.
Display
The Apple tablet has a 9.7-inch LED-backlit IPS LCD display with resolution of 2048 x 1536 and 264 ppi. The Samsung tablet has a 10.5-inch Super AMOLED display with 2560 x 1600 resolution resulting in 288 ppi.
RAM and Storage
The iPad Air 2 has 2GB of RAM and comes in 16, 64 or 128GB internal storage models (non-expandable). The Galaxy Tab S 10.5 has 3GB of RAM and 16 or 32GB storage models, expandable to 128GB via microSD.
Camera set-up
The iPad Air 2 has an 8-megapixel rear camera with autofocus and video capture of 1080p@30fps or 720p@120fps. As well as this it has a 1.2-megapixel front-facing camera. The Tab S 10.5 has an 8-megapixel rear camera with autofocus, LED flash and 1080p@30fps video capture, and also a 2.1-megapixel front-facing unit.
Battery
There’s a non-removable 7340 mAh battery for the iPad Air 2 and a non-removable 7900 mAh battery for the Galaxy Tab S 10.5.
Operating System
The iPad Air 2 has just been upgraded to iOS 8.1.1 while the Galaxy Tab S tablet runs Android 4.4.2 KitKat skinned with Samsung’s TouchWiz UI.
Dimensions and Weight
This iPad measures 240mm x 169.5mm x 6.1mm. The WiFi-only model weighs 437g while the 3G/LTE model weighs 444g. The Galaxy Tab S 10.5 measures 247.3mm x 177.3mm x 6.6mm. The WiFi model weighs 465g while the 3G/LTE model weighs 467g.
Price
The cheapest iPad Air is priced at $499 with prices rising according to storage option and WiFi or LTE models. The Galaxy Tab S 10.5 starting price is also $499, although you may be lucky enough to find some price deals available for the holiday season.
Both of these tablets also have a fingerprint sensor, and although this is a specs comparison both have a multitude of different features. You may like to check out an initial video comparison that we previously shared that shows the specs and feature of these two tablets.
It’s also worth noting that these operating platforms offer very different user experiences, and of course you may have a preference of design. However, by contrasting the above specs you can see which might suit you best depending on the aspects of a tablet that are most important to you.
It’s always good to hear from readers choosing a new device. Have you now decided whether to purchase the iPad Air 2 or the Samsung Galaxy S Tab 10.5?