Comparison

Apple iPad Air (13-inch, M4, 2026) vs Samsung Galaxy Tab S9

TabletsAvailable

Apple iPad Air (13-inch, M4, 2026)

From $949

TabletsAvailable

Samsung Galaxy Tab S9

From $799

The short verdict

The Apple iPad Air (13-inch, M4, 2026) offers a larger 12.9-inch display and the powerful M4 chipset, while the Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 provides an 11-inch AMOLED screen with a 120Hz refresh rate, IP68 water resistance, and an included S Pen. The Apple iPad Air (13-inch, M4, 2026) is better suited for users who prioritize raw processing power and a expansive screen for productivity tasks, whereas those who prefer a more portable, water-resistant device with an included stylus and expandable storage should choose the Samsung Galaxy Tab S9. These choices are also influenced by budget, as the Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 maintains a lower starting price than any configuration of the Apple iPad Air (13-inch, M4, 2026).

AI summary, written from the specifications on this page.

Specifications

33 of 35 rows differ

Apple iPad Air (13-inch, M4, 2026)Samsung Galaxy Tab S9

Network

Technology: Wi-Fi only, or Wi-Fi + Cellular (GSM / HSPA / LTE / 5G, Apple C1X modem); Wi-Fi only, or Wi-Fi + 5G (region dependent)

Body

Build: Glass front, aluminium back; Armour aluminium frame, Gorilla Glass Victus
SIM: eSIM only (cellular models); Nano-SIM + eSIM (5G model only)
Dimensions: 280.6 x 214.9 x 6.1 mm (11.04 x 8.46 x 0.24 in); 254.3 x 165.8 x 5.9 mm (10.01 x 6.53 x 0.23 in)
Weight: 616 g (21.73 oz) Wi-Fi; 617 g (21.77 oz) cellular; 498 g (17.57 oz), Wi-Fi model
Stylus: Apple Pencil Pro and Apple Pencil (USB-C) supported, with hover; S Pen included (magnetic)
Rating: Not listed; IP68 dust/water resistant

Display

Type: Liquid Retina IPS LCD, 60Hz, wide color (P3), True Tone, 600 nits, antireflective and oleophobic coating; Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 120Hz, HDR10+
Size: 12.9 inches; 11.0 inches (~87.4% screen-to-body)
Resolution: 2048 x 2732 pixels, ~4:3 ratio (~264 ppi density); 1600 x 2560 pixels, 16:10 ratio (WQXGA)

Platform

OS: iPadOS 26.3, upgradable to iPadOS 27; Android 13, upgradable to 15, One UI 7
Chipset: Apple M4; Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy
CPU: Octa-core (3 performance + 5 efficiency); Not listed
GPU: Apple GPU (9-core), 16-core Neural Engine, 120 GB/s memory bandwidth; Adreno 740

Memory

Card slot: No; Yes, microSDXC
Internal: 128GB / 256GB / 512GB / 1TB, 12GB RAM; 128GB / 256GB, 8GB / 12GB RAM (UFS 3.1)

Main Camera

Single: 12 MP, f/1.8, AF; 13 MP, f/2.0, AF
Features: Smart HDR; LED flash, HDR, panorama
Video: 4K@24/25/30/60fps, 1080p; 2160p (4K)@30fps, 1080p@30fps

Selfie camera

Single: 12 MP, f/2.0, landscape (Center Stage); 12 MP, f/2.4, ultrawide
Video: 1080p; 2160p (4K)@30fps, 1080p@30fps

Sound

Loudspeaker: Yes, stereo speakers (landscape); Yes, quad speakers, tuned by AKG, Dolby Atmos
3.5mm jack: No; No

Comms

WLAN: Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be), 2x2 MIMO (Apple N1); Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6e, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct
Bluetooth: 6, Thread; 5.3, A2DP, LE
Positioning: GPS (cellular models); GPS, GLONASS, BDS, GALILEO (5G model)
NFC: No; No
Radio: No; Not listed
USB: USB Type-C 3 (10 Gbps), DisplayPort (external display up to 6K@60Hz); USB Type-C 3.2, OTG

Features

Sensors: Touch ID (top button), accelerometer, gyro, barometer, ambient light sensor; Fingerprint (under display), accelerometer, gyro, compass
Extras: Magic Keyboard support; S Pen included, Samsung DeX

Battery

Type: Li-Po 36.59 Wh (non-removable), up to 10 h (Wi-Fi) / 9 h (cellular); Li-Po 8400 mAh (non-removable)
Charging: 20W wired (USB-C); 45W wired

Misc

Colors: Blue, Purple, Starlight, Space Gray; Graphite, Beige, Silver
Models: Not listed; SM-X710, SM-X716, SM-X716B

Compare something else

More comparisons with the Apple iPad Air (13-inch, M4, 2026)

vsSamsung Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra

vsGoogle Pixel Slate

vsSamsung Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra