iPad Air 2022 vs Galaxy Tab S8+: The Ultimate Tablet Showdown
| Phones Images | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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🏆 Quick Verdict
The iPad Air 2022 excels in raw performance thanks to the M1 chip and tight iOS integration. The Galaxy Tab S8+ shines with its larger, vibrant display, S Pen support, and more versatile Android experience. It's a close call, but the Tab S8+ offers more features for the price.
| PHONES | ||
|---|---|---|
| Phone Names | Apple iPad Air (2022) | Samsung Galaxy Tab S8+ |
| Network | ||
|---|---|---|
| 2G bands | GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 | GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 |
| 3G bands | HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100 | HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100 |
| 4G bands | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 11, 12, 13, 14, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 25, 26, 28, 29, 30, 32, 34, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 46, 48, 66, 71 - A2589 | LTE |
| 5G bands | 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 20, 25, 28, 29, 30, 38, 40, 41, 48, 66, 71, 77, 78, 79 SA/NSA/Sub6 - A2589, A2591 | SA/NSA |
| Speed | HSPA, LTE, 5G | HSPA, LTE, 5G - cellular model only |
| Technology | GSM / HSPA / LTE / 5G | GSM / HSPA / LTE / 5G |
| 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 14, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 29, 30, 32, 34, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 46, 48, 66, 71 - A2591 | - | |
| Launch | ||
|---|---|---|
| Announced | 2022, March 08 | 2022, February 09 |
| Status | Available. Released 2022, March 18 | Available. Released 2022, April 14 |
| Body | ||
|---|---|---|
| Build | Glass front, aluminum back, aluminum frame | - |
| Dimensions | 247.6 x 178.5 x 6.1 mm (9.75 x 7.03 x 0.24 in) | 285 x 185 x 5.7 mm (11.22 x 7.28 x 0.22 in) |
| SIM | Nano-SIM + eSIM | Nano-SIM (cellular model only) |
| Weight | 461 g (Wi-Fi) / 462 g (5G) (1.02 lb) | 567 g (Wi-Fi), 572 g (5G) (1.25 lb) |
| Stylus support (2nd gen) | Stylus, 6.2ms latency (Bluetooth integration, accelerometer, gyro) | |
| Display | ||
|---|---|---|
| Protection | Scratch-resistant glass, oleophobic coating | Corning Gorilla Glass 5 |
| Resolution | 1640 x 2360 pixels (~264 ppi density) | 1752 x 2800 pixels, 16:10 ratio (~266 ppi density) |
| Size | 10.9 inches, 359.2 cm2 (~81.3% screen-to-body ratio) | 12.4 inches, 446.1 cm2 (~84.6% screen-to-body ratio) |
| Type | Liquid Retina IPS LCD, 500 nits (typ) | Super AMOLED, 120Hz, HDR10+ |
| Platform | ||
|---|---|---|
| CPU | Octa-core (4x3.2 GHz & 4xX.X GHz) | Octa-core (1x3.00 GHz Cortex-X2 & 3x2.50 GHz Cortex-A710 & 4x1.80 GHz Cortex-A510) |
| Chipset | Apple M1 | Qualcomm SM8450 Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 (4 nm) |
| GPU | Apple GPU (8-core graphics) | Adreno 730 |
| OS | iPadOS 15.4, upgradable to iPadOS 26.1 | Android 12, up to 4 major Android upgrades, One UI 6.1.1 |
| Memory | ||
|---|---|---|
| Card slot | No | microSDXC (dedicated slot) |
| Internal | 64GB, 256GB 8GB RAM | 128GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 12GB RAM, 512GB 8GB RAM, 512GB 16GB RAM |
| - | UFS | |
| Main Camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Dual | - | 13 MP, f/2.0, 26mm (wide), 1/3.4", 1.0µm, AF 6 MP, f/2.2, (ultrawide) |
| Features | HDR | LED flash, HDR, panorama |
| Single | 12 MP, f/1.8, (wide), 1/3.0", 1.22µm, dual pixel PDAF | - |
| Video | 4K@24/25/30/60fps, 1080p@25/30/60/120/240fps; gyro-EIS | 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30fps |
| Selfie camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Dual | - | 12 MP, f/2.4, 120˚ (ultrawide) |
| Features | HDR | HDR |
| Single | 12 MP, f/2.4, 122˚ (ultrawide) | - |
| Video | 1080p@30/60fps | 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30fps |
| Sound | ||
|---|---|---|
| 3.5mm jack | No | No |
| 35mm jack | No | No |
| Loudspeaker | Yes, with stereo speakers | Yes, with stereo speakers (4 speakers) |
| - | Tuned by AKG | |
| Comms | ||
|---|---|---|
| Bluetooth | 5.0, A2DP, EDR | 5.2, A2DP, LE |
| NFC | No | No |
| Positioning | GPS, GLONASS (5G model only) | GPS, GLONASS, BDS, GALILEO - cellular model only |
| Radio | No | No |
| USB | USB Type-C 3.1 Gen2, DisplayPort, magnetic connector | USB Type-C 3.2, magnetic connector |
| WLAN | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6, dual-band, hotspot | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6e, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct |
| Features | ||
|---|---|---|
| Sensors | Fingerprint (top-mounted), accelerometer, gyro, compass, barometer | Fingerprint (under display, optical), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass |
| - | Wireless Samsung DeX | |
| Battery | ||
|---|---|---|
| Charging | - | 45W wired, 100% in 82 min |
| Type | Li-Ion 7600 mAh (28.6 Wh) | Li-Po 10090 mAh |
| Misc | ||
|---|---|---|
| Colors | Space Gray, Starlight, Pink, Purple, Blue | Graphite, Silver, Pink Gold |
| Models | A2588, A2589, A2591, iPad13,16, iPad13,17 | SM-X800, SM-X806, SM-X806B, SM-X806U, SM-X806N |
| Price | About 550 EUR | About 950 EUR |
| SAR EU | - | 0.68 W/kg (body) |
Apple iPad Air (2022)
- Blazing-fast M1 chip
- Excellent iOS integration
- Lightweight and portable
- Strong app ecosystem
- Limited multitasking compared to Android
- Slower charging
- No included stylus
Samsung Galaxy Tab S8+
- Large, vibrant AMOLED display
- Included S Pen stylus
- Versatile camera system
- Faster charging (45W)
- Expandable storage (via microSD)
- Android tablet app ecosystem not as robust as iOS
- Performance slightly behind the iPad Air
- Larger and heavier than the iPad Air
Display Comparison
The Galaxy Tab S8+ boasts a larger 12.4-inch Super AMOLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate, offering vibrant colors and smooth scrolling. The iPad Air 2022 has an 10.9-inch Liquid Retina display, which is excellent but lacks the AMOLED punch. Samsung wins here for sheer size and visual fidelity.
Camera Comparison
The iPad Air 2022 has a decent 12MP rear camera, suitable for casual photography. The Galaxy Tab S8+ features a more versatile triple-camera system (13MP wide, 6MP ultrawide, 5MP macro) offering better low-light performance and more creative options. Samsung takes the camera crown.
Performance
The iPad Air 2022’s M1 chip provides exceptional performance, easily handling demanding tasks like video editing and gaming. The Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 in the Tab S8+ is also powerful, but the M1 generally edges it out in benchmarks and real-world responsiveness. iOS optimization gives the iPad an advantage.
Battery Life
Both tablets offer all-day battery life. The Tab S8+ has a larger battery capacity (10,090 mAh) and supports faster 45W charging, while the iPad Air 2022 supports 20W charging. The Tab S8+ has a slight edge in charging speed.
Buying Guide
The Apple iPad Air (2022) is ideal for students, creative professionals who are already in the Apple ecosystem, and those prioritizing raw power and a streamlined user experience. The Samsung Galaxy Tab S8+ is perfect for users who want a large, immersive display for media consumption, note-taking with the S Pen, and the flexibility of Android.