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Tablet comparison

Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 5G vs Apple iPad Air 5

Compare screen, performance, battery and accessories.

Compared products
01Selected
Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 5G

Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 5G

  • 498 g.
  • About 120 Hz display refresh rate.
  • About 11 inch screen.
  • Qualcomm SM8550-AC Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 (4 nm) processor.
  • Storage: UFS.
KSh 87,000In Stock
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02
Apple iPad Air 5 (M1)

Apple iPad Air 5 (M1)

  • About 10.9 inch screen.
  • Apple M1 processor.
  • 8 GB RAM in this version.
  • 7,600 mAh battery capacity.
  • 28.6 Wh of stored energy.
KSh 82,000In Stock
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2 spaces available

Xiaomi Pad 8 ProKSh 87,000
Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 PlusKSh 100,000
Apple iPad Mini A17 ProKSh 87,000
Samsung Galaxy Tab S11
Alexa Tablet 12 Pro (2026)KSh 75,900
Xiaomi Pad 8KSh 60,000
Lenovo Idea Tab Plus 5GKSh 59,000
2 of 4 products

Our quick verdict

Choose the Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 5G if you want a bigger 8,400 mAh battery, an OLED display and Wi-Fi 6E. Choose the Apple iPad Air 5 if you want a lighter build (461 g), 4K recording at up to 60 fps and a lower price (KSh 5,000 less).

Display

Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 5G
About 11 inch screen
Apple iPad Air 5
About 10.9 inch screen

Performance

Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 5G
Qualcomm SM8550-AC Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 (4 nm) processor
Apple iPad Air 5
Apple M1 processor

Capacity

Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 5G
8,400 mAh battery capacity
Apple iPad Air 5
7,600 mAh battery capacity

Connections

Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 5G
Wi-Fi 6E support
Apple iPad Air 5
Wi-Fi 6 support

Memory

Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 5G
Up to 12 GB RAM
Apple iPad Air 5
8 GB RAM

Key differences

The main differences to help you choose.

Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 5G

  • Bigger battery: 8,400 mAh (vs 7,600 mAh).
  • OLED display (vs LCD).
  • Newer Wi-Fi 6E (vs Wi-Fi 6).
  • Newer Bluetooth 5.3 (vs 5.0).
  • 120 Hz display.

Apple iPad Air 5

  • Lighter: 461 g (vs 498 g).
  • Higher frame rates for 4K recording: up to 60 fps (vs 30 fps).
  • Lower price: KSh 82,000 (vs KSh 87,000).
  • Video output to a monitor over USB-C (DisplayPort).

What matters most to you?

Choose any priorities

How each product answers the questions buyers ask most. Tick a topic to add it, untick one to hide it.

6 priorities selected.
How each product answers the selected priorities
PrioritySamsung Galaxy Tab S9 5GApple iPad Air 5
Display11-inch OLED display, 120 Hz, 274 ppi10.9-inch LCD display, 264 ppi
PerformanceQualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processorApple M1 processor
MemoryUp to 12 GB RAM8 GB RAM
Battery life8,400 mAh battery7,600 mAh battery
Weight498 g461 g
SoftwareAndroid 13, 4 OS upgrades promisediPadOS 15.4

Detailed comparison

Explore the full specifications, section by section.

General

General specifications comparison
SpecificationSamsung Galaxy Tab S9 5GApple iPad Air 5 (M1)
BrandSamsungApple
ModelSamsung Galaxy Tab S9Apple iPad Air (2022)
Announced2023, July 262022, March 08
StatusAvailable. Released 2023, August 11Available. Released 2022, March 18
ModelsSM-X710, SM-X716BA2588, A2589, A2591, iPad13,16, iPad13,17
SAR EU0.66 W/kg (body)—
ConnectivityMobile network: GSM / HSPA / LTE / 5G; Wi-Fi: Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6e, tri-band, Wi-Fi Direct; Bluetooth: 5.3, A2DP, LE; USB: USB Type-C 3.2, magnetic connectorMobile network: GSM / HSPA / LTE / 5G (cellular version only; Wi-Fi version has no cellular connectivity); Wi-Fi: Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6, dual-band, hotspot; Bluetooth: 5.0, A2DP, EDR; USB: USB Type-C 3.1 Gen2, DisplayPort, magnetic connector
CamerasRear: 13 MP, f/2.0, 26mm (wide), 1/3.4", 1.0µm, AF; Front: 12 MP, f/2.4, 120˚ (ultrawide)Rear: 12 MP, f/1.8, (wide), 1/3.0", 1.22µm, dual pixel PDAF; Front: 12 MP, f/2.4, 122˚ (ultrawide)

Design

Design specifications comparison
SpecificationSamsung Galaxy Tab S9 5GApple iPad Air 5 (M1)
Dimensions254.3 x 165.8 x 5.9 mm (10.01 x 6.53 x 0.23 in)247.6 x 178.5 x 6.1 mm (9.75 x 7.03 x 0.24 in)
Weight498 g (1.10 lb)461 g (Wi-Fi) / 462 g (5G) (1.02 lb)
Build materialsGlass front, aluminum frame, aluminum backGlass front, aluminum back, aluminum frame
Additional body features—Stylus support

Display

Display specifications comparison
SpecificationSamsung Galaxy Tab S9 5GApple iPad Air 5 (M1)
Display11.0 inches, 350.9 cm2 (~83.2% screen-to-body ratio); Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 120Hz, HDR10+10.9 inches, 359.2 cm2 (~81.3% screen-to-body ratio); Liquid Retina IPS LCD, 500 nits (typ)
Screen resolution1600 x 2560 pixels, 16:10 ratio (~274 ppi density)1640 x 2360 pixels (~264 ppi density)
Display protectionCorning Gorilla GlassScratch-resistant glass, oleophobic coating
Display features120Hz, HDR10+500 nits (typ)

Performance

Performance specifications comparison
SpecificationSamsung Galaxy Tab S9 5GApple iPad Air 5 (M1)
ProcessorQualcomm SM8550-AC Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 (4 nm)Apple M1
CPUOcta-core (1x3.36 GHz Cortex-X3 & 2x2.8 GHz Cortex-A715 & 2x2.8 GHz Cortex-A710 & 3x2.0 GHz Cortex-A510)Octa-core, 4 cores at 3.2 GHz
GPUAdreno 740Apple GPU (8-core graphics)

Memory & Storage

Memory & Storage specifications comparison
SpecificationSamsung Galaxy Tab S9 5GApple iPad Air 5 (M1)
RAM8GB, 12GB8GB
Storage128GB, 256GB64GB, 256GB
Storage technologyUFS—
Expandable storagemicroSDXC (dedicated slot)No
Internal128GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 12GB RAM64GB, 256GB 8GB RAM

Cameras

Cameras specifications comparison
SpecificationSamsung Galaxy Tab S9 5GApple iPad Air 5 (M1)
Rear camera13 MP, f/2.0, 26mm (wide), 1/3.4", 1.0µm, AF12 MP, f/1.8, (wide), 1/3.0", 1.22µm, dual pixel PDAF
Front camera12 MP, f/2.4, 120˚ (ultrawide)12 MP, f/2.4, 122˚ (ultrawide)
Rear camera featuresLED flash, HDR, panoramaHDR
Rear camera video4K@30fps, 1080p@30fps4K@24/25/30/60fps, 1080p@25/30/60/120/240fps; gyro-EIS
Front camera featuresHDRHDR
Front camera video4K@30fps, 1080p@30fps1080p@30/60fps

Battery & Charging

Battery & Charging specifications comparison
SpecificationSamsung Galaxy Tab S9 5GApple iPad Air 5 (M1)
BatteryLi-Po 8400 mAhLi-Ion 7600 mAh (28.6 Wh)
Charging45W wired—

Software

Software specifications comparison
SpecificationSamsung Galaxy Tab S9 5GApple iPad Air 5 (M1)
Operating systemAndroid 13, up to 4 major OS updates, One UI 6iPadOS 15.4, upgradable to iPadOS 27

Network

Network specifications comparison
SpecificationSamsung Galaxy Tab S9 5GApple iPad Air 5 (M1)
NetworkGSM / HSPA / LTE / 5GGSM / HSPA / LTE / 5G (cellular version only; Wi-Fi version has no cellular connectivity)
SIMNano-SIM + eSIM (cellular model only)Nano-SIM + eSIM (cellular version only)
2G bandsGSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 (cellular version only)
3G bandsHSDPA 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100 (cellular version only)
4G bands1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 17, 20, 25, 26, 28, 32, 38, 40, 41, 661, 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 (cellular version only)
5G bands1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 20, 28, 38, 40, 41, 66, 77, 78 SA/NSA/Sub61, 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 (cellular version only)
SpeedHSPA, LTE, 5G - cellular model onlyHSPA, LTE, 5G (cellular version only)
Additional network details—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 (cellular version only)

Connectivity

Connectivity specifications comparison
SpecificationSamsung Galaxy Tab S9 5GApple iPad Air 5 (M1)
NFCNoNo
Bluetooth5.3, A2DP, LE5.0, A2DP, EDR
Wi-FiWi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6e, tri-band, Wi-Fi DirectWi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6, dual-band, hotspot
PositioningGPS, GALILEO, GLONASS, BDS, QZSSGPS, GLONASS (5G model only)
RadioNoNo
USBUSB Type-C 3.2, magnetic connectorUSB Type-C 3.1 Gen2, DisplayPort, magnetic connector

Durability

Durability specifications comparison
SpecificationSamsung Galaxy Tab S9 5GApple iPad Air 5 (M1)
Water resistanceIP68 dust tight and water resistant (immersible up to 1.5m for 30 min)—

Features

Features specifications comparison
SpecificationSamsung Galaxy Tab S9 5GApple iPad Air 5 (M1)
SensorsFingerprint (under display, optical), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compassFingerprint (top-mounted), accelerometer, gyro, compass, barometer
ColorsBeige, GraphiteSpace Gray, Starlight, Pink, Purple, Blue
Additional featuresWireless Samsung DeX (desktop experience support)—
Stylus support2.8ms latency (Bluetooth integration, accelerometer, gyro)—

Audio

Audio specifications comparison
SpecificationSamsung Galaxy Tab S9 5GApple iPad Air 5 (M1)
LoudspeakersYes, with stereo speakers (4 speakers)Yes, with stereo speakers
3.5 mm headphone jackNoNo

Similarities

  • Both support 5G networks.
  • Both charge over USB-C.
  • Both have stereo speakers.
  • Both support eSIM.
  • Both offer up to 256 GB of storage.
  • Both have similar screen sizes (11 and 10.9 inches).

In summary

Choose Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 for Android, a larger battery and an OLED screen; Apple iPad Air 5 combines iPadOS and a lighter build at a lower price.

Back to compared products ↑

In-stock alternatives

Apple iPad Mini 7 2024For Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 5GApple iPad Mini 7 2024View product ↗Apple iPad Mini A17 ProFor Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 5GApple iPad Mini A17 ProView product ↗

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