Key Difference – Galaxy Tab S2 vs iPad Air 2
Let us analyze the differences between Galaxy Tab S2 and iPad Air 2 to determine whether the new Galaxy Tab S2 (expected to be released in August) will be able to dethrone the reigning champion in the tablet market, iPad Air 2. There are two versions that are to be released with the Galaxy Tab S2 and we will be comparing the larger twin in this article. The key difference between these two tablets lies in the design; Galaxy Tab S2 is lighter and smaller than iPad Air 2
Galaxy Tab S2 (9.7 inches) Review – Features and Specifications
The Korean giant has its eyes firmly on the Apple’s tablet market. The Galaxy Tab S2 will come in two versions. One being the 9.7 inch size screen which is the same size of the iPad Air 2 and the other being an 8 inch Tab. With the features that are included in the Galaxy Tab S2, the price can be expected to be a bit high.
Design
Dimensions
The Galaxy S2 will come in two sizes. The larger of the two will have the dimension of 237.3 x 169 x 5.6 mm.
Weight
The weight of Galaxy Tab S2 Wi-Fi only model is 389 g whereas the Wi-Fi and LTE model has a weight of 392 g.
Screen
The Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 comes with the AMOLED display which is capable of producing vibrant, realistic and natural colors. The screen resolution stands at 2048 x 1536. The pixels density of the screen is at 264 ppi and is able to produce sharp imagery.
OS
The Galaxy S2 will come with the Android Lollipop 5.0 operating system. This can be later upgraded to the latest version of 5.1 at a later date. The interface will come with Touch Wiz, which was released with the Galaxy S6 which is streamlined and user-friendly.
Rivals
There are many rivals that will compete for market place with this tablet. The iPad Air 2, once released iPad Air 3, Nexus 9, and Sony Xperia Z4 tablet will be Galaxy S2 Tabs firm adversaries.
Camera
Many users do not use tablets as tools for photography and this is evident from 8 Megapixel rear camera and the 2.1 megapixel front facing cameras prove the same. Although the camera resolutions is on the high side, the lack of features will only provide satisfactory images.
Battery
The thin bodies of the tablets do not give the camera the option for great battery capacity. The Galaxy Tab S2 larger twin is capable of having a battery capacity of only 5870mAh.
Processor
The tablet is powered by the Exynos 64bit octa core processor where the cores support speeds of 1.9 GHz and 1.3 GHz.
RAM
The supportable RAM of the tablet is 3GB which is plenty of memory for multitasking
Storage
Storage is 32 GB and 64 GB. The storage can be further expanded by 128GB with the use of micro SD cards.
Connectivity
The Galaxy S2 Tab come in Wi-Fi and Wi-Fi plus LTE versions. The LTE version will cost more.
iPad Air 2 Review – Features and Specifications
iPad Air 2 is an improved version of the iPad Air, which was one of the best tablets in the market. The iPad Air’s design is thinner and lighter, but its battery is capable of lasting 10 hours. There are improvements made in the screen for better viewing. A key feature available with iPad Air 2 is the Touch ID, which lets the user unlock the device using their fingerprint. Touch ID can be used to make payments using Apple Pay as well.
Design
Dimensions
The iPad Air 2 with its aluminum design is comfortable to the hand and user-friendly. The outer cover is stiff and strong and the light grain engraved on it makes it easier to grip. The volume button sits on the right edge and the power button is right on top. The thickness of the device is only 6.1mm. The weight of the iPad is only 437g. The lightning charging port and data ports are at the bottom of the iPad. The colors available with the iPad Air 2 are space grey, silver, and champagne Gold.
Touch ID
The Touch ID is used to unlock a device using the home button with the user’s fingerprint. The fingerprint is stored on the device and the device can be unlocked by just touching the home button. Using biometrics is a more secure way to protect sensitive data. Due to its unique feature it is more secure than a password.
Display
Although it has always seemed that Apple has always lagged behind in technology in the display department, numbers do not always convey the truth, especially with Apple devices. The screen technology used, is the IPS LCD which supports great viewing angles. The display can be viewed at any angle without distortion of accuracy of the color or brightness. The resolution provided by the screen is 2048 x 1536. The iPad is accompanied by a Retina screen which has a pixel density of 264 ppi. Inside the screen, many improvements have been made which cannot be just assessed using numbers. The display produced by apple are brighter than most of its competitors.
The LCD, touch and glass panels have been fused together to make the screen thinner and avoid air gaps. An anti-reflective coating has been used to reduce the reflections up to 56%. This is very useful very bright environments where reflections are unavoidable. The responsiveness has also been increased in this tablet. The fused display brings the icons and images closer to the screen giving it more sharpness and clarity.
Performance, RAM
The iPad Air 2 is powered by a new A8X chip which has been specially designed for it. In comparison with the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 plus, the A8X processor comes with an extra processor, which adds up to three cores. The clocking speed of these processors is 1.4GHz to 1.5GHz. Backed up by a 2GB RAM and an optimized iOS 8 operating system, the iPad can be considered to be the fastest device made by Apple up-to-date. The graphics are powered by A8X quad core, which is said to have quad cores according to Apple. IPad Air 2 in combination with metal API is able to produce high quality graphics.
Battery
Due to the thickness reduction of the iPad Air 2, the capacity of the battery is reduced to 7340mAh from its predecessor’s 8820mAh. But Apple has made up for the reduction by developing a more efficient processor which makes the battery last for up to 10 hours. With the use of the lightning connector, the iPad can be quickly charged to capacity.
Camera
The iPad Air 2 has upgraded its camera to an 8 megapixels sensor resolution, which is the same resolution on the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 plus. The sensor size is smaller at 1.12 micron, which is susceptible to more noise as less light is captured by the sensor. The aperture is f/2.4 which does not let in much light either. In daylight conditions, the camera performs well with accurate colors and detail but in low light condition, the noise increases due to the lack of other features supported by the camera. The large screen acts as a great viewfinder. Panoramic shots are possible, and the larger screen makes it easy to rotate and to keep the image steady as well. Burst mode is able to support 10 frames per second. Videos are supported at 1080p. Impressive features like slow motion capture and time lapse videography have also made its way into the iPad Air 2.
The front facing camera comes with the new FaceTime HD camera which has a 1.2 resolution camera and an aperture of f/2.2 which is great for video chats.
iOS
The iOS 8.3 comes with continuity which lets you sync multiple Apple devices and use the feature interchangeably among them. You could get a call on the iPhone and answer it on the iPad. The Hands off feature lets you start a task on an apple device and finish it on another which is a cool addition. There is a variety of quality apps available with Apple which makes the user-experience great.
Connectivity
Wi-Fi has been upgraded to 802.11ac for faster browsing and downloads. 4G is an upgrade which can support speeds up to 150 Mbps. Built in features like GPS and compass are also useful. The Apple SIM lets the user select a network of their choice for short-term use according to their need. This will cut cost and will be very useful when roaming. Unfortunately, this is only supported in a few countries for now.
Storage
Built in storage is 16GB, 64GB and 128GB. There is no way to expand storage as microSD cards are not supported. So we will be stuck with the memory of what we buy.
What is the difference between Galaxy Tab S2 and iPad Air 2?
Differences in Specifications of Galaxy Tab S2 and iPad Air 2
Size
Galaxy Tab S2: The Galaxy tab S2 dimensions are 237.3 x 169 x 5.6 mm.
iPad Air 2: The iPad Air 2 dimensions are 240 x 169.5 x 6.1 mm.
Both the devices are able to support aspect ratio of 4:3 and almost equal in size. The Galaxy Tab S2 is thinner than the ultra-thin iPad Air 2.
Weight
Galaxy Tab S2: The Galaxy tab S2 weight 389 g (wifi), 392 g (LTE).
iPad Air 2: The iPad Air 2 weight 437 g (wifi), 444 g (LTE).
The Galaxy Tab S2 is lighter than the feather light iPad Air 2.
Build
Galaxy Tab S2: The Galaxy tab S2 comes in plastic and aluminum.
iPad Air 2: The iPad Air 2 comes is aluminum.
The Galaxy Tab S2 comes with plastic back supported by an aluminum frame whereas the iPad Air 2 is purely aluminum.
Colors
Galaxy Tab S2: The Galaxy tab S2 comes in standard black and white.
iPad Air 2: The iPad Air 2 comes in space grey, silver, and gold.
Display Type
Galaxy Tab S2: The Galaxy tab S2 uses Super AMOLED display technology.
iPad Air 2: The iPad Air 2 uses IPS panels.
The Galaxy Tab S2’s panel produces deep black better contrast and vibrant colors whereas the iPad Air display is great for angled view of the screen.
Battery
Galaxy Tab S2: The Galaxy tab S2 battery capacity is 5870mAh.
iPad Air 2: The iPad Air 2 battery capacity is 7340mAh.
The Galaxy Tab S2 has a smaller battery than the iPad Air 2. This could be a major strength on the part of the iPad Air 2 but it is too early to decide.
Front Camera
Galaxy Tab S2: The Galaxy Tab S2 front facing camera resolution is 2.1 MP.
iPad Air 2: The iPad Air 2 front facing camera resolution is 1.2 MP.
Micro SD
Galaxy Tab S2: The Galaxy Tab S2 is capable of supporting micro SD.
iPad Air 2: The iPad Air 2 does not support micro SD.
The memory of the Galaxy Tab S2 can be expanded using the micro SD slot. This feature is not present in the iPad Air 2.
Processor
Galaxy Tab S2: The Galaxy tab S2 is powered by a 64bit Exynos 5433 octa core processor.
iPad Air 2: The iPad Air 2 is powered by a 64bit A8X tri-core processor.
Although it would seem that Galaxy Tab S2 has the upper hand here, the optimization done on the Apple devices hardware and OS may outperform the Galaxy Tab S2.
RAM
Galaxy Tab S2: The Galaxy tab S2 has a memory of 3 GB.
iPad Air 2: The iPad Air 2 has a memory of 2 GB.
The memory is higher with the Galaxy Tab S2 but Apple devices are known to perform faster even though they have a lesser memory.
Software
Galaxy Tab S2: The Galaxy tab S2 has the Android 5.0 Lollipop OS with Touch Wiz on top.
iPad Air 2: The iPad Air 2 is has iOS 8.3.
Both OS perform very well on their relevant devices.
Multi-tasking
Galaxy Tab S2: The Galaxy tab S2 is available with selected apps.
iPad Air 2: The iPad Air 2 is available with iOS 9.
Both tablets are heavyweights which are about to fight for the crown. Both competitors are equally matched with each tablet having its own strengths and weaknesses as seen above. Let us wait and see which of them takes the upper hand.