For years now, Apple and Samsung have been battling it out in the tech world. There is much debate between who is better, Apple or Samsung? People are usually divided into two groups, one group loves Apple and the other group loves Samsung. In this buying guide, we’ll be reviewing the mid-range tablets; Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 and Apple iPad Air and we’ll discuss which is better. Here is our Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 vs Apple iPad Air comparison.
First off, let’s look at the specifications of both.
Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 & Apple iPad Air – Specifications
Samsung Galaxy Tab S7
Display: 11 inches (2560 x 1600), 120Hz
CPU: Qualcomm Snapdragon 865+
Storage: 128GB, 256GB
Rear camera: 13MP & 5MP
Front Camera: 8MP
Weight: 1.1 pounds
Battery life: 13:16
Size: 10 x 6.5 x 0.2 inches
Apple iPad Air
Display: 10.9 inches (2360 x 1640), 60Hz
CPU: A14 Bionic
Storage: 64GB, 256GB
Rear camera: 12MP
Front Camera: 7MP
Weight: 1 pound (Wi-Fi); 1.01 pounds (Cellular)
Battery life: 10:29
Size: 9.7 x 7 x 0.2 inches
Important note: The Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 comes with a stylus pen whereas the iPad Air stylus is sold separately. This will increase the cost of the iPad Air if you intend to do certain work on it
Samsung Galaxy Tab S7: Great for entertainment.
iPad Air: Great for both entertaining and working purposes.
Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 & Apple iPad Air Designs
Like previous models, both of these tablets have noticeably different designs. Both are very large in size with the Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 just edging it in width. The Apple Air has had a bit of a redesign on the front of it and removes the Touch ID power button from its previously larger bezels and places a smaller oblong button on the top edge. Both of these tablets have embedded sensors on the sides of them and these are used to log you into the devices. Like most iPads, the Apple iPad Air is a slightly smoother experience than the Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 when logging in. The whole point of Apple products is to be slick and fast and the iPad Air doesn’t disappoint.
Both of these tablets come in a variety of colors and they all look amazing and beautiful. The iPad Air comes in silver, space grey, rose gold, green, sky blue. You can buy the Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 in Mystic Black, Mystic Silver, and Mystic Bronze.
Both tablets have a single rear camera on the top side of the back, helping to give them a smart and tidy look. If you’re buying one of these tablets to listen to music, you might be disappointed to know that neither has a headphone jack and instead they try to encourage you to buy their respective wireless headphones instead. The good news is, both of these tablets charges by using USB-C so there’s no difference between them in that department.
In true modern tablet fashion, both weigh hardly anything thanks to their slim designs so you can easily carry both around with you and they won’t weigh down your bag. Both the Apple iPad Air and the Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 weigh around 1 pound each.
Design verdict:Â We think that like most Apple products, the Apple Air looks better than the Galaxy S7 however the Galaxy S7 is beautiful in its own right.
Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 & Apple iPad Air Display Screens
The major difference between their displays is their aspect ratios. Apple iPad goes with a 3:2 aspect ratio for a taller, more narrow canvas whereas the Galaxy Tab S7 has a wider 16:10 aspect ratio. This is mainly due to their design differences. The iPad Air is longer and taller and the Galaxy S7 is classically wider. Typically, people use iPad’s to work on whereas Galaxy tablets are used predominantly to view content so the Galaxy S7’s design makes sense.
As for display quality, the Galaxy Tab S7’s 11-inch, 2560 x 1600-pixel LTPS TFT display is better than Apple’s 2360 x 1640-pixel resolution. There’s not too much in the race but we think that the Samsung Galaxy’s display takes the lead.
Display verdict:Â The Samsung Galaxy Tab S7’s display wins due to its impressive brightness.
Performance
The A14 Bionic chip that the iPad Air runs on is the clear winner here and still holds the benchmark in performance. It continues to put all other tablets’ performance to shame and that includes the Samsung Galaxy Tab S7’s performance. Whilst the S7 is still fast, it can’t compete with the A14 chip.
Performance verdict: Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 can’t compare to the Apple iPad Air in terms of performance.
Battery Life
In terms of battery life, the Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 outperforms the Apple iPad Air. Both of these charge using a USB-C so there’s no difference here but you’ll get longer juice usage with the S7, even when watching hours of YouTube videos. The Galaxy Tab S7 will give you over 13 hours of battery life whilst the iPad Air will give you just over 10.
Battery life verdict:Â Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 steals it with almost 3 hours of battery life more than the Air.
Camera
Both tablets feature front and rear cameras but as usual, Samsung outperforms the Apple iPad Air with its 13MP camera compared to the iPad Air’s 12MP. There’s not much in it but we found it interesting that Samsung continues to outdo Apple with their cameras. Samsung’s front camera comes in at 8MP and the iPad Air’s front camera features a 7MP camera, both taking crisp images.
Camera Verdict:Â Samsung is out in front and only just wins the camera race.
Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 vs Apple iPad Air – Final Verdict
We think that you’ll love the Apple iPad Air if you have enjoyed previous iPads. It’s fast, reliable and you’ll be able to get plenty of work done on it. The stunning design is something that Apple continues to show off and the iPadOS 14 software will give you access to plenty of powerful apps.
If it’s entertainment you’re after, the flexibility of the Android 10 + DEX will allow you to explore all of the different options that Android users have come to love. The S7 is more expensive but with that, you’ll get a better camera and a better pixel resolution. The iPad Air is cheaper with an inferior camera but it makes up for that with its performance and running power.
