If you’re looking for a powerful mid-size tablet, there’s no question that the iPad Air 5 and the Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 are two excellent options. They were released within about a month of each other, they’re similarly priced. There are definitely some critical differences that you should know about before buying one.
iPad Air 5 vs Galaxy Tab S8: Specs
| iPad Air 2022 | Galaxy Tab S8 | |
| Display | 10.9-inch, LCD | 11-inch, 120Hz |
| RAM | 8GB | 8/12GB |
| Storage | 64/256GB | 128/256GB |
| Back Camera | 12MP | 13 + 6MP |
| Front Camera | 12MP | 12MP |
| Chipset | Apple M1 | Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 |
| Software | iPadOS 15 | Android 12 |
| Battery | 28.6Wh | 8,000mAh |
iPad Air 5 vs Galaxy Tab S8: Design
The iPad Air 5 and the Tab S8 appear to be very similar in terms of size and design, but there are some significant differences. Both are made entirely of machined aluminium in terms of overall construction. Both have small bezels, rounded corners, and squared off edges. I haven’t had any problems with the quality of the construction or with either of them bending.
Both tablets have fingerprint sensors integrated into the power buttons for biometric authentication in addition to volume controls. On the Tab S8, it’s located on the long edge and on the iPad Air 5, it’s on the short edge. The front-facing camera on the Tab S8 now has the option of using facial recognition. It is less secure than a fingerprint sensor, but it is more convenient, so you must decide whether it is appropriate for you.
Without a doubt, the Tab S8’s micro SD card slot, which allows you to expand the internal storage by up to 1 terabyte, is a significant advantage. That means you can add a lot of storage space for a low price, and you can use it for files and apps.
iPad Air 5 vs Galaxy Tab S8: Display
The Tab S8 has an 11-inch display, it offers 120 hertz adaptive refresh rate, has a resolution of 1600 x 2560 and a pixel density of 274 pixels per inch. The iPad Air 5 has a slightly smaller 10.9-inch, 60 hertz, P3 display with a resolution of 1640 x 2360 and 264 pixels per inch.
When you look at 11 inches versus 10.9 inches, we’re not talking about a major difference, but the Tab S8 does have an aspect ratio of 16:10 versus approximately 3:2 on the iPad Air 5. When you’re watching a video, you’ll notice a larger image on the Tab S8 with much smaller black bars at the top and the bottom. So if this is the primary use for this tablet, it’s definitely a bonus.
The iPad Air 5 has a smaller overall image and noticeably larger black bars, but it has a physically wider tablet in portrait mode, which is useful when using the Apple Pencil to draw or take notes.
The Tab S8 also has a 120 hertz adaptive display, which means it can adjust the refresh rate on the fly to provide a fluid or responsive user experience while also maximising battery life. This is an Apple feature known as Pro Motion, and it is only available on the two iPad Pro models. Because the iPad Air 5’s display runs at 60 hertz, the user interface’s various animations aren’t as smooth.
For everything I’ve done so far, I’m very pleased with the overall quality of the displays. Both displays are sharp, the colours are vibrant, and you’ll be pleased with what you see whether you’re playing games, watching movies, surfing the web, or editing photos and videos.
iPad Air 5 vs Galaxy Tab S8: Audio System
When it comes to the audio system, both tablets have four speaker grills, but the iPad Air 5 has only two, while the S8 has four. And, while the iPad Air 5’s speakers are adequate for a tablet at this price point, the Tab S8’s four AKG-tuned speakers outperform them in this case. If you’re deciding on a tablet based on audio quality, the Tab S8 sounds fuller, richer, and has a larger soundstage.
I now use headphones for the vast majority of my activities, including watching and editing video, streaming movies or music, and playing video games. We won’t be getting a 3.5 mm headphone jack in either case, so you’ll have to use Bluetooth headphones or an adapter.
iPad Air 5 vs Galaxy Tab S8: Camera
Let’s get to the camera systems, where the iPad Air 5 has a 12-megapixel ultra-wide front-facing camera versus a slightly higher resolution 13-megapixel 4K camera on the Tab S8.
Now, both tablets also have a feature where the front-facing camera can track and follow a subject as it moves around the frame. And then they can zoom in and out to keep it properly framed. Apple calls this feature Center Stage and Samsung calls it auto-framing. Apple’s implementation offers smoother dampening and tighter framing.
Now, moving on to the rear-facing cameras, the iPad Air 5 has a 12-megapixel wide camera and the Tab S8 has a dual camera system with a 13-megapixel wide camera and a 6-megapixel ultra-wide.
iPad Air 5 vs Galaxy Tab S8: Keyboard and Stylus
If you want to get more out of your tablet and use it as a laptop replacement, both of them come with smart connectors that let them communicate with dedicated keyboard cases.
Samsung offers two Tab S8 models, both of which cost between $150 and $200. The original Book Cover Keyboard features a trackpad, a slot on the back for storing the S Pen, and a back that separates from the keyboard for when you want to use your Tab S8 in tablet mode. When you’re using the Book Cover Keyboard Ultra, it’s a little more compact. It’s more durable, but it doesn’t include a trackpad and doesn’t protect the S Pen when it’s charging.
Apple’s smaller Magic Keyboard, which costs around $300, is compatible with the iPad Air 5. Logitech and ESR offer some third-party options as well. Personally, I prefer the Magic Keyboard’s overall build quality, sturdiness, and the feel of the keys and trackpad.
The S Pen comes standard with the Tab S8, whereas the second generation Apple Pencil must be purchased separately for around $130 with the iPad Air 5. If you plan on purchasing one of them, make sure to factor that into your cost comparison.
The S Pen can be stored on the Tab S8’s side or back, but it can only be charged on the back. On the side of the iPad Air 5, the second-generation Apple Pencil is stored and charged. Now, I’ll admit that I’m not an artist, so I used both of these for taking notes, signing documents, and sketching, and they both worked great for me.
iPad Air 5 vs Galaxy Tab S8: Performance
The Tab S8 comes with the new Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chip, and both the 128 and 256GB options come with 8GB of RAM. The iPad Air 5 comes with the extremely impressive M1 chip and both the 64GB and 256GB models come with 8GB of RAM.
So for single-core performance, we’re looking at 1702 on the iPad Air 5 versus 1043 on a Tab S8. And for multi-core performance, we’re looking at 7220 versus 3194. In both cases, a higher number is an indicator of better performance. So you can see that the M1 chip significantly outperforms the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chip at least for better benchmark tests.
But what about day-to-day use when you’re browsing the web, when you’re using various productivity apps, playing games or multitasking?
The Tab S8 ships with Android 12 and One UI 4.1, which I think does an excellent job of multitasking and improving the overall user experience.
With iPadOS 15, Apple added new multitasking capabilities, allowing the iPad Air 5 to run two apps simultaneously. Pop-up and slide-over windows are available, as well as a new multitasking menu for quickly viewing multiple windows within the same app.
When using these tablets with their respective tablet operating systems, the features are very similar, and I might give the iPadOS a slight edge because I find it more refined and easier to use. Both tablets, however, can be used as secondary displays with compatible desktops and laptops. Apple refers to this feature as Sidecar, while Samsung refers to it as Second Screen.
Because it has DeX, the Tab S8 has a significant advantage when you want more of a laptop or desktop-like experience. If you’re unfamiliar with Samsung Tablets, DeX essentially reboots the tablet with an OS that resembles that of a laptop.
iPad Air 5 vs Galaxy Tab S8: Operating System
There are some interesting differences between the apps, operating system support, and ecosystems. When it comes to apps, the Apple App Store, Google Play Store, and Galaxy Store all have a plethora of options for almost anything you might need. In general, I’m going to give the iPad Air 5 the edge because the apps appear to be better optimised overall.
A few creative apps, such as Affinity Photo and Procreate, are still only available for the iPad, but I’m excited to see that LumaFusion is coming to Android.
Samsung made some much-needed improvements to long-term operating system support, now promising four years of OS updates and five years of security updates. At the same time, Apple remains the industry leader, and I can still update my eight-year-old iPad Air 2 to the most recent iPadOS 15.
iPad Air 5 vs Galaxy Tab S8: Battery Life
Moving on to battery life, the iPad Air 5 gets about 10 hours of typical use versus 12 to 14 hours on the Tab S8. Keep in mind that everything boils down to what you’re doing. When you’re watching video over WiFi, you’ll use much less battery than when you’re playing games or rendering video.
The Tab S8 can also charge at a faster rate of 45 watts, compared to 30 watts on the iPad Air 5. Keep in mind that the iPad Air 5 comes with a 20-watt charger, whereas the Tab S8 doesn’t have one at all.
iPad Air 5 vs Galaxy Tab S8: Pricing and Final Words
The price of the Apple iPad Air 2022 is $599 for the 8GB RAM and 64GB storage configuration. While the price of the Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 is $700 for the 8GB RAM and 128GB storage configuration.
I wish Samsung had kept the 512GB option that was available on the Tab S7, but I suppose they realised that not many people were interested, especially since you can easily add internal storage with a micro SD card.
I don’t understand why Apple would release a device with 64GB of storage in 2022, especially since it has a very powerful chip and Apple has excellent long-term support. There’s no reason to believe that the iPad Air 5 won’t be a great device in six, seven, or even eight years. However, I’d be concerned about running out of space. Personally, I would have liked to see models with 128GB and 512GB of storage.
