Among the latest release of many tablets by various manufacturers, the Samsung Galaxy Tab Pro 10.1 and the iPad Air are some of the successful launches by Samsung and Apple respectively.
As almost always the case is, with Apple’s products, the iPad Air is more expensive than Samsung’s tablets of the Pro series. However, not to be outdone, Samsung has incorporated some truly interesting features into its premium rated tablet, Samsung Galaxy Tab Pro 10.1. In fact with respect to some features, the Samsung Galaxy Tab Pro 10.1 ranks on par with the iPad Air, if not better. The iPad Air was launched in the market before the Samsung Galaxy Tab Pro 10.1, although there is only a gap of about a maximum of six months between the two launches.
Design, Dimensions and Weight
With respect to the design aspect, both tablets follow their predecessors very closely. The Samsung Galaxy Tab Pro 10.1 encompasses a faux-leather rear that renders a plastic feel. Like all other Apple products, the iPad Air comprises an aluminum rear, which makes it look quite elegant. As far as dimensions and weight are concerned, there is hardly any difference between the two tablets. While both tablets weigh exactly the same, there is just a marginal difference in the dimensions that is hardly noticeable.
Verdict: While the Samsung Galaxy Tab Pro 10.1 and iPad Air score equal points with regard to dimensions and weight, the iPad Air, without doubt, gains the upper hand when it comes to design.
Screen Display
The Samsung Galaxy Tab Pro 10.1 features a larger screen than that of the iPad Air, although the difference is actually less than an inch. The Super Clear LCD screen Galaxy tablet also has a better pixel resolution of 2560×1600, as against the 1536×2048 resolution of the IPS LCD screen of the iPad Air. Undoubtedly, the pixel density of 299 pixels per inch of Samsung Galaxy Tab Pro 10.1 is much more than the 264ppi of iPad Air. However, neither tablet actually compromises on producing rich colors, sharp images, good viewing angles and great contrast.
Verdict: Although both tablets win equally in terms of performance, the Samsung Galaxy Tab Pro 10.1 wins over the iPad Air, because its wider screen makes it a better choice for viewing media.
Colors
The Samsung Galaxy Tab Pro 10.1 is available in white color for interested buyers, while the iPad Air comes in three color variants of black, white and gray.
Verdict: With more color choices to decide on, the iPad Air, without doubt, takes the lead.
CPU Processor, Graphics Processor and RAM
The standard version of the Samsung Galaxy Tab Pro 10.1 tablet encompasses an Exynos 5 octa-core processor that has one set of four cores with a clocking frequency of 1.9GHz and another set of four cores with a clocking frequency of 1.3GHz. The 4G LTE version of the Galaxy tablet utilizes a Snapdragon 800 quad-core processor with a clocking frequency of 2.3GHz. Both versions comprise a built in 2GB RAM. The iPad Air features an Apple A7 dual-core processor, with a clocking frequency of 1GB RAM. The Samsung Galaxy Tab Pro 10.1 and the iPad Air use the Adreno 330 and the PowerVR G6430 graphics processor, respectively.
Verdict: Although the Samsung Galaxy Tab Pro 10.1 tablet appears to have a better CPU processor and RAM than the iPad Air, the tablets stand at equal level with respect to performance and ease of managing apps, media and games, as well as web browsing.
Camera
The Galaxy tablet comes equipped with an 8 megapixel rear facing camera with LED flash, while the iPad Air consists of a 5 megapixel camera with an aperture size of f/2.4. Both tablets also have front facing cameras, with the Samsung Galaxy Tab Pro 10.1 and the iPad Air featuring a 2 megapixel camera and a 1.2 megapixel camera respectively. They also feature a camcorder, with a 1920×1080 resolution, that can shoot 1080p videos. The cameras in both tablets comprise some common functionality, such as geo tagging, digital zoom, autofocus and high dynamic range mode, as well as some distinct attributes. Overall, the photography enhancement features are more in iPad Air than the Samsung Galaxy Tab Pro 10.1.
Verdict: The Samsung Galaxy Tab Pro 10.1 wins over the iPad Air, here, due to its LED flash availability that helps in taking good shots at night or in low light. But, if photography enhancement features are what you are looking for, then the iPad Air is definitely your best bet.
Software
Both the tablets run on the latest operating systems, with the Samsung Galaxy Tab Pro 10.1 operating on Android 4.4 or KitKat and the iPad Air operating on iOS 7.
Verdict: Regarding the above feature, there is no clear winner and it is a tie between the two tablets.
Internal Storage and Memory
Both the Samsung and Apple tablets come loaded with 16GB and 32GB internal memory options, respectively. The iPad Air comes in a third variant, with a higher storage option of 128GB. However, the Samsung Galaxy Tab Pro 10.1 consists of a memory card slot that can accommodate a memory card for expanding memory up to 64GB.
Verdict: The iPad Air emerges victorious with the ability to offer more storage space. This can be greatly beneficial if you plan to have a lot of media files loaded on your tablet.
Battery Life
The battery is not removable in either of the tablets. Although the iPad Air has a slightly more powerful battery of Li-Po 8820 mAh, as against the Li-Ion 8220 mAh battery of the Samsung Galaxy Tab Pro 10.1, the battery life is quite good in both tablets. Once fully charged, they support about 10 hours of multimedia playback and last a full day with normal use.
Verdict: With the best tablet batteries being used, the rating is uniform regarding this feature.
Connectivity
The iPad Air and the Samsung Galaxy Tab Pro 10.1 tablets have all the common connectivity features comprising 3G and 4G LTE, Bluetooth 4.0 and Wi-Fi. While both of them lack the NFC connectivity option, the Samsung Galaxy tablet includes an infrared port that encompasses an IR blaster.
Verdict: The Samsung Galaxy Tab Pro 10.1 takes the lead with its infrared port that can be used to control your television and cable or satellite box using the tablet.
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