Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra vs iPad Air 11-inch (M3)
63.7Performance73.5
62.6Display32.9
69.7Battery33.6
49.5Portability85.2
75.2Features74.4
8 spec wins — Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra5 spec wins — iPad Air 11-inch (M3)
InnoReviews verdict
Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra wins this tablet face-off, 64.9 to 56.7, pulling ahead mainly in battery (+36) and display (+30). iPad Air 11-inch (M3) still makes sense if its price or standout specs fit your needs better.
Editor's note
A size-class mismatch that readers keep opening anyway — and the answer is honest: they solve different problems. The Tab S9 Ultra is a 14.6-inch, 732-gram desk machine with an S Pen in the box and a 120Hz AMOLED; the Air is a 460-gram tablet you actually hold for an hour. The M3 is far faster per core, but Samsung's DeX multitasking is the better laptop-replacement story. Pick by size first, ecosystem second — performance is the least important difference here.
Which would you pick?
Key differences
Reasons to pick the Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra
- Stronger display score: 63 vs 33
- Stronger battery score: 70 vs 34
- 125% higher charging: 45 W vs 20 W
- 100% higher Refresh rate: 120 Hz vs 60 Hz
- 86% higher Peak brightness: 930 nits vs 500 nits
Reasons to pick the iPad Air 11-inch (M3)
- Stronger performance score: 74 vs 64
- Stronger portability score: 85 vs 50
- 113% higher Geekbench 6 (multi): 11,600 vs 5,450
- 53% higher Geekbench 6 (single): 3,050 vs 2,000
- 37% lower weight: 460 g vs 732 g
- Lower launch price: $599 vs $1,200
Display
| Spec | Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra | iPad Air 11-inch (M3) |
|---|---|---|
| Screen size | 14.6 ″+34% | 10.9 ″ |
| Panel type | Dynamic AMOLED 2X | Liquid Retina IPS LCD |
| Resolution | 2960x1848 | 2360x1640 |
| Pixel density | 239 ppi | 264 ppi+10% |
| Refresh rate | 120 Hz+100% | 60 Hz |
| Peak brightness | 930 nits+86% | 500 nits |
Performance
| Spec | Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra | iPad Air 11-inch (M3) |
|---|---|---|
| Chipset | Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy | Apple M3 |
| AnTuTu 10 | 1,540,000Top 38% | 1,950,000+27%Top 18% |
| Geekbench 6 (single) | 2,000Top 47% | 3,050+53%Top 10% |
| Geekbench 6 (multi) | 5,450Top 44% | 11,600+113%Top 14% |
| RAM | 12 GB+50% | 8 GB |
| Storage options | 256GB / 512GB / 1TB + microSD | 128GB / 256GB / 512GB / 1TB |
Battery
| Spec | Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra | iPad Air 11-inch (M3) |
|---|---|---|
| Capacity | 11,200 mAh+47% | 7,606 mAh |
| Charging | 45 W+125% | 20 W |
| Endurance | — | 10 h |
Design
| Spec | Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra | iPad Air 11-inch (M3) |
|---|---|---|
| Weight | 732 g | 460 g+37% |
| Thickness | 5.5 mm+10% | 6.1 mm |
| Material | Armor Aluminum | Aluminum |
Camera
| Spec | Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra | iPad Air 11-inch (M3) |
|---|---|---|
| Rear camera | 13 MP+8% | 12 MP |
| Front camera | 12 MP | 12 MP |
Connectivity
| Spec | Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra | iPad Air 11-inch (M3) |
|---|---|---|
| Wi-Fi | Wi-Fi 6E | Wi-Fi 6E |
| Bluetooth | 5.3 | 5.3 |
| Cellular | 5G optional | 5G optional |
| USB | USB-C 3.2 Gen 1 | USB-C (10Gbps) |
Features
| Spec | Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra | iPad Air 11-inch (M3) |
|---|---|---|
| Stylus | S Pen (included) | Apple Pencil Pro |
| Keyboard support | Yes | Yes |
| Speakers | Quad | Stereo |
| Operating system | Android 13 (One UI 5.1.1) | iPadOS 18 |
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