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InnoReviews

Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra vs iPad Air 13-inch (M3)

WINNER
Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra

Samsung

Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra

$1,200

64.9Inno Score
VS
iPad Air 13-inch (M3)
57.1Inno Score
63.7Performance73.5
62.6Display35.4
69.7Battery44.8
49.5Portability61
75.2Features74.4
8 spec wins — Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra5 spec wins — iPad Air 13-inch (M3)

InnoReviews verdict

Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra wins this tablet face-off, 64.9 to 57.1, pulling ahead mainly in display (+27) and battery (+25). iPad Air 13-inch (M3) still makes sense if its price or standout specs fit your needs better.

Which would you pick?

Key differences

Reasons to pick the Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra

  • Stronger display score: 63 vs 35
  • Stronger battery score: 70 vs 45
  • 125% higher charging: 45 W vs 20 W
  • 100% higher Refresh rate: 120 Hz vs 60 Hz
  • 55% higher Peak brightness: 930 nits vs 600 nits

Reasons to pick the iPad Air 13-inch (M3)

  • Stronger performance score: 74 vs 64
  • Stronger portability score: 61 vs 50
  • 113% higher Geekbench 6 (multi): 11,600 vs 5,450
  • 53% higher Geekbench 6 (single): 3,050 vs 2,000
  • 27% higher AnTuTu 10: 1,950,000 vs 1,540,000
  • Lower launch price: $799 vs $1,200

Display

Display comparison: Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra versus iPad Air 13-inch (M3)
SpecGalaxy Tab S9 UltraiPad Air 13-inch (M3)
Screen size14.6 ″+13%12.9 ″
Panel typeDynamic AMOLED 2XLiquid Retina IPS LCD
Resolution2960x18482732x2048
Pixel density239 ppi264 ppi+10%
Refresh rate120 Hz+100%60 Hz
Peak brightness930 nits+55%600 nits

Performance

Performance comparison: Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra versus iPad Air 13-inch (M3)
SpecGalaxy Tab S9 UltraiPad Air 13-inch (M3)
ChipsetQualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for GalaxyApple M3
AnTuTu 101,540,000Top 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%
RAM12 GB+50%8 GB
Storage options256GB / 512GB / 1TB + microSD128GB / 256GB / 512GB / 1TB

Battery

Battery comparison: Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra versus iPad Air 13-inch (M3)
SpecGalaxy Tab S9 UltraiPad Air 13-inch (M3)
Capacity11,200 mAh+15%9,705 mAh
Charging45 W+125%20 W
Endurance—10 h

Design

Design comparison: Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra versus iPad Air 13-inch (M3)
SpecGalaxy Tab S9 UltraiPad Air 13-inch (M3)
Weight732 g616 g+16%
Thickness5.5 mm+10%6.1 mm
MaterialArmor AluminumAluminum

Camera

Camera comparison: Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra versus iPad Air 13-inch (M3)
SpecGalaxy Tab S9 UltraiPad Air 13-inch (M3)
Rear camera13 MP+8%12 MP
Front camera12 MP12 MP

Connectivity

Connectivity comparison: Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra versus iPad Air 13-inch (M3)
SpecGalaxy Tab S9 UltraiPad Air 13-inch (M3)
Wi-FiWi-Fi 6EWi-Fi 6E
Bluetooth5.35.3
Cellular5G optional5G optional
USBUSB-C 3.2 Gen 1USB-C (10Gbps)

Features

Features comparison: Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra versus iPad Air 13-inch (M3)
SpecGalaxy Tab S9 UltraiPad Air 13-inch (M3)
StylusS Pen (included)Apple Pencil Pro
Keyboard supportYesYes
SpeakersQuadStereo
Operating systemAndroid 13 (One UI 5.1.1)iPadOS 18

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