Galaxy Tab S9 vs iPad Air 11-inch (M4)
57.6Performance73.3
61.6Display32.9
46Battery35.6
81.4Portability84.6
75.2Features74.4
8 spec wins — Galaxy Tab S92 spec wins — iPad Air 11-inch (M4)
InnoReviews verdict
Galaxy Tab S9 wins this tablet face-off, 61.3 to 57, pulling ahead mainly in display (+29) and battery (+10). iPad Air 11-inch (M4) 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
- Stronger display score: 62 vs 33
- Stronger battery score: 46 vs 36
- 125% higher charging: 45 W vs 20 W
- 100% higher Refresh rate: 120 Hz vs 60 Hz
- 50% higher Peak brightness: 750 nits vs 500 nits
Reasons to pick the iPad Air 11-inch (M4)
- Stronger performance score: 73 vs 58
- Stronger portability score: 85 vs 81
- 50% higher RAM: 12 GB vs 8 GB
- Lower launch price: $599 vs $800
Display
| Spec | Galaxy Tab S9 | iPad Air 11-inch (M4) |
|---|---|---|
| Screen size | 11 ″+1% | 10.9 ″ |
| Panel type | Dynamic AMOLED 2X | Liquid Retina IPS LCD |
| Resolution | 2560x1600 | 2360x1640 |
| Pixel density | 274 ppi+4% | 264 ppi |
| Refresh rate | 120 Hz+100% | 60 Hz |
| Peak brightness | 750 nits+50% | 500 nits |
Performance
| Spec | Galaxy Tab S9 | iPad Air 11-inch (M4) |
|---|---|---|
| Chipset | Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy | Apple M4 |
| AnTuTu | 1,500,000 | — |
| Geekbench 6 (single) | 1,980Top 48% | — |
| Geekbench 6 (multi) | 5,300Top 46% | — |
| RAM | 8 GB | 12 GB+50% |
| Storage options | 128GB / 256GB + microSD | 128GB / 256GB / 512GB / 1TB |
Battery
| Spec | Galaxy Tab S9 | iPad Air 11-inch (M4) |
|---|---|---|
| Capacity | 8,400 mAh | — |
| Charging | 45 W+125% | 20 W |
| Endurance | 11 h+10% | 10 h |
Design
| Spec | Galaxy Tab S9 | iPad Air 11-inch (M4) |
|---|---|---|
| Weight | 498 g | 464 g+7% |
| Thickness | 5.9 mm+3% | 6.1 mm |
| Material | Armor Aluminum | Aluminum |
Camera
| Spec | Galaxy Tab S9 | iPad Air 11-inch (M4) |
|---|---|---|
| Rear camera | 13 MP+8% | 12 MP |
| Front camera | 12 MP | 12 MP |
Connectivity
| Spec | Galaxy Tab S9 | iPad Air 11-inch (M4) |
|---|---|---|
| Wi-Fi | Wi-Fi 6E | Wi-Fi 7 |
| Bluetooth | 5.3 | 6 |
| Cellular | 5G optional | 5G optional |
| USB | USB-C 3.2 Gen 1 | USB-C (10Gbps) |
Features
| Spec | Galaxy Tab S9 | iPad Air 11-inch (M4) |
|---|---|---|
| Stylus | S Pen (included) | Apple Pencil Pro |
| Keyboard support | Yes | Yes |
| Speakers | Quad | Stereo |
| Operating system | Android 13 (One UI 5.1.1) | iPadOS 26 |
Related comparisons
Galaxy Tab S9vs OnePlus PadVSGalaxy Tab S9vs Lenovo Tab ExtremeVSGalaxy Tab S9vs Motorola Moto Pad 70 ProVSGalaxy Tab S9vs OPPO Pad 5VSiPad Air 11-inch (M4)vs Xiaomi Pad MiniVSiPad Air 11-inch (M4)vs iPad Air 13-inch (M3)VSiPad Air 11-inch (M4)vs Blackview Zeno 6 ProVSiPad Air 11-inch (M4)vs iPad Air 11-inch (M3)VS