1. iPad Air 2
With iPad, we’ve always had a somewhat paradoxical goal: to create a device that’s
immensely powerful, yet so thin and light you almost forget it’s there. A device that helps you do
amazing things, without ever getting in your way. iPad Air 2 is all that. And then some.
Not just a thinner display. A beautiful display. To
create the astonishingly thin silhouette of iPad Air 2, we
started by redesigning the Retina display, fusing what had
been three layers into one. Not only did this make the
display thinner, it made it better, with more vivid colors and
greater contrast. Then we added an antireflective coating,
giving iPad Air 2 one of the least reflective displays of any
tablet in the world.
Not only is iPad Air 2 thinner, it’s also a lot
more powerful. We designed a chip, the A8X, that
delivers substantially better CPU and graphics
performance than its predecessor. In fact, with its
64-bit desktop-class architecture, iPad Air 2 is as
powerful as many personal computers. It’s power
efficient, too, with a 10-hour battery life that lets
you work, play, surf, and shop all day long.
iPad Air 2 comes with our breakthrough Touch ID technology. It gives you an
unprecedented level of security because it uses nature’s most perfect password: your fingerprint.
Two amazing cameras. Cleverly disguised as an iPad.
Wi-Fi on iPad Air 2 is fast — more than twice as fast as the previous generation — so
downloading movies and streaming videos take less time. And the Wi-Fi + Cellular model is
equipped with faster, more advanced LTE technology.2 With Apple SIM, you can choose a plan
quickly and easily in over 100 countries and territories right from your device. So you can make
fast connections, even when you’re on the go.
iPad Air 2 comes with powerful apps for the things you do every day, like surfing the web,
checking email, editing movies and photos, writing reports, and reading books. And there are
hundreds of thousands of apps on the App Store, designed specifically for the large Retina display
(instead of stretched-out phone apps). So whether it’s photography, gaming, traveling, or
managing your finances, you’ll find an app that will help you do it better.
2. Galaxy Tab S2 (9.7, LTE)
Enjoy greater flexibility than ever before with the Galaxy Tab S2. Remarkably slim and
ultra-lightweight, use this device to take your e-books, photos, videos and work-related files with
you wherever you need to go.
The Galaxy Tab S2’s 4 : 3 ratio display provides you
with an ideal environment for performing office tasks. Use
the Galaxy Tab S2’s Book Cover Keyboard, a desktop PC-
like experience boon when you need to work on a range of
documents.
The Galaxy Tab S2’s 8MP camera and f / 1.9-
apperture lens allow you to take brighter and crisper pictures
and videos than ever before, even in low-light conditions. View your photos and videos in superb
clarity on the device’s large Super AMOLED screen.
Multitask like a pro with the Galaxy Tab S2. Watch
HD movies while you are flicking through a digital
magazine or an e-book, or surfing the net. Run multiple
apps in split screen mode or in draggable pop-up
windows.
Get greater security with convenient and accurate
fingerprint functionality. Activate fingerprint lock by
pressing the home button. Use fingerprint verification to restrict / allow access to your web
browser, screen lock mode and your Samsung account.
3. The Comparisons
1. Specifically the Tab S2 is 9.3 x 6.7 x 0.22 inches while the Air 2 is 9.4 x 6.6 x 0.24, so
Apple’s offering is just slightly taller and wider and just a hair thinner, but these differences
aren’t really noticable in everyday use. What’s a bit more noticeable is that the Air 2 weighs
0.96 pounds but the Tab S2 is just 0.86 lbs.
2. Samsung included a microSD card reader in the Galaxy Tab S2 9.7, making it easy for
users to add storage for files of all types.
3. The Galaxy Tab S2 9.7 has 3GB of RAM, while its rival has 2GB. More RAM is generally
better, though it can be a bit of a power drain.
4. The iPad Air 2 comes out a bit ahead in performance, but the Galaxy Tab S2 9.7 leads in
RAM. There’s something of a tie in storage capacity.
5. The Air 2 is available in a range of storage capacities: 16GB, 64GB, and 128GB. There’s no
128GB version of the Tab S2, just 32GB and 64GB ones, but Samsung’s 32GB offering
costs the same as Apple’s 16GB one.
6. Samsung is generally good about releasing at least one OS upgrade for its popular models,
but has not yet committed to version 6.0 upgrade for the Tab S2.
7. Both the Air 2 and the Tab S2 support Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band, and the devices
can function as a hotspot. In addition, there are versions of both tablets with support for 4G
LTE available from all of the “Big Four” U.S. wireless carriers.
8. The Galaxy Tab S2 9.7 has an 8 megapixel rear camera and so does the iPad Air 2.
Neither has a flash. Both do a decent job of taking non-demanding pictures. The front
camera Apple used has just a 1.2 MP resolution, while Samsung went for 2.1MP. For the
most part this difference won’t matter as video software like Skype generally streams at a
lower resolution than either of these. This is another category where these devices tied.
9. The Tab S2 has Samsung’s fast charge capabilities so it can get back to 100% much
quicker than its rival, but the iPad still comes out ahead in this area.
10.The lowest priced LTE-enabled version of Apple’s offering is a bit cheaper, but again, it has
less storage capacity. Those who want an LTE tablet with more than 32GB of storage have
to turn to the iPad.