Apple iPad Air 2 vs Google Nexus 9 vs Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 (2014 edition): specs comparison clash
Apple's new iPad, the iPad Air 2, is here and it's destined to clash the surplus of high-end Android and Windows tablets that have been around for some time now. The first iPad defined the tablet category back in 2010 and its newest generation seems to be fiercer than ever. Sporting the 64-bit A8X SoC, the iPad Air 2 is an improved version of Apple's last year flagship tablet, which will appeal to those iFans that want to possess the latest and greatest piece of tech that comes straight out of Cupertino.
Although we can choose among many tablets, we decided to pit the new iPad Air against Google's newest, hot-off-the-oven Nexus 9 slate in a heated specs battle. We've also thrown in an S Pen-toting Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 (2014 Edition) for a good multitasking measure.
On paper, the differences will be drastic, as each and every tablet of this trio has its own strong points and reasons to be the top-ranking slate. Such comparisons, however, will have to wait a little, and now we are purely comparing the specs sheets of the devices. It won't be too far-fetched to say that the iPad Air 2, the Google Nexus 9, and the Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 (2014 edition) are among the best tablets at the moment. Yes, the Nexus 9 will be taking names in the hardware department, but let's not forget that it is not the sole defining point of a good tablet.
Which one of these reigns supreme over the rest? Let' check out the specs game of the tablets right below!
|
|
|
| Apple iPad Air 2 | Google Nexus 9 | Samsung GALAXY Note 10.1 (2014 Edition) |
Design
| Dimensions | ||
|---|---|---|
| 9.45 x 6.67 x 0.24 inches 240 x 169.5 x 6.1 mm |
8.99 x 6.05 x 0.31 inches 228.25 x 153.68 x 7.95 mm |
9.57 x 6.75 x 0.31 inches 243.1 x 171.4 x 7.9 mm |
| Weight | ||
| 15.41 oz (437.0 g) | 15.38 oz (436.0 g) | 19.29 oz (547.0 g) |
| Materials | ||
| Back: Aluminum | Back: Plastic | |
| Biometrics | ||
| Fingerprint (touch) | ||
| Features | ||
| Notification light | Stylus | |
| Keys | ||
| Right: Volume control | Right: Volume control, Lock/Unlock key | |
| Colors | ||
| Gold, Gray, Silver | Black, Brown, White | Black, White |
| Phone functionality | ||
| Yes | ||
Display
| Size | ||
|---|---|---|
| 9.7-inch | 8.9-inch | 10.1-inch |
| Resolution | ||
| 2048x1536px, 264 PPI | 2048x1536px, 288 PPI | 1600x2560px, 299 PPI |
| Technology | ||
| IPS LCD | IPS LCD | Super Clear LCD |
| Screen-to-body | ||
| 71.65 % | 69.90 % | 70.97 % |
| Colors | ||
| 16 777 216 | 16 777 216 | 16 777 216 |
| Features | ||
| Oleophobic coating, Ambient light sensor | Scratch-resistant glass (Corning Gorilla Glass 3), Ambient light sensor | Ambient light sensor |
Hardware
| System chip | ||
|---|---|---|
| Apple A8X | NVIDIA Tegra K1 (28 nm) | Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 MSM8974 |
| Processor | ||
| Triple-core 1500 MHz Cyclone |
Dual-core 2300 MHz Denve |
Quad-core 2300 MHz Krait 400 |
| GPU | ||
| PowerVR GXA6850 | Kepler | Adreno 330 |
| RAM | ||
| 2GB (LPDDR3) | 2GB (DDR3) | 3GB (LPDDR3) |
| Internal storage | ||
| 128GB | 32GB | 16GB |
| Storage expansion | ||
| microSDXC up to 64 GB | ||
| OS | ||
| iOS (13.x, 12.x, 11.x, 10.x, 9.x, 8.x) | Android (7.1 Nougat, 7.0 Nougat, 5.0 Lollipop) | Android (4.4.2, 4.3), Samsung TouchWiz UI |
Battery
| Capacity | ||
|---|---|---|
| 7340 mAh | 6700 mAh | 8220 mAh |
| Type | ||
| Li - Polymer | Li - Ion | |
Camera
| Rear | ||
|---|---|---|
| Single camera | Single camera | Single camera |
| Main camera | ||
| 8 MP (Autofocus, BSI sensor) Aperture size: F2.4 Focal length: 31 mm |
8 MP (Autofocus, BSI sensor) Aperture size: F2.4 Focal length: 29.2 mm Sensor size: 1/4" Pixel size: 1.12 μm |
8 MP (Autofocus, BSI sensor) |
| Flash | ||
| LED | LED | |
| Video recording | ||
| 1920x1080 (Full HD) (30 fps), 1280x720 (HD) (120 fps) Time-lapse video, EIS, Video calling |
1920x1080 (Full HD) (30 fps) | 1920x1080 (Full HD) |
| Front | ||
| 1.2 MP, Video capture: 1280x720 (HD) (30 fps) | 1.6 MP, Video capture: 1280x720 (HD) | 2 MP |
Connectivity & Features
| Bluetooth | ||
|---|---|---|
| 4.0 | 4.1 | 4.0 |
| WLAN | ||
| 802.11 a,b,g,n,ac,dual-band Multiple antennas, MIMO, Hotspot | 802.11 b,g,n,ac,dual-band MIMO, Wi-Fi Direct, Hotspot | 802.11 a,b,g,n,dual-band,ac Hotspot, Wi-Fi Direct |
| USB | ||
| Lightning | microUSB, USB 2.0 | microUSB, USB 2.0 |
| Location | ||
| GPS, A-GPS, Glonass, Cell ID, Wi-Fi positioning | GPS, A-GPS, Glonass, BeiDou | GPS, A-GPS, Glonass |
| Sensors | ||
| Accelerometer, Gyroscope, Compass | Accelerometer, Gyroscope, Compass | Accelerometer, Gyroscope, Compass |
| Other | ||
| Tethering, Computer sync, OTA sync, AirDrop | NFC, Tethering, Computer sync, OTA sync | Computer sync, OTA sync, ANT+, Infrared |
Multimedia
| Headphones | ||
|---|---|---|
| 3.5mm jack | 3.5mm jack | 3.5mm jack |
| Speakers | ||
| Multiple speakers | Multiple speakers | Multiple speakers |
| Features | ||
| Album art cover, Background playback | Album art cover, Background playback | Album art cover, Background playback |
| Screen mirroring | ||
| TV-out | DLNA | DLNA,MHL |
| Additional microphone(s) | ||
| Yes | Yes | |
Cellular
| 4G (FDD) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Bands 1(2100), 2(1900), 3(1800), 4(AWS-1), 5(850), 7(2600), 8(900), 13(700 c), 17(700 b), 18(800 Lower), 19(800 Upper), 20(800 DD), 25(1900+), 26(850+) | Bands 1(2100), 2(1900), 3(1800), 4(AWS-1), 5(850), 7(2600), 8(900), 20(800 DD) | Bands 18(800 Lower), 5(850), 8(900), 3(1800), 1(2100), 7(2600) |
| 3G | ||
| Bands 5(850), 8(900), 4(1700/2100), 2(1900), 1(2100) | Bands 5(850), 8(900), 4(1700/2100), 2(1900), 1(2100) | Bands 5(850), 8(900), 2(1900), 1(2100) |
| Data Speed | ||
| LTE, HSPA, UMTS | LTE Cat 3 (100/50 Mbit/s), HSDPA+ (4G) 42.2 Mbit/s, HSUPA 5.76 Mbit/s, UMTS | LTE Cat 4 (150/50 Mbit/s), HSDPA+ (4G) 42.2 Mbit/s, HSUPA 5.76 Mbit/s, UMTS |
| SIM type | ||
| Nano SIM | Nano SIM | Micro SIM |
Phone Features
| Notifications | ||
|---|---|---|
| Flight mode, Silent mode | Flight mode, Silent mode | Flight mode, Silent mode, Speakerphone |
| Other features | ||
| Voice commands, Voice recording | Voice commands, Voice recording | Voice commands, Voice recording |
Regulatory Approval
| FCC approval | ||
|---|---|---|
| Date approved: Oct 16, 2014 FCC ID value: BCGA1566 | ||
| Measured SAR | ||
| Simultaneous Transmission: 1.56 W/kg | ||
Buyers information
| MSRP | ||
|---|---|---|
| $ 829 | ||
| In The Box | ||
| Lightning to USB Cable, USB Power Adapter | ||
Availability
| Officially announced | ||
|---|---|---|
| Oct 16, 2014 | Oct 15, 2014 | Sep 04, 2013 |
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Apple iPad Air 2 vs Google Nexus 9 vs Samsung GALAXY Note 10.1 (2014 Edition) specs comparison
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