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The Apple iPad Air is considered by many to be the best when it comes to tablets, but the refreshed Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 2014 Edition is a worthy contender as well. We’re not calling them giants only because of their size, but also because they happen to be some of the most popular on the current market. So let’s put the two devices head to head and see which one emerges victorious.
Apple iPad Air
This lightweight tablet features a slim and elegant design complete with an aluminum build. The iPad Air packs a 9.7-inch 2048×1536 resolution Retina display along with 264 pixel density, all at a traditional 4:3 aspect ratio. As you might have suspected the Air is more that just eye candy, it’s also very solid when it comes to performance. The tablet comes equipped with a dual-core A7 64-bit processor that runs @1.4 Ghz, 1 GB RAM, Li-Po 8,820 mAh battery and PowerVR G6430 GPU.
Connectivity-wise, you can use Apple’s lightning connector to adapt HDMI and microUSB, you also have Bluetooh 4.0 and Wi-Fi or 3G/4G depending on the what variant you choose. The iPad Air runs on the iOS 7 .1.1 and has access to the large number of tablet-optimized apps available in the App Store, other perks include ITunes, AirDrop and the Safari internet browser.
Dimensions: 240 x 169.5 x 7.5 mm (9.45 x 6.67 x 0.30 in)
Display: 2048 x 1536 pixels, 9.7 inches (~264 ppi pixel density)
Camera: 5 MP, 2592 x 1944 pixels, autofocus
Storage: 16/32/64/128 GB storage
Processor: Apple A7 with 64-bit architecture with 1.4 GHz dual-core
RAM: 1 GB RAM
Graphics: PowerVR G6430 GPU
OS: iOS 7, upgradable to iOS 7.1
Connectivity: Wi‑Fi (802.11a/b/g/n); dual channel (2.4GHz and 5GHz) and MIMO, Bluetooth 4.0. Optional GSM/EDGE,
Battery: Non-removable Li-Po 8820 mAh battery
Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 2014 Edition
The device comes with a solid, but all too familiar plastic and leather design reminiscent of the Galaxy Note 3. A 10.1-inch display that features an impressive 2560×1600 resolution with 299 pixel density and 16:9 aspect ratio is what we’re looking at here. The Galaxy Note 10.1 features a set of glorious specs that put older PC’s to shame. Snappdragon 800 quad-core @ 1.9 GHZ CPU, 3 GB RAM, Li-Po 8220 mAh battery and Adreno 330 GPU, pretty good right?
Needles to say, the Note also comes with the S Pen, a Samsung staple by now. 3G/4G connectivity option is also here, just like with the iPad Air, as well as Bluetooth 4.0, HDMI, and Wi-Fi 802.11a/b/g/n/ac. Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 2014 Edition runs on Android 4.3 JellyBean and has access to the Google Play Store apps. We recommend using Chrome over the default browser.
Dimensions: 243.1 x 171.4 x 7.9 mm (9.57 x 6.75 x 0.31 in)
Display: 2560 x 1600 pixels, 10.1 inches (~299 ppi pixel density)
Camera: 8 MP, 3264 x 2448 pixels, autofocus, LED flash
Storage: 16/32/64 GB storage
Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 Quad-core 1.9 GHz Cortex-A15
RAM: 3 GB RAM
Graphics: Adreno 330 GPU
OS: Android OS, v4.3 (Jelly Bean)
Connectivity:Wi-Fi 802.11a/b/g/n/ac (2.4,5 GHz),Bluetooth 4.0,HDMI
Battery: Non-removable Li-Po 8220 mAh battery
Final Thoughts
Both devices revolve around the $500 price mark. The iPad Air comes with a smaller screen and pixel count, however its Retina display makes up for it with more realistic and sharper colors. Performance-wise the Galaxy Note 10.1 looks to be the superior device although the 64-bit processor and longer battery life on the Air are something to consider. Unfortunately the lack of 10-inch apps makes the Note less useful at the moment, even if it does have the better specs. iPad Air wins this one, but it was a pretty close call.
