Both Apple and Samsung have a great upper-midrange tablet released in 2021 for those who need a complete and advanced device but do not want to spend too much money. We are talking about the new Apple iPad 10.2 9th gen and the Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 FE: two models with amazing specifications offered at non-excessive prices. Apple currently leads the tablet market, but this does not mean all of its devices are better than others for every kind of user. That is why we decided to publish a specs comparison between Apple iPad 10.2 9th gen and Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 FE: we hope you will understand which one fits your needs after reading it. You can let us know if you agree with us by using the comment box.

Apple iPad 10.2 9th gen (2021) vs Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 FE

Apple iPad 10.2 9th gen 2021 Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 FE
DIMENSIONS AND WEIGHT 250.6 x 174.1 x 7.5 mm, 487 grams 284.8 x 185 x 6.3 mm, 608 g
DISPLAY  10.2 inches, 1620 x 2160p (Quad HD+), Retina IPS LCD 12.4 inches, 1600 x 2560p (Quad HD+), TFT LCD
PROCESSOR Apple A13 Bionic, octa-core 2.65 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 750G, octa-core 2.2 GHz or Qualcomm Snapdragon 778G, octa-core 2.4 GHz
MEMORY 3 GB RAM, 64 GB – 3 GB RAM, 256 GB 4 GB RAM, 64 GB – 6 GB RAM, 128 GB – 8 GB RAM, 256 GB – micro SD dedicated slot
SOFTWARE  iPadOS 15 Android 11, One UI
CONNECTIVITY Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 4.2, GPS  Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax, Bluetooth 5.2, GPS
CAMERA Single 8 MP f/2.4
12 MP f/2.4 front camera		 Single 8 MP
5 MP front camera
BATTERY 8557 mAh 10,090 mAh, fast charging 45W
ADDITIONAL FEATURES Optional LTE, stylus support, keyboard support Optional 5G, optional LTE, Pen support, keyboard support

Design

If you want a tablet providing the best looks, you should go for the Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 FE which offers a better design. The device comes with narrower bezels around the display and a higher screen to body ratio. It has bigger dimensions because it has a wider display, but it is thinner than the 9th gen Apple iPad. Both the tablets have magnetic pins you can use to connect an external keyboard and they even support a stylus: the Apple Pencil for the former and the S Pen for the latter. The tablets come with an aluminum unibody design including an aluminum back and an aluminum frame, as well as a scratch resistant front glass.

 

Display

The Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 FE has a wide display with a 12.4-inch diagonal, and this is very important for those who need to use the tablet for productivity. But if you are looking for a display that provides better image quality, then the Apple iPad 9th gen is a better option. While the Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 FE has a below-average TFT panel, the Apple iPad 9th gen has a better Retina IPS LCD display with superior color reproduction. The level of detail is not so different as both the tablets come with a 2K resolution, while the refresh rate is standard in both cases (60 Hz). Unfortunately, the Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 FE does not have a fingerprint reader, while the Apple iPad 9th gen has the Touch ID below the display which allows fingerprint unlocking. Both the tablets support a stylus for handwriting and drawing.

 

Specs & Software

The Apple iPad 9th gen is powered by the Apple A13 Bionic mobile platform: in case you do not know, it is the same chipset as the iPhone 11 series. The SoC is paired with 3 GB of RAM and 64 GB or 256 GB of internal storage depending on the chosen variant. The Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 FE comes in variants with two different chipsets: the 5G model has the Snapdragon 750G mobile platform, while the WiFi model has the Snapdragon 778G. No matter which chipset we are talking about: the Apple iPad 9th gen has better performance due to its strong SoC and the optimization of iPadOS. Further, iPadOS is a more advanced operating system than One UI when it comes to productivity and advanced usage scenarios.

 

Camera

The 8 MP rear camera found on the Apple iPad 9th gen is actually better than the 8 MP sensor of the Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 FE, no matter that the resolution is the same. The 12 MP front camera of the iPad 9th gen is even better and it is one of the best selfie cameras you can find on a tablet. The reason why the front camera is better than the rear camera is obvious: providing a higher quality during video calls, which is a very common activity among tablet users.

 

Battery

The battery capacities of the Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 FE and Apple iPad 9th gen are different, but there are no huge differences when it comes to battery life. The real difference is in the charging speeds: the Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 FE charges a lot faster thanks to 45W fast charging.

 

Price

Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 FE starts from €650/$755 in the global market, while Apple iPad 9th gen costs less than €400/$465. Due to the presence of iPadOS, the iPad 9th gen has a higher value for money and it wins this comparison, but it lacks 5G.

 

 

Apple iPad 10.2 9th gen (2021) vs Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 FE: PRO and CONS

Apple iPad 10.2 9th gen

PRO

  • iPadOS 15
  • Great cameras
  • Longer battery life
  • eSIM
  • Optional LTE

CONS

  • Bezels
  • No 5G

 

Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 FE

PRO

  • Faster charging
  • Narrower bezels
  • Optional 5G
  • Wider display

CONS

  • Midrange hardware
  • Inferior cameras

 

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