Value Comparison: Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 FE Vs. Apple’s iPad 10Gen - Who Wins the Middle Market?

Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 FE

$350 $450 Save $100
The Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 FE offers a stunning display, a powerful processor, a stylus, and optional 5G connectivity for a lower price than the standard Tab S9.
$350 at Amazon See at Samsung See at Best Buy

iPad 10th Generation

$321 $349 Save $28
The iPad 10th gen is a colorful and versatile tablet with a 10.9-inch Liquid Retina display, a powerful A14 Bionic chip, and a landscape 12MP Ultra Wide front camera. It supports Apple Pencil, Magic Keyboard Folio, and 5G connectivity.
Buy on Amazon See at Apple See at Best Buy

Quick Links

• Price & Availability
• Display
• Performance & Battery
• Software & Extras
• Which Is Right for You?

Key Takeaways

• The Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 FE and iPad 10th Generation offer similar features and price points, making them direct competitors in the tablet market.
• The Galaxy Tab S9 FE has a lower starting price than the iPad and offers double the storage capacity of the base model.
• The iPad has a smoother and more responsive display with a higher pixel density, while the Tab S9 FE has a slightly brighter screen. Both tablets have powerful processors, but the Tab S9 FE offers longer battery life and faster charging speed.

The world of tablets mimics smartphones in that there are really two main options: Apple or Android. For tablets, that can be even more specific: Apple or Samsung. Both companies offer a handful of tablets to choose from. We’ll be looking at the Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 FE and iPad 10th Generation.

Why these two tablets? Samsung and Apple hit the same price point on a few different tablets. You might think the Galaxy Tab S9 is the direct competitor to the iPad 10th Gen, but at $799, it’s nearly twice the price. So, we went with the “FE” model, which is a more budget-friendly version, but similar to the iPad 10th Gen.

Price & Availability

The Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 FE and the iPad 10th Generation both offer Wi-Fi only or Wi-Fi + Cellular (5G) connectivity options. The Galaxy Tab S9 FE has a lower price range than the iPad, starting from $419.99 for the Wi-Fi-only model and $549.99 for the Wi-Fi + Cellular model.

The iPad’s price range is higher than the Samsung tablet’s, starting from $449.99 for the Wi-Fi only model and $599 for the Wi-Fi + Cellular model. However, there’s a big caveat. The base iPad 10th Gen is only 64GB, while the base Tab S9 FE is 128 GB. That’s double the storage for a similar price.

Of course, both tablets are readily available for purchase from a variety of retailers. The iPad 10th Gen was released in October 2022, while the Tab S9 FE was released a year later, in October 2023.

• | | Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 FE | iPad 10th Generation | |
  | ————————– | ——————————– | ———————————————– |
  | Storage | 128GB, 256GB | 64GB, 256GB |
  | CPU | Samsung Exynos 1380 | Apple A14 Bionic |
  | Memory | 8GB | 4GB |
  | Operating System | Android 13 | iPadOS 17 |
  | Display type | IPS LCD,1440 x 2304, 10.9-inches | Liquid Retina IPS LCD, 1640 x 2360, 10.9 inches |
  | Connectivity | Wi-Fi, 5G, Bluetooth, GPS | Wi-Fi, 5G, Bluetooth, GPS |
  | Measurements | 10.01 x 6.53 x 0.26 inches | 9.79 x 7.07 x 0.28 inches |
  | Headphone jack | No | No |
  | Expandable Storage | microSD, up to 1TB | No |
  | IP rating | IP68 | N/A |
  | Weight | 1.15 lb | 1.05 lb |
  | Front Camera | 12 MP | 12 MP |
  | Rear Camera | 8 MP | 12 MP |
  | Charging speed | 45W wired | 20W wired |

Display

Hannah Stryker / How-To Geek

Both tablets have 10.9-inch screens with similar resolutions and aspect ratios. The Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 FE has a 1440 x 2304 IPS LCD display with a 90Hz refresh rate, while the iPad 10th Generation has a 1640 x 2360 Liquid Retina IPS LCD display with a 120Hz refresh rate. While the resolutions and display type are similar, the 120Hz refresh rate makes the iPad feel smoother and more responsive than the Tab S9 FE, which is stuck at 90Hz.

The iPad also has a higher pixel density of 264 PPI, compared to 249 PPI on the Tab S9 FE, which means it has sharper text and images. The iPad has an anti-reflective coating and 500 nits of brightness, which is narrowly beaten by the Tab S9 FE’s 600 nits. The iPad also supports HDR10 and Dolby Vision, which enhance the dynamic range and color accuracy of the display.

Performance & Battery

Justin Duino / How-To Geek

The Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 FE and the iPad 10th Generation are both powered by powerful processors, but they have different architectures. The Tab S9 FE has an octa-core Exynos 1380 chipset with 6 or 8GB of RAM and 128 or 256GB of storage, while the iPad has a hexa-core Apple A14 Bionic chipset with 4GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. The Tab S9 FE, however, has a microSD card slot for expanding the storage.

According to Samsung, the Tab S9 FE can provide up to 18 hours of battery life on a single charge, which is impressive for a tablet with a nearly 11-inch display and a powerful process. The Tab S9 FE also supports fast charging, allowing you to get a full charge in less than 90 minutes with the 45W wall charger.

The iPad 10th Gen, on the other hand, has a shorter battery life than the Tab S9 FE. Apple claims that the iPad 10th can last up to 10 hours and 57 minutes over Wi-Fi, which is still decent for a tablet of this size. However, the iPad 10th does not support fast charging, and it takes about 2 hours and 15 minutes to fully charge it with the included 20W USB-C power adapter.

Software & Extras

Justin Duino / How-To Geek

One UI 6 is Samsung’s custom interface that runs on Android 13. It offers a lot of customization options, such as changing the clock style, the home screen layout, and the widgets. It also has some features that are inspired by iOS, such as the ability to search from the home screen and use a stylus for drawing and writing. However, One UI for tablets is not as consistent or intuitive as iPadOS.

The iPad 10th Gen runs on iPadOS 17. It has a simple and elegant design that integrates well with other Apple devices and services. It also has some features that are unique to iOS, such as Face ID, Siri, and iMessage. However, iPadOS is more restrictive and less customizable than One UI, and it may not offer enough variety or flexibility if that’s your kind of thing.

The Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 FE comes with a stylus called the S Pen, which can be used for drawing, writing, and navigating the tablet. The S Pen has a pressure-sensitive tip, a button, and Bluetooth connectivity, which enables various functions and gestures. The Tab S9 FE also has a fingerprint scanner on the side, which can be used for unlocking the tablet and authenticating payments.

The iPad 10th Generation does not come with a stylus, but it supports the Apple Pencil, which can be purchased separately. The Apple Pencil has a similar functionality to the S Pen, but it also has a tilt sensor, which can detect the angle and orientation of the tip. The iPad also has a Face ID system, which uses a front-facing camera and an infrared sensor to scan your face and unlock the tablet.

Which Is Right for You?

The question of which tablet is the right one for you really comes down to which devices you already use. If you’re an Apple person, the iPad is the obvious choice. It will work with your other products, and you’ll be able to sync with services such as iMessage and FaceTime. There’s no reason to buy the Galaxy Tab S9 FE if you use an iPhone.

Now, if your phone of choice happens to run Android—even a Samsung Galaxy—the question is not as straightforward. An iPad can be a nice sidekick to an Android phone. You get the best of both ecosystems, though you lose out on some of the syncing functionality. Truthfully, iPadOS is a much better tablet-optimized OS than Android, despite Samsung’s best efforts with OneUI.

Overall Winner

iPad 10th Generation

$321 $349 Save $28

The iPad 10th gen is a colorful and versatile tablet with a 10.9-inch Liquid Retina display, a powerful A14 Bionic chip, and a landscape 12MP Ultra Wide front camera. It supports Apple Pencil, Magic Keyboard Folio, and 5G connectivity.

Buy on Amazon See at Apple See at Best Buy

That’s not to say the Galaxy Tab S9 FE is a bad tablet. It’s a perfectly capable Android tablet, and the fact that it comes with the S Pen is a nice bonus. Android fans who don’t care for Apple products will be happy with the Tab S9 FE.

Runner Up

Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 FE

$350 $450 Save $100

The Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 FE offers a stunning display, a powerful processor, a stylus, and optional 5G connectivity for a lower price than the standard Tab S9.

$350 at Amazon See at Samsung See at Best Buy

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