Samsung has officially unveiled its latest slew of flagship tablets, led by the Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra followed by the Galaxy Tab S10 Plus.
If you’re wondering how the mid-range Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra compares to Apple’s iPad Air (2024), you’ve come to the right place. Stay on this page to learn how these two tablets compare when it comes to their screens, cameras, performance and battery life.
| Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 Plus | iPad Air (2024) | |
| Dimensions | 185.4 x 285.4 x 5.6mm | 178.5 x 247.6 x 6.1mm or 214.9 x 280.6 x 6.1mm |
| Weight | 571g (Wi-Fi) 576g (5G) | 426g (Wi-Fi) 462g (5G) or 617g (Wi-Fi) 618g (5G) |
| IP rating | IP68 | IP68 |
| Display | 12.4-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X (2800 x 1752) | 11-inch IPS LED Liquid Retina (2360 x 1640) or 13-inch IPS LED Liquid Retina (2732 x 2048) |
| Front camera | 12MP | 12MP |
| Rear camera | 13MP + 8MP | 12MP |
| Processor | MediaTek Dimensity 9300+ | Apple M2 |
| RAM/storage | Up to 12GB/512GB | Up to 8GB/1TB |
| Operating system | Android 14 | iPadOS 18 |
| Battery | 10,090 mAh | 28.93 Wh or 36.59 Wh |
| Fast charging | 45W | 30W |
| Colours | Moonstone Grey, Platinum Silver | Blue, Purple, Starlight, Space Grey |
| Stylus | S Pen (in box) | Apple Pencil (sold separately) |
Price
The Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 Plus is available in Wi-Fi and 5G configurations, starting at £999 (Wi-Fi) or £1149 (5G) with 256GB of storage. Samsung also sells a 512GB model which is available for £1099 (Wi-Fi) or £1349 (5G).
The iPad Air (2024) is actually the cheaper of the two tablets, starting at £599 for the 11-inch model with 128GB of storage and Wi-Fi and going up to £1249 for the top-tier 1TB model with Wi-Fi and cellular data. There are also loads of configurations in between.
The same goes for the 13-inch model, which starts at £799 for 128GB of storage and Wi-Fi and goes up to £1449 with 1TB of storage and Wi-Fi and cellular data.
The Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 Plus has a faster refresh rate
The iPad Air (2024) and the Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 Plus have similar-sized screens, with the iPad Air available in 11-inch and 13-inch models and the Galaxy Tab S10 Plus in one 12.4-inch size.
The Tab S10 Plus features a Dynamic AMOLED 2X display with a 2800 x 1752 resolution, a 120Hz refresh rate and an anti-reflection coating. The iPad Air, meanwhile, includes an IPS LED Liquid Retina display with a 2732 x 2048 / 2732 x 2048 resolution and an anti-reflection coating. However, the refresh is limited to a more standard 60Hz as Apple reserves its smoother ‘ProMotion’ refresh rates for the iPad Pro line.
While both tablets support their brands’ respective styluses, only the Galaxy Tab S10 Plus comes with the Samsung S Pen in the box. If you want to use the Apple Pencil (USB-C) or Apple Pencil Pro with your new iPad, you’ll need to pick it up separately for £79-129.
The iPad Air (2024) features Centre Stage in video calls
Rear cameras aren’t typically the focus when picking up a tablet. After all, you’re more likely to use the front camera to join calls and reach for your smartphone when snapping photos of the world around you. However, that doesn’t mean you should settle for less.
The Galaxy Tab S10 Plus features a dual rear camera array, including a 13-megapixel main shooter and an 8-megapixel ultra-wide camera. Flip the tablet over and you’ll find a 12-megapixel ultra-wide camera on the front for snapping selfies and hopping on calls.
The iPad Air (2024), meanwhile, provides a single 12-megapixel camera on the rear of the tablet and a second 12-megapixel ultra-wide camera on the front of the tablet.
One useful camera feature on the iPad is Apple’s Centre Stage software. This feature works in FaceTime, following the user around and ensuring they remain in frame throughout video calls.
The iPad Air (2024) is powered by the Apple M2 chip
Apple Silicon chipsets have earned a reputation for outstanding performance and the M2 is no exception.
The M2 in the iPad Air (2024) knocked it out of the park in our benchmarking tests, outperforming last year’s top-of-the-line Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra in single and multi-core tests.
We won’t be able to say how the M2 stacks up to the MediaTek Dimensity 9300+ in the Galaxy Tab S10 Plus until we get our hands on the tablet, so definitely keep an eye on Trusted Reviews for our full review.
The Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 Plus supports 45W charging
Battery life is another area that’s tough to judge until we get our hands on the Galaxy Tab S10 Plus.
Apple claims that the iPad Air (2024) can last up to 10 hours when surfing the web on Wi-Fi or streaming video. We found we were able to stream nine hours of video downloaded from Apple TV Plus and Netflix and were still left with 5% after this.
The Samsung tablet features a 10,090 mAh battery, but we’ll need to test it ourselves to get an idea of how long it lasts in real-world use.
The Galaxy Tab S10 Plus does appear to have the advantage when it comes to fast charging, with the tablet offering 45W charging compared to the 30W charging supported by the iPad Air.
Early verdict
The iPad Air (2024) can be picked up for less than the Galaxy Tab S10 Plus and comes in two screen sizes. However, the Galaxy Tab benefits from a faster refresh rate and faster charging.
However, which tablet is better will ultimately come down to how the chipsets and battery life compare in our benchmarking tests, along with how the cameras compare in real-world use. We’ll be updating this guide when we get our hands on the Galaxy Tab S10 Plus, so keep an eye out for our final verdict then.
