Galaxy Tab S2 vs. iPad Air 2 vs. Nexus 9

By Lorraine Caballero, Christian Post Contributor Saturday, August 29, 2015

Samsung's Galaxy Tab S2, Apple's iPad Air 2, and Google's Nexus 9 are among the hottest tablet products being pitted against each other nowadays, and consumers are always trying to evaluate a device's specs to determine which would be their best option.

Each tablet has its unique feature that sets it apart from its competitors. For the Nexus 9, it is the ability to use the NFC feature for file transfer or mobile payment. The iPad 2 and Galaxy Tab S2, on the other hand, boast of their built-in fingerprint scanners, according to Neuro Gadget.

The iPad Air 2 measures 6.1 millimeters, and the Nexus 9 is almost 2 millimeters thicker to its Apple competitor. When it comes to the physical design, the Galaxy Tab S2 is the thinnest among the three at just 5.6 millimeters, PC Advisor reports.

In terms of display, Nexus 9 features a 4:3 aspect ratio for its 8.9-inch display, but there are complaints about black bars appearing when users watch movies. The Galaxy Tab S2 and iPad Air 2 both have 9.7-inch displays and 4:3 aspect ratio, but Samsung takes the prize home with its Super AMOLED technology.

Among the three, the Galaxy Tab S2 is considered as the most powerful with its 3 GB of RAM and octa-core processor. The iPad Air 2 has only 2 GB of RAM and triple 1.5 gigahertz A8X processor. The Nexus 9 also has 2 GB of RAM and runs a 6-bit Nvidia Tegra K1 dual-core 2.3 gigahertz Denver processor, the report details.

As for the camera, all three devices feature 8-megapixel rear cameras, but the iPad Air 2 does not have LED flash. The Galaxy Tab S2's 2.1-megapixel front camera beats the iPad Air 2's 1.2-megapixel and Nexus 9's 1.6-megapixel cameras.

When it comes to battery, the Nexus 9 is behind in this race with its 6,700 mAh battery, which provides 90 minutes of video playback. The iPad Air 2 has a nonremovable 27.3 Wh Li-Po battery that could power up to 10 hours of video playback, but the Galaxy Tab S2 beats that with 12 hours of the same usage.

Lastly, the price is one of the biggest standards for comparison here. The Nexus 9 will only cost $290, while the iPad Air 2 has a $500 price tag. The Galaxy Tab S2 reportedly will cost $400 for the 8-inch variant and around $500 for the 9.7-inch variant.