After a hiatus of 18 months, Apple finally launched the 7th Generation iPad – at around the same time Samsung released their Galaxy Tab S6.
So how do these two tablets compare against each other? Let’s pit the 7th Gen iPad against the Galaxy Tab S6 and find out!
Note : This is not a fair comparison because the 7th Gen iPad is a mid-range device, while the Galaxy Tab S6 is a flagship device. Yet, there are people who are actively considering these two options – this comparison is for them.
iPad 7th Gen vs Galaxy Tab S6 Compared!
Display : Samsung Galaxy Tab S6
They both have similarly-sized display – the 7th Gen iPad has a 10.2-inch display, while the Galaxy Tab S6 has a slightly larger 10.5-inch display.
The 7th Gen iPad has a resolution of 1620 x 2160 pixels, with a pixel density of 264 ppi. The Galaxy Tab S6, on the other hand, has a wider display with a resolution of 1600 x 2560 pixels and a slightly higher pixel density of 287 ppi.
But what won us over was the Samsung Galaxy Tab S6’s Super AMOLED display, which is certainly superior to the iPad’s IPS display.
Design : Samsung Galaxy Tab S6
Design-wise, they are very similar – large slabs of glass and metal. However, the Galaxy Tab S6 has a far more refined design with narrow bezels, while Apple maintained the iPad’s classic large bezels.
This allows the Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 to give you a larger display in a 11% smaller form factor than the 7th Gen iPad.
Performance : Samsung Galaxy Tab S6
The Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 runs on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8150 – a 2018 flagship mobile SoC (like the Kirin 980 used in the new HUAWEI MediaPad M6).
So it runs rings around the Apple A10 Fusion, which was introduced in September 2016, as these results show!
| Benchmarks | Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 |
Apple iPad 7th Generation |
Difference |
| AnTuTu | 441,406 | 260,080 | +69.7% |
| Ice Storm Unlimited | 78,767 | 38,262 | +105.9% |
| Sling Shot | 7,051 | 3,464 | +103.6% |
| Sling Shot Extreme | 5,277 | 2,559 | +106.2% |
RAM + Storage : Samsung Galaxy Tab S6
The Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 comes with a base configuration of 6 GB RAM + 128 GB of storage, with the option for 8 GB RAM + 256 GB of storage. It even comes with a microSD card slot, so you can add up to 1 TB of additional storage!
The Apple iPad 7th Gen tablet, in contrast, only comes with 3 GB of RAM, and either 32 GB or 128 GB of storage. Needless to say – the iPad does not come with any microSD card slot, or any other external storage option.
Cameras : Samsung Galaxy Tab S6
Unbelievably, Apple continues to use the ancient 1.2 MP front camera in the 7th iteration of the iPad. The Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 has a far superior 8 MP front camera, with a brighter f/2.0 aperture.
In the back, Apple retained the old 8 MP camera with f/2.2 aperture. The Galaxy Tab S6 offers a dual-camera system – a 13 MP main camera, and a 5 MP ultra-wide camera.
This is an easy win for the Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 over the Apple iPad 7th Gen.
Stylus : Samsung Galaxy Tab S6
Both the Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 and the Apple iPad 7th Gen support the use of a stylus.
Apple has repeatedly declined to reveal the pressure sensitivity of their Apple Pencil, even while Samsung proudly declares that their S Pen supports 4,096 pressure levels.
On top of that, the Galaxy Tab S6 ships with the S Pen included, while the iPad does not – you need to pay an extra $99 for the first-generation Apple Pencil.
Connectivity : Samsung Galaxy Tab S6
Because it’s built around a newer platform, the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8150, the Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 supports up to LTE Cat 20, WiFi-AC and Bluetooth 5.0.
The Apple iPad 7th Gen supports WiFi-AC as well, but falls short in LTE and Bluetooth connectivity – it only supports “Gigabit-class LTE”, and Bluetooth 4.2.
Audio : Samsung Galaxy Tab S6
The Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 comes with a quad speaker system tuned by AKG, as well as support for Dolby Atmos. The Apple iPad, on the other hand, only comes with stereo speakers.
Fingerprint Sensor : Samsung Galaxy Tab S6
The Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 has an optical fingerprint sensor placed under the display, while the 7th Gen iPad continues to use the same old Touch ID sensor that is integrated into the Home button.
Functionally, they are similar, but the more expensive optical in-display fingerprint sensor allows for a more compact form factor.
Battery : Samsung Galaxy Tab S6
The Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 comes with a large 27.11 WHr battery, while the Apple iPad 7th Gen has a 19.5% larger 32.4 WHr battery.
But in our test, running full-screen YouTube through Wi-Fi with the display set to 50%, the Galaxy Tab S6 ended up with a longer battery life :
| Battery Life | Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 |
Apple iPad 7th Generation |
Difference |
| Full Screen YouTube | 12.5 hours | 10.7 hours | +16.8% |
Weight : Samsung Galaxy Tab S6
The Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 weighs just 420 g, while the Apple iPad 7th Gen weighs 483 g (WiFi-only) or 493 g (LTE).
Price : Apple iPad 7th Gen
The biggest advantage the Apple iPad 7th Gen has over the Galaxy Tab S6 is its much lower price tag. Here’s a price comparison of the Wi-Fi only models of both tablets, with 128 GB of storage :
| 128 GB (Wi-Fi) | Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 |
Apple iPad 7th Generation |
Difference |
| Malaysia | RM 3,099 | RM 1,849 | +67.6% |
| Singapore | S$908 | S$649 | +39.9% |
| United States | $649.99 | $429 | +51.5% |
| United Kingdom | £619 | £449 | +37.9% |
| Australia | A$1,099 | A$689 | +59.5% |
Of course, the 7th Gen iPad does NOT come with an Apple Pencil, which adds RM 419 / S$138 / US$99 / £89 / A$145 to the price tag.
| 128 GB (Wi-Fi) | Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 |
Apple iPad 7th Generation + Apple Pencil |
Difference |
| Malaysia | RM 3,099 | RM 2,268 | +36.6% |
| Singapore | S$908 | S$787 | +15.4% |
| United States | $649.99 | $528 | +23.1% |
| United Kingdom | £619 | £538 | +15.1% |
| Australia | A$1,099 | A$834 | +31.8% |
iPad 7th Gen vs Galaxy Tab S6 : Which Should YOU Buy?
The Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 was always going to win over the Apple iPad 7th Gen, in all aspects except price. After all, it is Samsung’s flagship tablet.
However, not everyone needs a Porsche like the Galaxy Tab S6. A minivan like the 7th Gen iPad may better suit your needs. So here is our advice :
- If you want a powerful tablet, with the best possible performance, with the option to add storage through a microSD card, the Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 is worth considering.
- If you want a cheap tablet to view photos and videos, and play simple games, nothing beats the Apple iPad 7th Gen.
iPad 7th Gen vs Galaxy Tab S6 Specifications
| Specifications | Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 |
Apple iPad 7th Generation |
| Operating System | Android Pie | iPadOS 13 |
| Display | 10.5-inch Super AMOLED | 10.2-inch IPS |
| Display Resolution | 1600 x 2560 pixels | 1620 x 2160 pixels |
| Display Pixel Density | 287 ppi | 264 ppi |
| System Platform | Qualcomm Snapdragon 8150 | Apple A10 Fusion |
| Memory | 6 GB / 8 GB LPDDR4x | 3 GB LPDDR4 |
| Internal Storage | 128 GB / 256 GB | 32 GB / 128 GB |
| External Storage | microSD card (up to 1TB) | None |
| Front Camera | 8 MP camera (f/2.0) | 1.2 MP camera (f/2.2) |
| Rear Camera | 13 MP main camera (f/2.0) 5 MP ultra-wide camera (f/2.2) |
8 MP camera (f/2.4) |
| Stylus | S Pen (Included) |
Apple Pencil 1st Gen (Not Included) |
| LTE Network | LTE Cat20 – DL : 2.0 Gbps – UL : 150 Mbps |
Gigabit-class |
| Wi-Fi | WiFi-AC (dual-band) | WiFi-AC (dual-band) |
| Bluetooth | Bluetooth 5.0 | Bluetooth 4.2 |
| Connector | USB 2.0 Type C | Apple Lightning |
| Speakers | Quad speakers – optimised by AKG – supports Dolby Atmos |
Stereo speakers |
| 3.5 mm Audio Jack | Yes | Yes |
| Fingerprint Sensor | Optical In-Display | Touch ID |
| Other Sensors | Pressure, Gyroscope, RGB light, Geomagnetic, Hall | Three-axis Gyro, Accelerometer, Barometer, Ambient light |
| Battery | 27.11 Whr lithium-polymer battery | 32.4 Whr lithium-polymer battery |
| Dimensions | 159.5 mm wide 244.5 mm tall 5.7 mm thick |
174.1 mm wide 250.6 mm tall 7.5 mm thick |
| Weight | 420 g | 483 – 493 g |
| Price (128 GB) | RM 3,099 (with S Pen) S$908 (with S Pen) $649.99 (with S Pen) £619 (with S Pen) A$1,099 (with S Pen) |
RM 1,849 (w/o Pencil) S$649 (w/o Pencil) $429 (w/o Pencil) £449 (w/o Pencil) A$689 (w/o Pencil) |
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