iPad Air 2 vs. the competition: Is it the tablet to beat?

There was a time when it was hard to find someone who would argue with Apple's claim that the iPad was heavyweight tablet champ. But now Android slates like the Galaxy Tab Pro 10.1, the Xperia Tablet Z2 and the recently-announced Nexus 9 are making a run at the title. Sure, the iPad still has some great apps, but how does the latest iPad Air compare to the competition under the hood? Check out the tale of the tape below, and decide for yourself if the iPad Air 2 has what it takes to stay on top.

	iPad Air 2	Nexus 9	Galaxy Tab Pro 10.1	Xperia Tablet Z2
Price	$499 and up (WiFi), $629 and up (Cellular)	$399 and up	$499	$499 or $549
Thickness	6.1mm (0.24 inches)	7.95mm (0.31 inches)	7.37mm (0.29 inches)	6.4mm (0.25 inches)
Weight	437g or 444g (0.96 or 0.98 pounds)	425g or 436g (0.93 or 0.96 pounds)	469g (1.03 pounds)	439g (0.96 pounds)
OS	iOS 8	Android 5.0	Android 4.4	Android 4.4
Display	9.7-inch IPS LCD Retina display	8.9-inch IPS LCD	10.1-inch WQXGA scLCD	10.1 inch TFT LCD
Resolution	2,048 x 1,536 (264 ppi)	2,048 x 1,536 (288 ppi)	2,560 x 1,600 (299 ppi)	1,920 x 1,200 (224 ppi)
Processor	64-bit Apple A8X	64-bit, 2.3 GHz NVIDIA Tegra K1	32-bit Exynos 5 Octa (1.9GHz + 1.3 GHz quad-core)	32-bit, 2.3 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 (MSM8974AB quad-core)
Memory	NA	2GB	2GB	3GB
Storage	16 / 64 / 128GB	16 / 32GB	16GB	16 / 32GB
Ports	Lightning	micro USB 2.0	microSD, HDMI	microSD, MHL 3.0
Front camera	1.2MP FaceTime, f/2.2	1.6MP, f/2.4	2MP	2.2MP, 1080p
Rear camera	8MP iSight, f/2.4, 1.5µm pixel size, 1080p	8MP, f/2.4	8MP	8.1MP
Cellular radio	Optional GSM/EDGE CDMA UMTS/HSPA/ HSPA+/DC‑HSDPA LTE	Optional GSM/CDMA/ HSPA/LTE	Optional LTE	Optional HSPA+/GPRS/ EDGE/LTE
WiFi	Dual-band 802.11a/b/g/n/ac	802.11ac	Dual-band 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac	Dual-band 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac
Bluetooth	v4.0	v4.1	v4.0 LE	v4.0
Accelerometer	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Gyroscope	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Battery	10 hours	6,700mAh	8,220mAh Li-ion	6,000mAh Li-ion

Filed under: Tablets, Apple

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