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iPad Air vs. Surface 2 vs. Galaxy Note 10.1

It's a tablet takedown: CNET pits the newly announced iPad Air against the Microsoft Surface 2 and Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1.

Lynn La Senior Editor / Reviews - Phones
Lynn La covers mobile reviews and news. She previously wrote for The Sacramento Bee, Macworld and The Global Post.
Lynn La
2 min read
Watch this: 9.7-inch iPad Air is lighter, thinner, and faster

During a San Francisco press conference today, Apple took the wraps off its newest iPad Air tablet. Sporting a more powerful 64-bit A7 processor, narrower bezels, and a thinner 0.29-inch profile, the iOS 7 device features incremental upgrades from its previous iteration, and retains the familiar aesthetics consumers have come to expect.

And while it's obvious that this iPad is an improvement on the last, Apple isn't the only company out there making top-notch tablets.

From different mobile OSes to various display sizes, users can now choose from a bevvy of tablet alternatives. To see how the new Apple iPad Air compares, CNET has compiled this chart that stacks it against other current frontrunners that were recently announced. This includes the Microsoft Surface 2 and the Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 (2014 Edition). Check it out below and be sure to tell us what device fancies your interest the most.

iPad Air hands-on (pictures)

See all photos

iPad Air      Microsoft Surface 2         Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1




Dimensions 9.45 x 6.7 x 0.29 inches;
1lb. (Wi-Fi only) or
1.05 lbs. (Wi-Fi and cellular)
10.81 x 6.81 x 0.35 inches; 1.49 lbs. 9.57 x 6.75 x 0.31 inches; 1.19 lbs. (Wi-Fi only) or 1.21 lbs (Wi-Fi and cellular)
Display 9.7 inches; 2,048x1,536-pixel resolution; 264ppi 10.6 inches; 1,920x1,080-pixel resolution; 208ppi 10.1 inches; 2,560x1,600-pixel resolution; 299ppi
Operating system iOS 7 Windows RT 8.1 Android 4.3 Jelly Bean
4G LTE Yes Expected early 2014 Yes (global)
Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n 802.11 a/b/g/n 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac
Bluetooth v4.0 v4.0 v4.0
Rear-facing camera 5-megapixel; 1080p video 5-megapixel; 1080p video 8-megapixel; 1080p video
Front-facing camera 1.2-megapixel; 720p video 3.5-megapixel; 1080p video 2-megapixel; 1080p video
Processor Proprietary A7 (64-bit) with
M7 motion co-processor
Nvidia Tegra 4 Exynos 5420 quad-core processor
Capacity 16GB, 32GB, 64GB, and 128GB 32GB and 64GB; 2GB RAM 16GB, 32GB, and 64GB (global); 3GB RAM
Expandable memory No Up to 64GB Up to 64GB
Battery life Up to 10 hours of video playback Up to 10 hours of video playback 8,220mAh; up to 10 hours of video playback
Carriers AT&T, Sprint, Verizon, and T-Mobile AT&T and Vodafone expected early 2014 n/a
Available colors Black and white Silver Black and white
Pricing Wi-Fi only: $499 (16GB), $599 (32GB), $699 (64GB), and $799 (128GB); Wi-Fi and cellular: $629 (16GB), $729 (32GB), $829 (64GB), and $929 (128GB) $449 (32GB) and $549 (64GB) $549.99 (16GB) and $599.99 (32GB)

Credit: Lynn La/CNET

See CNET's complete coverage of all of today's Apple iPad and Mac news.