Galaxy Tab S10 FE Plus vs 13-inch iPad Air M3: A free stylus or monstrous power?
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Intro
The battle between Samsung and Apple in the tablet space continues, and this time, it's the Galaxy Tab S10 FE Plus going up against the newly launched M3 iPad Air.
The iPad Air boasts Apple's latest desktop-grade processor, while Samsung’s FE series continues to aim for value-driven users who want productivity and creative tools at a much more lower price.
The Tab S10 FE Plus comes with a 13.1-inch display, Galaxy AI features and a starting price of $650, undercutting the 13" M3 iPad Air’s starting price of $800. Compared to the 11" M3 iPad Air, it's slightly more expensive at $600.
The Galaxy Tab S10 FE Plus also comes with a stylus in the box, which can be a major bonus depending on what you are planning to use the device for.
The Galaxy Tab S10 FE Plus also comes with a stylus in the box, which can be a major bonus depending on what you are planning to use the device for.
Galaxy Tab S10 FE Plus vs iPad Air M3 differences explained:
| Galaxy Tab S10 FE Plus * | iPad Air M3 |
|---|---|
| 300.6 x 194.7 x 6.0 mm | 280.6 x 214.9 x 6.1 mm |
| 668 g | 616 g |
| Aluminum body | Aluminum body |
| LCD 13.1-inch screen | LCD 13-inch |
| Smoother 90Hz screen refresh rate | 60Hz screen refresh rate |
| Resolution: 2880 x 1800 pixels | Resolution: 2732 x 2048 pixels |
| Only HDR10 support | HDR10 and Dolby Vision support |
| 13 MP back camera | 12 MP back camera |
| 12 MP front camera | 12 MP front camera |
| Slower Exynos 1580 chip (5nm) | Apple M3 flagship-grade processor (3nm) |
| Maxes out at 256GB internal storage | Maxes out at 1TB internal storage |
| Expandable storage via microSD card | No option to expand storage |
| Comes with S Pen | Does not include a stylus |
| 10,090 mAh battery | 9,705 mAh battery |
| 45W wired charging | 20W wired charging |
| $649 | $799 |
| 7 years of software updates | 6-7 years of software updates |
Table of Contents:
- Design and Display
- Keyboard and Stylus
- Performance
- Software
- Audio Quality
- Battery and Charging
- Camera
- Which one should you buy?
Read more:
Galaxy Tab S10 FE Plus vs iPad Air M3 Design and Display
The iPad might has a better display
Image by PhoneArena
The Tab S10 FE Plus measures 300.6 x 194.7 x 6 mm (which is thinner than the predecessor) compared to the 280.6 x 214.9 x 6.1 mm of the M3 iPad Air. This makes it taller, narrower, and slightly thinner.
The Galaxy Tab S10 FE Plus has a slightly larger 13.1-inch screen compared to the iPad's 13-inch panel. The Tab also features a 90Hz refresh rate, which makes using the tablet feel quicker and smoother (important when using a stylus and typing). In comparison, the iPad has a 60Hz screen, which can feel sluggish at times.
Both tablets use LCD displays, but the iPad Air pulls ahead in color and brightness. It supports Dolby Vision and HDR10, while the Galaxy Tab S10 FE Plus supports HDR10 only. During our display tests, the M3 iPad Air hit up to 1,500 nits peak brightness, compared to the FE Plus’s 800 nits in High Brightness Mode.
Samsung's FE model also features Vision Booster, which adjusts contrast and color in real time to improve visibility based on ambient light, but it likely won’t close the gap in brightness.
The Galaxy Tab S10 FE Plus has a slightly larger 13.1-inch screen compared to the iPad's 13-inch panel. The Tab also features a 90Hz refresh rate, which makes using the tablet feel quicker and smoother (important when using a stylus and typing). In comparison, the iPad has a 60Hz screen, which can feel sluggish at times.
Samsung's FE model also features Vision Booster, which adjusts contrast and color in real time to improve visibility based on ambient light, but it likely won’t close the gap in brightness.
Display Measurements:
Neither of these tablets is ideal for outdoor use, but we measured higher brightness levels from the Galaxy Tab S10 FE Plus. The difference might seem small in these numbers, but in real life it is noticeable.
Galaxy Tab S10 FE Plus vs iPad Air M3 Keyboard and Stylus
Samsung’s S Pen comes in the box, which is a major bonus if you intend to use it to practice your creative side. While it’s not the Bluetooth-enabled version (so no Air Actions or wireless controls), it still offers pressure sensitivity, palm rejection, and handwriting input — good enough for most note-takers and casual artists.
Apple’s Apple Pencil is sold separately and starts at $69 (USB-C version) or $119 (2nd-gen with hover support).
Apple’s Apple Pencil is sold separately and starts at $69 (USB-C version) or $119 (2nd-gen with hover support).
If you want a keyboard, you will have to buy one separately for both tabltes. Samsung's Book Cover Keyboard costs around $199, while Apple's Magic Keyboard for the iPad starts at $299.
Galaxy Tab S10 FE Plus vs iPad Air M3 Performance
Where Apple takes an undeniable lead
Image by PhoneArena
There’s no competition here — the M3 chip in the iPad Air is in a league of its own. Based on the same silicon used in Apple’s MacBooks, it delivers desktop-class performance in a tablet form. It’s more than powerful enough for pro-level apps like Final Cut Pro, Logic Pro, and complex multitasking setups.
The Apple M3 chip helped the Air outperform even the Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra during our performance benchmarks!
The Galaxy Tab S10 FE Plus is powered by the Exynos 1580 — a 5nm mid-range chip that's also used for the Galaxy A56. It’s a notable upgrade over the previous FE model and more than sufficient for streaming, web browsing, light gaming, and creative tasks with Samsung’s AI tools. However, it can't match the M3 in sustained performance or GPU-intensive work.
That said, the 90Hz display on the Galaxy makes the UI feel smoother in daily use compared to the iPad’s 60Hz refresh, at least on the surface.
The Apple M3 chip helped the Air outperform even the Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra during our performance benchmarks!
The Galaxy Tab S10 FE Plus is powered by the Exynos 1580 — a 5nm mid-range chip that's also used for the Galaxy A56. It’s a notable upgrade over the previous FE model and more than sufficient for streaming, web browsing, light gaming, and creative tasks with Samsung’s AI tools. However, it can't match the M3 in sustained performance or GPU-intensive work.
The M3 chip in the new iPad Air easily outperformed the Exynos 1580 in our benchmark tests. But you will mostly notice this difference in power in a small number of apps that can make use of it.
The iPad Air with the M3 chip is so graphically capable that you can even play AAA games like Death Stranding and Resident Evil 4 on it. So, it came as no surprise that it absolutely demolished the S10 FE Plus in the GPU benchmarks.
Galaxy Tab S10 FE Plus vs iPad Air M3 Software
Image by PhoneArena
The Galaxy Tab S10 FE Plus ships with Android 15 and One UI 7, complete with Galaxy AI features like Circle to Search, Object Eraser, Best Face and more. Samsung also supports DeX — a desktop-like mode for multitasking with keyboard and mouse — giving it an edge for productivity.
On the iPad side, iPadOS 17 brings Apple’s intuitive interface, Stage Manager and Split View. The iPad also benefits from a broader and better-optimized library of tablet apps, especially when it comes to apps intended for students or creative use.
Samsung has increased the FE Plus’s update timeline to 7 years, which is 3 years more than its predecessor. The iPad Air M3 will likely get 6+ years of updates, in line with Apple’s typical support cycle.
On the iPad side, iPadOS 17 brings Apple’s intuitive interface, Stage Manager and Split View. The iPad also benefits from a broader and better-optimized library of tablet apps, especially when it comes to apps intended for students or creative use.
Samsung has increased the FE Plus’s update timeline to 7 years, which is 3 years more than its predecessor. The iPad Air M3 will likely get 6+ years of updates, in line with Apple’s typical support cycle.
Galaxy Tab S10 FE Plus vs iPad Air M3 Audio Quality
Both tablets feature dual speakers, which limits stereo separation and overall immersion compared to the quad-speaker setups seen on higher-end models.
In our review, the iPad Air’s speakers delivered clear highs, punchy mids, and good volume. But the FE Plus does a great job in this department too — we were genuinely surprised by how full the sound from its two speakers was, even at louder volumes.
In our review, the iPad Air’s speakers delivered clear highs, punchy mids, and good volume. But the FE Plus does a great job in this department too — we were genuinely surprised by how full the sound from its two speakers was, even at louder volumes.
Both tablets have great speakers, so you will get a good listening experience no matter which one you go for.
Galaxy Tab S10 FE Plus vs iPad Air M3 Battery and Charging
Image by PhoneArena
The Galaxy Tab S10 FE Plus packs a 10,090 mAh battery, which is slightly larger than the 9,705 mAh one in the iPad Air. Whether it has better battery life than the iPad remains to be seen, though, so stay tuned for our tests.
However, the Tab S10 FE is undoubtedly better when it comes to charging speeds, with a 45W maximum vs the 20W of the iPad. Tablets have pretty large batteries, so such charging speeds are a godsend if you tend to use your tablet a lot.
Oh, and if you were wondering — they don't come with a charger in the box, which means another accessory you would have to purchase separately. Good news is that you can charge either of them with a regular phone charger.
PhoneArena Battery Test Results:
The above comparison is between the Tab S10 FE Plus and the smaller 11" version of the M3 iPad Air. Of course, since the 11" Air has a smaller 7,606 mAh, it's battery life is understandably lower. But given the estimated battery life the smaller model got, we suspect the 13" one would be similar to the Tab S10 FE Plus.
Galaxy Tab S10 FE Plus vs iPad Air M3 Camera
Should be pretty even
Image by PhoneArena
These tablets aren’t replacements for your phone cameras, but for video calls, document scans and casual snapshots, both are well-equipped.
The Galaxy Tab S10 FE Plus comes with a 13 MP rear camera, while the iPad Air sticks with 12 MP. At the front, both feature a 12 MP ultra-wide selfie camera, which tends to do the job for video conferencing.
The Galaxy Tab S10 FE Plus comes with a 13 MP rear camera, while the iPad Air sticks with 12 MP. At the front, both feature a 12 MP ultra-wide selfie camera, which tends to do the job for video conferencing.
Which one should you buy?
Image by PhoneArena
If you need raw performance — especially for professional work or if you're already in the Apple ecosystem — the M3 iPad Air is hard to beat.
But if your focus is value, the Galaxy Tab S10 FE Plus offers all you would need for a much more approachable price point. With a larger screen, smoother refresh rate, and an included stylus, it's hard to pass up on.
But if your focus is value, the Galaxy Tab S10 FE Plus offers all you would need for a much more approachable price point. With a larger screen, smoother refresh rate, and an included stylus, it's hard to pass up on.
Of course, you can get the best of both worlds if you are willing to sacrifice the larger display and go for the 11-inch M3 iPad Air instead. Just keep in mind that the smaller body also means the audio quality will drop a little.
Both tablets have their advantages, but since the iPad hardly makes full use of its tremendous power, the Galaxy Tab S10 FE is arguably the better bang for your buck.
Both tablets have their advantages, but since the iPad hardly makes full use of its tremendous power, the Galaxy Tab S10 FE is arguably the better bang for your buck.
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