Despite slower tablet sales and a new focus on the phablet space with its iPhone 6 Plus, Apple nevertheless took the wraps off a new version of its iPad Air on Thursday.
The iPad Air 2 delivered on the early rumors of a more powerful chip, a Touch ID fingerprint scanner and even an anti-reflective display coating and a new gold color option.
[seealso slug="apple-ipad-air-2-revealed"]
With that list of features, you might already be set to pull the trigger on the order button to snag one of these upgraded tablets. But holster your credit cards and take a moment. As beautiful as the new iPad Air 2 looks, it's worth taking a moment to consider all of your options -- and you have many.
We rounded up some of the leading tablets on the market that most closely mirror what Apple's new tablet offers and created a convenient comparison chart to make it just that much easier for you to decide if the iPad Air 2 really is for you.
Tablet Showdown
Apple iPad Air 2
Samsung Galaxy Tab S
Amazon Fire HDX 8.9
Nexus 9
Screen Size
9.7 inches
8.4 inches; 10.5 inches
8.9 inches
8.9 inches
Resolution
2,048 x 1,536
2,560 x 1,600
2,560 x 1,600
2048 x 1536
Pixel Density
264 ppi
359 ppi; 288 ppi
339 ppi
281 ppi
Weight
15 ounces
16.4 ounces; 10.4 ounces
Wi-Fi 13.2 ounces , 4G LTE + Wi-Fi 13.5 ounces
14.9 ounces
Dimensions (WxHxD)
9.4 x 6.6 x 0.24 inches
8.4 x 4.3 x 0.25 inches; 9.7 x 6.9 x 0.25 inches
9.1 x 6.2 x 0.31 inches
8.98 x 6.05 x 0.31 inches
CPU
A8X, M8 motion co-processor
Quad-core 1.9 GHz + Quad-core 1.3 GHz
Quad-core 2.2 GHz
Quad-core 2.3 GHz
Storage
16GB, 64GB or 128GB
16GB; 16GB, 32GB (with microSD up to 128GB)
16GB, 32GB or 64GB
16GB, 32GB
Connectors
Apple 9-pin dock Lightning connector
USB 2.0
USB 2.0 (micro-B connector)
microUSB
Operating System
iOS 8.1
Android 4.4 (Kitkat)
Fire OS 3.0
Android 5.0 (Lollipop)
Battery Life
10 hours of video playback
Up to 11 hours
11 hours
TBD
Camera
FaceTime 1.2MP HD front camera, iSight 8MP rear camera
2.1MP HD front camera, 8MP w/ LED Flash rear camera
HD front camera, 8MP rear-facing camera with LED flash
1.6MP front camera, 8MP rear camera w/ LED flash
Networking
Wi-Fi (802.11a/b/g/n); dual channel (2.4GHz and 5GHz) and MIMO Bluetooth 4.0
Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0
Dual band, dual antenna (MIMO) Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0
Price
w/ Touch ID in silver, space gray and gold, $499 for 16GB, $599 for 64GB, $699 for 128GB (Wi-Fi); $629 for 16GB, $729 for 64GB and $829 for 128GB (4G LTE)
$399.99 for 16GB; $499.99 for 16GB, $549.99 for 32GB
$394 for 16GB, $444 for 32GB, $494 for 64GB (Wi-Fi); $494 for 16GB, $544 for 32GB, $594 for 64GB (Wi-Fi + cellular)
$399 for 16GB, $479 for 32GB
BONUS: Apple iPad Air 2 Debut
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