iPad Air 11-inch (M4) vs Samsung Galaxy Tab S11
Short answer
Get the iPad Air if you want Procreate and the biggest choice of art apps. Get the Galaxy Tab S11 if you want the pen in the box, a 120Hz OLED screen and expandable storage.
Side by side
| Spec | Apple iPad Air 11-inch (M4) | Samsung Galaxy Tab S11 |
|---|---|---|
| My rating | 8.8/10 | 8.7/10 |
| Screen | 10.86 in Liquid Retina, laminated, anti-reflective | 11 in Dynamic AMOLED 2X (OLED) |
| Resolution | 2360 x 1640 (264 PPI) | 2560 x 1600 |
| Refresh rate | 60Hz | 120Hz |
| Brightness (claimed) | 500 nits | Up to 1,600 nits peak |
| Chip | Apple M4 | MediaTek Dimensity 9400+ |
| Storage | 128 GB (this listing) | 128 GB + microSD (this listing) |
| OS | iPadOS | Android 16, 7 OS upgrades promised |
| Pen | Apple Pencil Pro or Apple Pencil (USB-C) | S Pen (Wacom EMR, no battery) |
| Pen included | No | Yes |
| Weight | 464 g | 469 g |
| Check price Review | Check price Review |
Where the iPad Air wins
- Apps. Procreate is iPad only, and most drawing apps launch on iPad first. This is the biggest reason artists pick it.
- The Apple Pencil Pro. Squeeze shortcuts, barrel roll for rotating brushes, hover and haptics. Parka Blogs called it "fantastic" on the Air.
- Anti-reflective screen. The laminated glass has an anti-glare coating that reviewers say works well.
Where the Galaxy Tab S11 wins
- Pen in the box. The S Pen is included. With the iPad, you buy the Pencil Pro on top.
- The screen. A 120Hz OLED that gets much brighter at peak, versus a 60Hz LCD on the Air.
- Storage and toughness. microSD up to 2 TB and an IP68 rating. The iPad has neither.
- Updates. Samsung promises 7 Android upgrades and 7 years of security updates.
Where they're the same
Drawing space is a tie. Both work out to about 350 to 360 square centimeters. Both pens have excellent pressure, tilt and palm rejection. Both screens are glossy, so many artists add a matte protector either way.
Real-world math
Price the iPad Air with an Apple Pencil Pro, not on its own. That's the fair comparison, because the Tab S11's pen is already included. If you keep lots of video or big files, add storage cost to the iPad too, since it can't take a memory card.
My pick
For drawing, I'd pick the iPad Air. Procreate and the app selection matter more than anything else here. If you're a student who mostly takes notes, or you already use Android, the Galaxy Tab S11 is the better deal because the pen is in the box.