Apple will finally release its professional-level iPad Pro next month, after unveiling it at the company's Sept. 9 event. However, although the convention focused much on the largest iPad outing, there was another tablet flagship that was revealed at the event, the iPad Mini 4.
How will these two Apple recent releases compare against a new flagship from competitor Samsung, the Galaxy Tab S2?
Design and build
In terms of build, observers agree that the two flagships from Apple have the more premium look and feel. In addition, both tablets corner the spectrum for specific sizes. The iPad Mini 4 caters to fans who opt for portability, while the iPad Pro is for those who want to work as close to a laptop-sized workstation as possible. The Galaxy Tab S2, meanwhile, is an average-sized tablet at 8.0 inches. However, it trumps both Apple devices for its portability as it only weighs 9.3 ounces as opposed to the smaller Mini 4's 10.4 ounces, according to PCMag. The S2 is also sleeker and thinner than the two Apple tablets.
Hardware
Being targeted as a professional-level workhorse, the iPad Pro has the advantage in terms of under the hood specs. Aside from the larger Retina display, the large Apple hybrid also uses the newer A9X chipset for leaner yet high-specs performance. The iPad Mini 4, on the other hand, also has Retina display, but uses the same A8 chipset as the iPhone 6.
The Galaxy Tab S2 has an AMOLED display which gives crisp and vibrant display on par with the two Retina-supported Apple tablets. Meanwhile, internals place the Tab S2 on the same performance levels as the Mini 4, as Samsung opted to equip the tablet with an Exynos 5433 processor with 3 GB of RAM.
In terms of features, meanwhile, both smaller tablets are the same, with entry-level bundles. The iPad Pro, meanwhile, has the advantage of being the premium product.
