Samsung Galaxy Tab A7 vs iPad (2021): Comparing Powerful Budget Tablets

In the tablet scene, Apple’s iPad lineup is hard to beat, and that includes the budget-friendly iPad (8th generation). However, the Samsung Galaxy Tab A7 makes for a worthy competitor that could give it a run for its money.

Setting aside their operating systems, each one has its own unique advantages over the other. For instance, the iPad is faster and has more accessories, while the Galaxy Tab A7 looks more modern and is more affordable to boot. On that note, we compare the two to help you figure out which one might suit your needs better.

Samsung Galaxy Tab A7 vs iPad Comparison Chart

Design

The iPad looks a bit antiquated next to the Samsung Galaxy Tab A7.

Put side by side, the Samsung Galaxy Tab A7 makes the iPad look outdated. It sports slimmer bezels and a rectangular form factor rather than a squarish one. It also has a metal chassis that’s premium to the touch, and a front camera placement that‘s better for video calls since the sensor will be at the top when in landscape mode.

On the other hand, the iPad retains a lot of design cues from previous iterations. While it does have narrower bezels compared to the 4th-generation iPad, those at the top and bottom are as chunky as ever.

The Galaxy Tab A7 is slightly lighter, thinner, and smaller in width and height than the iPad, technically making it more portable. However, the difference is pretty much negligible, and both are easy to carry around.

As for color options, the Galaxy Tab A7 is available in Dark Gray, Silver, and Gold, and the iPad in Space Gray, Silver, and Gold.

Display

The Samsung Galaxy Tab A7 has better color reproduction, but the iPad has a sharper and brighter display.

The screens on these tablets are distinct to the point that they’re one of the biggest deciding factors to consider here. First off, the Samsung Galaxy Tab A7 has a 10.4-inch TFT display with a 2000 x 1200 resolution at 224 ppi and a 5:3 aspect ratio. In contrast, the iPad has a 10.2-inch Retina IPS LCD with a 2160 x 1620 resolution at 264 ppi and a 4:3 aspect ratio.

Going by those details, the iPad clearly has a sharper picture quality. While this is subjective, its aspect ratio is also better for productivity and gaming, but more often than not, there’ll be thick black bars at the top and bottom when watching videos. Arguably, the Galaxy Tab A7’s aspect ratio is better for media consumption, web browsing, and reading, but again, this is subjective.

Now the Galaxy Tab A7 can cover 102% of the sRGB color gamut and reach 329 nits. Meanwhile, the iPad can only produce 97% of the sRGB color spectrum, but it can go up to 484 nits. To put two and two together, the former is more vibrant, but the latter is brighter and has better viewing angles.

Performance

The iPad is a whole lot faster than the Samsung Galaxy Tab A7.

In terms of responsiveness, both are more or less on par with each other. However, when it comes to more demanding tasks, the difference in speed is clear where the iPad comes out on top. 

Apple equipped the iPad with its proprietary A12 Bionic chip and paired it with 3GB of RAM, and that combination makes it capable of handling games smoothly. The Samsung Galaxy Tab A7 runs on Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 662 and 3GB of RAM as well. But compared to iPadOS, Android tends to use up more resources, and that means it’s noticeably slower even though it has the same amount of RAM.

According to Geekbench results, the iPad scores 1111 on the single-core test and 2418 on the multi-core test. In comparison, the Galaxy Tab A7 comes in at 312 and 1369, respectively. It goes without saying that the gap in performance between the two is significant.

The iPad also has a larger battery capacity than the Galaxy Tab A7’s 7,040 mAh one, but in the latter’s defense, it has 15W fast charging support. In the same vein, the Galaxy Tab A7 has four speakers with Dolby Atmos on both sides for a more immersive listening experience as opposed to only two on one side on the iPad. It also has Bluetooth 5.0 rather than Bluetooth 4.2 for reliable connectivity with true wireless earbuds.

Click here for our comparison between the Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro and AirPods Pro.

Features

The iPad has the upper hand over the Samsung Galaxy Tab A7, thanks to its Touch ID biometric security and Apple Pencil compatibility.

These tablets’ functionalities can be expanded by way of accessories. For example, the Samsung Galaxy Tab A7 Book Cover Keyboard provides a decent typing experience. But for the record, it connects via Bluetooth and not pogo pins, like the Galaxy Tab S7 and its corresponding keyboard case. And then there’s the Galaxy Tab A7 Book Cover that offers two viewing angles for watching videos.

Starting with the 7th-generation iPad, the range was fitted with smart connectors, making it compatible with the Smart Keyboard. If nothing else, that makes for a niftier solution than a Bluetooth connection. On top of that, it’s compatible with a stylus too: the 1st-generation Apple Pencil, to be exact.

Lastly, the Galaxy Tab A7 only has face recognition for biometric security—if you can call it that, that is. The iPad does it one better by including Touch ID, and needless to say, it’s more secure.

Click here for our Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 and iPad Air comparison.

Price

Even the Samsung Galaxy Tab A7 (64GB) is less expensive than the iPad (32GB).

Out of all the options here, the Samsung Galaxy Tab A7 (32GB) is the cheapest, and it’s followed by the Galaxy Tab A7 (64GB). The iPad (32GB) is next, and the iPad (128GB) is the most expensive. The takeaway here is that the Galaxy Tab A7 is more affordable and the iPad is pricier in general.

Expanding more on their capacities, the iPad may have the largest internal storage available, but the Galaxy Tab A7’s can be expanded up to 1TB with a microSD card.

Verdict

If budget is tight, the Samsung Galaxy Tab A7 can offer a lot of value for money, but for faster performance, your best bet here is the iPad.

All in all, the Samsung Galaxy Tab A7 costs a lot less than the iPad, so the difference in performance doesn’t come as much of a surprise. And despite the lower price point, it still has some advantages too.

Put simply, the Galaxy Tab A7 is obviously the better pick for the budget-oriented, and it even has a more vibrant display, more modern design, fast charging, quad speakers, and Bluetooth 5.0. However, the iPad blows it out of the water on the performance front, and it works with a stylus as well, namely the 1st-generation Apple Pencil. If those things really matter, then it’s clearly the only option between the two.

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